{
  "schema": "https://storagestudio.us/schema/wiki-page.v1",
  "title": "External drive",
  "slug": "glossary-external-drive",
  "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-external-drive",
  "markdown_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-external-drive.md",
  "category": "Glossary",
  "category_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary/",
  "tags": [
    "glossary",
    "external drive"
  ],
  "summary": "An external drive is a drive you plug into your Mac rather than one built in. It is where Storage Studio moves folders and apps to free space on your Mac.",
  "published_at": "2026-10-01T06:16:21.000Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-01T05:35:41.000Z",
  "headings": [],
  "links_out": [
    {
      "slug": "glossary-built-in-disk",
      "label": "built-in disk",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-built-in-disk"
    },
    {
      "slug": "glossary-exfat",
      "label": "exFAT",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-exfat"
    },
    {
      "slug": "glossary-shortcut",
      "label": "shortcuts",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-shortcut"
    },
    {
      "slug": "choosing-an-external-drive",
      "label": "Choosing an external drive",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/choosing-an-external-drive"
    },
    {
      "slug": "setting-up-your-drive",
      "label": "Setting up your drive",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/setting-up-your-drive"
    },
    {
      "slug": "when-your-drive-is-disconnected",
      "label": "When your drive is disconnected",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/when-your-drive-is-disconnected"
    }
  ],
  "links_in": [
    {
      "slug": "glossary-apfs",
      "title": "APFS",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-apfs"
    },
    {
      "slug": "glossary-built-in-disk",
      "title": "Built-in disk",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-built-in-disk"
    },
    {
      "slug": "choosing-an-external-drive",
      "title": "Choosing an external drive",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/choosing-an-external-drive"
    },
    {
      "slug": "freeing-up-space-overview",
      "title": "Freeing up space: the options",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/freeing-up-space-overview"
    },
    {
      "slug": "glossary-offload",
      "title": "Offload",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-offload"
    },
    {
      "slug": "glossary-relocate",
      "title": "Relocate",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-relocate"
    },
    {
      "slug": "setting-up-your-drive",
      "title": "Setting up your drive",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/setting-up-your-drive"
    },
    {
      "slug": "compared-with-time-machine",
      "title": "Storage Studio and Time Machine",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/compared-with-time-machine"
    },
    {
      "slug": "compared-with-macos-storage-settings",
      "title": "Storage Studio and macOS Storage settings",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/compared-with-macos-storage-settings"
    },
    {
      "slug": "what-storage-studio-does",
      "title": "What Storage Studio does",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/what-storage-studio-does"
    }
  ],
  "diagrams": [],
  "images": [],
  "screenshots_pending": [],
  "faqs": [],
  "text": "An external drive is a drive you plug into your Mac — rather than the built-in disk inside it. In Storage Studio it is the place your folders and apps move to when you free up space. You choose it in Set Up / Choose External Drive… in the More menu. The window lists the drives that are plugged in, shows their format and free space, and offers a short speed test. Storage Studio only accepts a drive that really is external. Drives formatted APFS or Mac OS Extended are accepted; an exFAT drive needs you to confirm a warning first; FAT32 and network drives are refused, because they can't hold the shortcuts a move leaves behind. Anything you've moved there can only be opened while the drive is plugged in. See also: Choosing an external drive · Setting up your drive · When your drive is disconnected",
  "markdown": "An **external drive** is a drive you plug into your Mac — rather than the [built-in disk](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-built-in-disk) inside it. In Storage Studio it is the place your folders and apps move to when you free up space.\n\nYou choose it in **Set Up / Choose External Drive…** in the More menu. The window lists the drives that are plugged in, shows their format and free space, and offers a short speed test. Storage Studio only accepts a drive that really is external. Drives formatted **APFS** or **Mac OS Extended** are accepted; an [exFAT](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-exfat) drive needs you to confirm a warning first; FAT32 and network drives are refused, because they can't hold the [shortcuts](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-shortcut) a move leaves behind.\n\nAnything you've moved there can only be opened while the drive is plugged in.\n\nSee also: [Choosing an external drive](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/choosing-an-external-drive) · [Setting up your drive](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/setting-up-your-drive) · [When your drive is disconnected](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/when-your-drive-is-disconnected)\n"
}