{
  "schema": "https://storagestudio.us/schema/wiki-page.v1",
  "title": "Where to start: pick your goal",
  "slug": "where-to-start",
  "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/where-to-start",
  "markdown_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/where-to-start.md",
  "category": "Getting started",
  "category_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/getting-started/",
  "tags": [
    "getting started",
    "free up space",
    "external drive",
    "cloud accounts",
    "backups"
  ],
  "summary": "A quick guide to the right part of Storage Studio for what you want — space right now, a Mac that stays tidy, an external drive, cloud accounts, backups or another device — with the article to read for each.",
  "published_at": "2026-10-01T06:20:21.000Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-01T05:35:30.000Z",
  "headings": [
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "\"My disk is nearly full right now\"",
      "id": "my-disk-is-nearly-full-right-now"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "\"I want my Mac to stay tidy without thinking about it\"",
      "id": "i-want-my-mac-to-stay-tidy-without-thinking-about-it"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "\"I have an external drive and want to use it\"",
      "id": "i-have-an-external-drive-and-want-to-use-it"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "\"I use cloud storage\"",
      "id": "i-use-cloud-storage"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "\"I want backups\"",
      "id": "i-want-backups"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "\"I want to reach my files from another device\"",
      "id": "i-want-to-reach-my-files-from-another-device"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Still not sure?",
      "id": "still-not-sure"
    }
  ],
  "links_out": [
    {
      "slug": "emergency-space",
      "label": "Emergency Space",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/emergency-space"
    },
    {
      "slug": "smart-care",
      "label": "Smart Care",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/smart-care"
    },
    {
      "slug": "storage-inspector",
      "label": "What's Using Space",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/storage-inspector"
    },
    {
      "slug": "where-did-my-space-go",
      "label": "Where did my space go?",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/where-did-my-space-go"
    },
    {
      "slug": "why-deleting-doesnt-free-space",
      "label": "Why deleting files doesn't always give the space back",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/why-deleting-doesnt-free-space"
    },
    {
      "slug": "auto-rules",
      "label": "Auto Rules",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/auto-rules"
    },
    {
      "slug": "rules-and-automatic-moves",
      "label": "Automatic Moves",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/rules-and-automatic-moves"
    },
    {
      "slug": "quiet-hours",
      "label": "Quiet Hours",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/quiet-hours"
    },
    {
      "slug": "setting-up-your-drive",
      "label": "Set up your drive",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/setting-up-your-drive"
    },
    {
      "slug": "the-setup-wizard",
      "label": "Setup Wizard",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/the-setup-wizard"
    },
    {
      "slug": "moving-folders-safely",
      "label": "Data Parking",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/moving-folders-safely"
    },
    {
      "slug": "the-apps-window",
      "label": "Apps window",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/the-apps-window"
    },
    {
      "slug": "choosing-an-external-drive",
      "label": "Choosing an external drive",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/choosing-an-external-drive"
    },
    {
      "slug": "cloud-accounts",
      "label": "Connect your accounts",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/cloud-accounts"
    },
    {
      "slug": "data-transfers",
      "label": "Data Transfers",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/data-transfers"
    },
    {
      "slug": "optimise-cloud-storage-locally",
      "label": "Optimise Cloud Storage Locally",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/optimise-cloud-storage-locally"
    },
    {
      "slug": "data-backup",
      "label": "Data Backup",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/data-backup"
    },
    {
      "slug": "compared-with-time-machine",
      "label": "Storage Studio and Time Machine",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/compared-with-time-machine"
    },
    {
      "slug": "bridge-devices",
      "label": "Bridge",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/bridge-devices"
    },
    {
      "slug": "shared-folders-between-macs",
      "label": "Shared Folders",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/shared-folders-between-macs"
    },
    {
      "slug": "tuhi",
      "label": "Tuhi",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/tuhi"
    },
    {
      "slug": "what-storage-studio-does",
      "label": "What Storage Studio does",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/what-storage-studio-does"
    }
  ],
  "links_in": [
    {
      "slug": "the-home-screen",
      "title": "The Home screen",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/the-home-screen"
    },
    {
      "slug": "what-storage-studio-does",
      "title": "What Storage Studio does",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/what-storage-studio-does"
    },
    {
      "slug": "your-first-launch",
      "title": "Your first launch, step by step",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/your-first-launch"
    }
  ],
  "diagrams": [
    {
      "kind": "flowchart",
      "caption": "Which part of Storage Studio to start with",
      "outline": "- What do you want to do?\n  - leads to My disk is nearly full now\n  - leads to Keep my Mac tidy from now on\n  - leads to Use an external drive\n  - leads to Work with cloud accounts\n  - leads to Back up my files\n- My disk is nearly full now\n  - leads to Emergency Space, then Smart Care\n- Keep my Mac tidy from now on\n  - leads to Smart Care, Auto Rules and Automatic Moves\n- Use an external drive\n  - leads to Set up the drive, then Data Parking or Apps\n- Work with cloud accounts\n  - leads to Connect an account, then Data Transfers\n- Back up my files\n  - leads to Data Backup\n",
      "source": "%% caption: Which part of Storage Studio to start with\nflowchart TD\n  A{What do you want to do?} --> B[My disk is nearly full now]\n  A --> C[Keep my Mac tidy from now on]\n  A --> D[Use an external drive]\n  A --> E[Work with cloud accounts]\n  A --> F[Back up my files]\n  B --> BB[Emergency Space, then Smart Care]\n  C --> CC[Smart Care, Auto Rules and Automatic Moves]\n  D --> DD[Set up the drive, then Data Parking or Apps]\n  E --> EE[Connect an account, then Data Transfers]\n  F --> FF[Data Backup]"
    }
  ],
  "images": [],
  "screenshots_pending": [],
  "faqs": [],
  "text": "Storage Studio does quite a lot, but you only need the part that matches what you want right now. Find your goal below and follow the link — each article tells you exactly where to click. Which part of Storage Studio to start with Flowchart outline: Which part of Storage Studio to start with What do you want to do? leads to My disk is nearly full now leads to Keep my Mac tidy from now on leads to Use an external drive leads to Work with cloud accounts leads to Back up my files My disk is nearly full now leads to Emergency Space, then Smart Care Keep my Mac tidy from now on leads to Smart Care, Auto Rules and Automatic Moves Use an external drive leads to Set up the drive, then Data Parking or Apps Work with cloud accounts leads to Connect an account, then Data Transfers Back up my files leads to Data Backup \"My disk is nearly full right now\" Open Emergency Space — a warning triangle on the Home screen appears when your disk is nearly full. Click Run Tuhi - Your AI Assistant on the Home screen to run Smart Care , which clears caches and other space your Mac can safely rebuild. Look at what's big with What's Using Space and Where did my space go? . If space doesn't come back after a clear-up, read Why deleting files doesn't always give the space back . \"I want my Mac to stay tidy without thinking about it\" Auto Rules keep app caches in check. Automatic Moves move folders you choose to your drive on a schedule. Quiet Hours decides when that automatic work is allowed to run. \"I have an external drive and want to use it\" Set up your drive (the Setup Wizard can do this for you). Move big folders with Data Parking — a shortcut stays behind, so nothing breaks. Move or offload apps from the Apps window . Not sure which drive to buy or how to format it? Start with Choosing an external drive . \"I use cloud storage\" Connect your accounts . Copy, move or sync with Data Transfers . Free space taken by synced cloud folders with Optimise Cloud Storage Locally . \"I want backups\" Data Backup keeps versioned backups of the folders you choose, on a drive or in the cloud. Storage Studio is not a replacement for a full backup of your Mac — see Storage Studio and Time Machine . \"I want to reach my files from another device\" Bridge links another of your devices, and Shared Folders keeps a folder the same on two Macs. Still not sure? Type your question into the Ask box on the Home screen — Tuhi can point you to the right place. Or browse What Storage Studio does .",
  "markdown": "Storage Studio does quite a lot, but you only need the part that matches what you want right now. Find your goal below and follow the link — each article tells you exactly where to click.\n\n```mermaid\n%% caption: Which part of Storage Studio to start with\nflowchart TD\n  A{What do you want to do?} --> B[My disk is nearly full now]\n  A --> C[Keep my Mac tidy from now on]\n  A --> D[Use an external drive]\n  A --> E[Work with cloud accounts]\n  A --> F[Back up my files]\n  B --> BB[Emergency Space, then Smart Care]\n  C --> CC[Smart Care, Auto Rules and Automatic Moves]\n  D --> DD[Set up the drive, then Data Parking or Apps]\n  E --> EE[Connect an account, then Data Transfers]\n  F --> FF[Data Backup]\n```\n\n*Flowchart — Which part of Storage Studio to start with. Outline:*\n\n- What do you want to do?\n  - leads to My disk is nearly full now\n  - leads to Keep my Mac tidy from now on\n  - leads to Use an external drive\n  - leads to Work with cloud accounts\n  - leads to Back up my files\n- My disk is nearly full now\n  - leads to Emergency Space, then Smart Care\n- Keep my Mac tidy from now on\n  - leads to Smart Care, Auto Rules and Automatic Moves\n- Use an external drive\n  - leads to Set up the drive, then Data Parking or Apps\n- Work with cloud accounts\n  - leads to Connect an account, then Data Transfers\n- Back up my files\n  - leads to Data Backup\n\n## \"My disk is nearly full right now\"\n\n1. Open [Emergency Space](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/emergency-space) — a warning triangle on the Home screen appears when your disk is nearly full.\n2. Click **Run Tuhi - Your AI Assistant** on the Home screen to run [Smart Care](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/smart-care), which clears caches and other space your Mac can safely rebuild.\n3. Look at what's big with [What's Using Space](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/storage-inspector) and [Where did my space go?](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/where-did-my-space-go).\n\nIf space doesn't come back after a clear-up, read [Why deleting files doesn't always give the space back](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/why-deleting-doesnt-free-space).\n\n## \"I want my Mac to stay tidy without thinking about it\"\n\n- [Auto Rules](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/auto-rules) keep app caches in check.\n- [Automatic Moves](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/rules-and-automatic-moves) move folders you choose to your drive on a schedule.\n- [Quiet Hours](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/quiet-hours) decides when that automatic work is allowed to run.\n\n## \"I have an external drive and want to use it\"\n\n1. [Set up your drive](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/setting-up-your-drive) (the [Setup Wizard](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/the-setup-wizard) can do this for you).\n2. Move big folders with [Data Parking](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/moving-folders-safely) — a shortcut stays behind, so nothing breaks.\n3. Move or offload apps from the [Apps window](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/the-apps-window).\n\nNot sure which drive to buy or how to format it? Start with [Choosing an external drive](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/choosing-an-external-drive).\n\n## \"I use cloud storage\"\n\n- [Connect your accounts](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/cloud-accounts).\n- Copy, move or sync with [Data Transfers](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/data-transfers).\n- Free space taken by synced cloud folders with [Optimise Cloud Storage Locally](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/optimise-cloud-storage-locally).\n\n## \"I want backups\"\n\n[Data Backup](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/data-backup) keeps versioned backups of the folders you choose, on a drive or in the cloud. Storage Studio is not a replacement for a full backup of your Mac — see [Storage Studio and Time Machine](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/compared-with-time-machine).\n\n## \"I want to reach my files from another device\"\n\n[Bridge](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/bridge-devices) links another of your devices, and [Shared Folders](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/shared-folders-between-macs) keeps a folder the same on two Macs.\n\n## Still not sure?\n\nType your question into the Ask box on the Home screen — [Tuhi](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/tuhi) can point you to the right place. Or browse [What Storage Studio does](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/what-storage-studio-does).\n"
}