---
title: "Installing Storage Studio"
url: https://storagestudio.us/wiki/installing-storage-studio
category: "Getting started"
tags: ["install", "getting started", "apple silicon", "updates"]
summary: "Download the Storage Studio disk image, drag the app into your Applications folder and open it from there. You need macOS 12 Monterey or later, and Storage Studio 4.18 and later need a Mac with Apple silicon."
updated: 2026-10-01T05:35:20.000Z
---

# Installing Storage Studio

Download the Storage Studio disk image, drag the app into your Applications folder and open it from there. You need macOS 12 Monterey or later, and Storage Studio 4.18 and later need a Mac with Apple silicon.

To install Storage Studio, open the disk image you downloaded, drag **Storage Studio** into your **Applications** folder, then open it from Applications. A short series of first-launch screens walks you through the rest.

## What you need

| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| macOS | macOS 12 Monterey or later. A few features, such as starting the app automatically at login, need macOS 13 Ventura or later. |
| Processor | Storage Studio 4.18 and later need a Mac with Apple silicon. Intel Macs stay on version 4.17.1. |
| Internet | Needed once at first launch, to verify your email and start your free trial. |
| External drive | Optional. You can set one up during setup or later. |

An Intel Mac is never offered an update it can't open: it keeps being offered version 4.17.1. See [Apple silicon and Intel Macs](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/apple-silicon-and-intel).

## Step by step

```mermaid
%% caption: Installing Storage Studio from the disk image
flowchart TD
  A[Download the disk image] --> B[Open it in Finder]
  B --> C[Drag Storage Studio onto Applications]
  C --> D[Open Storage Studio from Applications]
  D --> E{Does macOS open it?}
  E -->|Yes| F[First-launch screens begin]
  E -->|No| G[See the troubleshooting article]
```

*Flowchart — Installing Storage Studio from the disk image. Outline:*

- Download the disk image
  - leads to Open it in Finder
- Open it in Finder
  - leads to Drag Storage Studio onto Applications
- Drag Storage Studio onto Applications
  - leads to Open Storage Studio from Applications
- Open Storage Studio from Applications
  - leads to Does macOS open it?
- Does macOS open it?
  - Yes: leads to First-launch screens begin
  - No: leads to See the troubleshooting article

1. **Download** Storage Studio from the Storage Studio website.
2. **Open the disk image.** Finder shows the Storage Studio icon, an arrow and your Applications folder, with the line *"To install, drag Storage Studio to Applications."*
3. **Drag** the Storage Studio icon onto the Applications folder.
4. **Open Storage Studio from Applications** — not from the disk image. Updates can only install themselves when the app is in your Applications folder.
5. **Eject the disk image** once the app is open. You can delete the downloaded file too.

The first launch then takes you through the terms, a permission request, your free trial and a short setup. [Your first launch, step by step](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/your-first-launch) explains each screen.

## If macOS won't open it

Release downloads are signed and notarised by Apple, so macOS normally opens them without complaint. If you see a warning that the app can't be opened, follow [macOS says the app can't be opened](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/macos-says-the-app-cant-be-opened).

## Installing over an older version

You don't need to remove an older copy first. If Storage Studio is already running and you open the disk image of a newer version, it recognises the newer app, updates itself in place and relaunches. It only does this for a genuinely newer version that macOS accepts as coming from us. See [Keeping Storage Studio up to date](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/keeping-storage-studio-up-to-date).

See also: [Is Storage Studio safe to install?](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/is-storage-studio-safe-to-install), [The Setup Wizard](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/the-setup-wizard), [Uninstalling Storage Studio](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/uninstalling-storage-studio).

## What links here

- [Apple silicon](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-apple-silicon)
- [Apple silicon and Intel Macs](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/apple-silicon-and-intel)
- [Is Storage Studio safe to install?](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/is-storage-studio-safe-to-install)
- [Keeping Storage Studio up to date](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/keeping-storage-studio-up-to-date)
- [Moves or transfers say a component is missing](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/engine-missing)
- [The menu bar icon doesn't appear](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/menu-bar-icon-missing)
- [Uninstalling Storage Studio](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/uninstalling-storage-studio)
- [What Storage Studio does](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/what-storage-studio-does)
- [Your first launch, step by step](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/your-first-launch)
- [macOS says the app can't be opened](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/macos-says-the-app-cant-be-opened)