{
  "schema": "https://storagestudio.us/schema/wiki-page.v1",
  "title": "How much space Storage Studio itself uses",
  "slug": "storage-studios-own-footprint",
  "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/storage-studios-own-footprint",
  "markdown_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/storage-studios-own-footprint.md",
  "category": "Freeing up space",
  "category_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/freeing-up-space/",
  "tags": [
    "free up space",
    "storage watch",
    "recycle vault",
    "job insights"
  ],
  "summary": "Storage Studio checks its own files on your Mac first. It keeps its small, essential records, tells you plainly when it is holding something large it could clear, and keeps bigger things such as its own backups on your external drive.",
  "published_at": "2026-10-01T06:19:25.000Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-27T11:13:36.000Z",
  "headings": [
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "What it keeps on your Mac",
      "id": "what-it-keeps-on-your-mac"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "How it keeps that small",
      "id": "how-it-keeps-that-small"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Clearing it",
      "id": "clearing-it"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "The whole picture, on your Mac and your drive",
      "id": "the-whole-picture-on-your-mac-and-your-drive"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Watching it over time",
      "id": "watching-it-over-time"
    }
  ],
  "links_out": [
    {
      "slug": "background-activity",
      "label": "Job Insights",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/background-activity"
    },
    {
      "slug": "recycle-vault",
      "label": "Recycle Vault",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/recycle-vault"
    },
    {
      "slug": "emergency-space",
      "label": "Emergency Space",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/emergency-space"
    },
    {
      "slug": "storage-profile",
      "label": "Storage Profile",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/storage-profile"
    },
    {
      "slug": "a-lazy-background-utility",
      "label": "Why Storage Studio works slowly on purpose",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/a-lazy-background-utility"
    },
    {
      "slug": "is-storage-studio-slowing-my-mac",
      "label": "Is Storage Studio slowing my Mac down?",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/is-storage-studio-slowing-my-mac"
    },
    {
      "slug": "self-backup-of-settings",
      "label": "Backing up Storage Studio's own settings",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/self-backup-of-settings"
    }
  ],
  "links_in": [
    {
      "slug": "is-storage-studio-slowing-my-mac",
      "title": "Is Storage Studio slowing my Mac down?",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/is-storage-studio-slowing-my-mac"
    },
    {
      "slug": "recycle-vault",
      "title": "The Recycle Vault",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/recycle-vault"
    },
    {
      "slug": "storage-profile",
      "title": "Your Storage Profile",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/storage-profile"
    }
  ],
  "diagrams": [
    {
      "kind": "flowchart",
      "caption": "How Storage Studio handles each of its own files",
      "outline": "- One of Storage Studio's own files\n  - leads to What kind is it?\n- What kind is it?\n  - Essential record: leads to Kept - small, never offered\n  - Rebuilds itself: leads to 1 GB or more?\n  - Can't vouch for it: leads to Shown with its size, never removed\n- 1 GB or more?\n  - Yes: leads to One notice: clear it, or move it to the drive\n  - No: leads to Left as is\n",
      "source": "%% caption: How Storage Studio handles each of its own files\nflowchart TD\n  A[One of Storage Studio's own files] --> B{What kind is it?}\n  B -->|Essential record| C[Kept - small, never offered]\n  B -->|Rebuilds itself| D{1 GB or more?}\n  D -->|Yes| E[One notice: clear it, or move it to the drive]\n  D -->|No| F[Left as is]\n  B -->|Can't vouch for it| G[Shown with its size, never removed]"
    }
  ],
  "images": [],
  "screenshots_pending": [],
  "faqs": [],
  "text": "An app that frees space shouldn't quietly use a lot of it. So Storage Studio checks its own files before it looks at anyone else's, tells you plainly if it's holding something large, and keeps what it stores on your Mac small. What it keeps on your Mac Storage Studio's files fall into three kinds: Records it can't do without. These are what let a move be put back: which folders went where, your settings and your history. They're small and are never offered for removal. Things that rebuild themselves. For example, a cache of your cloud files that fills itself back in as you use them, a cache used by backups, stand-by copies of apps it has already finished moving, and old safety copies taken before an update. These can be cleared at no cost. Things it can't vouch for. If it finds a folder in your home folder that's named like one of its own but that it didn't write, perhaps left by an earlier version, it shows you the size but never removes it. You can remove it yourself if you don't need it. How it keeps that small It audits itself. About a minute and a half after it starts, Storage Studio measures its own files, quietly and in the background. It tells you once. If it's holding 1 GB or more that could be cleared, or a folder of 100 MB or more it can't account for, you get one notice in Job Insights under Storage watch , which starts Storage Studio is holding … of its own files and says what the files are, for example It rebuilds itself the next time a backup runs. The notice says if the files haven't been touched in a while, and whether you can clear them or move them to your fast drive. It doesn't repeat itself, however many folders it finds. Large, cold things go to the drive. Its daily backup of its own settings is written to your external drive, not your Mac, and only the last 7 days are kept. Files removed into the Recycle Vault are kept on the external drive too, and ones held on your Mac move there when the drive reconnects. Logs have a ceiling. Its activity log is rolled over once it passes 5 MB, keeping one older copy. The backup cache tidies itself. Once the cache the backup engine uses lives on your drive, any copy left on your Mac clears itself whenever the drive is connected and no backup is using it. How Storage Studio handles each of its own files Flowchart outline: How Storage Studio handles each of its own files One of Storage Studio's own files leads to What kind is it? What kind is it? Essential record: leads to Kept - small, never offered Rebuilds itself: leads to 1 GB or more? Can't vouch for it: leads to Shown with its size, never removed 1 GB or more? Yes: leads to One notice: clear it, or move it to the drive No: leads to Left as is Clearing it When Storage Studio is holding rebuildable files, Emergency Space lists them with rows such as Clear (what it is) , explained as This is Storage Studio's own file, and it rebuilds itself. Clearing it costs you nothing. Anything it clears this way can be recovered, and it never removes its essential records. The whole picture, on your Mac and your drive Your Storage Profile has a card called Storage Studio's own footprint that lists everything Storage Studio keeps and what each part is for: On this Mac: the app itself, your settings and move records (the one part that can't be rebuilt), logs, caches that rebuild themselves, safety copies, and files it keeps for you — Junk Yard clips, files from your other devices and Delta Drive files kept here. On your drive: your moved and parked folders, offloaded apps, restore points, versions and safety copies, the Recycle Vault, and Storage Studio's own records. Your largest moved folders are listed, and a few plain sentences say what it all means — for example how much Storage Studio takes on your Mac compared with what it has moved off it. The Mac's side appears straight away; each drive folder is added as it's measured, quietly in the background, and the last measurement is shown with its age until a new one is ready. Nothing on the card removes anything. Watching it over time The same screen has a Storage Studio’s footprint section showing how much memory, processor time and disk the app is using, as a chart that adds a point every minute while the app runs. Hover over the chart to see any moment. See also: Why Storage Studio works slowly on purpose · Is Storage Studio slowing my Mac down? · Backing up Storage Studio's own settings",
  "markdown": "An app that frees space shouldn't quietly use a lot of it. So Storage Studio checks its own files before it looks at anyone else's, tells you plainly if it's holding something large, and keeps what it stores on your Mac small.\n\n## What it keeps on your Mac\n\nStorage Studio's files fall into three kinds:\n\n- **Records it can't do without.** These are what let a move be put back: which folders went where, your settings and your history. They're small and are never offered for removal.\n- **Things that rebuild themselves.** For example, a cache of your cloud files that fills itself back in as you use them, a cache used by backups, stand-by copies of apps it has already finished moving, and old safety copies taken before an update. These can be cleared at no cost.\n- **Things it can't vouch for.** If it finds a folder in your home folder that's named like one of its own but that it didn't write, perhaps left by an earlier version, it shows you the size but never removes it. You can remove it yourself if you don't need it.\n\n## How it keeps that small\n\n- **It audits itself.** About a minute and a half after it starts, Storage Studio measures its own files, quietly and in the background.\n- **It tells you once.** If it's holding 1 GB or more that could be cleared, or a folder of 100 MB or more it can't account for, you get one notice in [Job Insights](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/background-activity) under **Storage watch**, which starts *Storage Studio is holding* … *of its own files* and says what the files are, for example *It rebuilds itself the next time a backup runs.* The notice says if the files haven't been touched in a while, and whether you can clear them or move them to your fast drive. It doesn't repeat itself, however many folders it finds.\n- **Large, cold things go to the drive.** Its daily backup of its own settings is written to your external drive, not your Mac, and only the last 7 days are kept. Files removed into the [Recycle Vault](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/recycle-vault) are kept on the external drive too, and ones held on your Mac move there when the drive reconnects.\n- **Logs have a ceiling.** Its activity log is rolled over once it passes 5 MB, keeping one older copy.\n- **The backup cache tidies itself.** Once the cache the backup engine uses lives on your drive, any copy left on your Mac clears itself whenever the drive is connected and no backup is using it.\n\n```mermaid\n%% caption: How Storage Studio handles each of its own files\nflowchart TD\n  A[One of Storage Studio's own files] --> B{What kind is it?}\n  B -->|Essential record| C[Kept - small, never offered]\n  B -->|Rebuilds itself| D{1 GB or more?}\n  D -->|Yes| E[One notice: clear it, or move it to the drive]\n  D -->|No| F[Left as is]\n  B -->|Can't vouch for it| G[Shown with its size, never removed]\n```\n\n*Flowchart — How Storage Studio handles each of its own files. Outline:*\n\n- One of Storage Studio's own files\n  - leads to What kind is it?\n- What kind is it?\n  - Essential record: leads to Kept - small, never offered\n  - Rebuilds itself: leads to 1 GB or more?\n  - Can't vouch for it: leads to Shown with its size, never removed\n- 1 GB or more?\n  - Yes: leads to One notice: clear it, or move it to the drive\n  - No: leads to Left as is\n\n## Clearing it\n\nWhen Storage Studio is holding rebuildable files, [Emergency Space](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/emergency-space) lists them with rows such as **Clear** *(what it is)*, explained as *This is Storage Studio's own file, and it rebuilds itself. Clearing it costs you nothing.* Anything it clears this way can be recovered, and it never removes its essential records.\n\n## The whole picture, on your Mac and your drive\n\nYour [Storage Profile](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/storage-profile) has a card called **Storage Studio's own footprint** that lists everything Storage Studio keeps and what each part is for:\n\n- **On this Mac:** the app itself, your settings and move records (the one part that can't be rebuilt), logs, caches that rebuild themselves, safety copies, and files it keeps for you — Junk Yard clips, files from your other devices and Delta Drive files kept here.\n- **On your drive:** your moved and parked folders, offloaded apps, restore points, versions and safety copies, the Recycle Vault, and Storage Studio's own records.\n\nYour largest moved folders are listed, and a few plain sentences say what it all means — for example how much Storage Studio takes on your Mac compared with what it has moved off it. The Mac's side appears straight away; each drive folder is added as it's measured, quietly in the background, and the last measurement is shown with its age until a new one is ready. Nothing on the card removes anything.\n\n## Watching it over time\n\nThe same screen has a **Storage Studio’s footprint** section showing how much memory, processor time and disk the app is using, as a chart that adds a point every minute while the app runs. Hover over the chart to see any moment.\n\nSee also: [Why Storage Studio works slowly on purpose](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/a-lazy-background-utility) · [Is Storage Studio slowing my Mac down?](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/is-storage-studio-slowing-my-mac) · [Backing up Storage Studio's own settings](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/self-backup-of-settings)\n"
}