Your first launch, step by step

The first time you open Storage Studio, a short chain of screens appears before the app settles into the menu bar: a loading screen, the terms, a request for Full Disk Access, your free-trial registration and the Setup Wizard. Each one appears only while it's needed, so later launches skip straight past anything you've already done.

%% caption: The screens you see the first time you open Storage Studio
flowchart TD
  A[Loading screen] --> B{Is this version too old to run?}
  B -->|Yes| C[A new version is available]
  B -->|No| D[Welcome to Storage Studio: accept the terms]
  D --> E[One quick permission: Full Disk Access]
  E --> F[Start your free trial]
  F --> G[Storage Studio Setup wizard]
  G --> H[Storage Studio opens]

1. The loading screen

A small window shows the Storage Studio mark, the version number and a status line such as Connecting to storagestudio.us. The app uses this moment to check for updates and fetch its latest settings. If it can't reach our servers you see Working offline, and the app carries on anyway. Cancel (or Escape) quits the app.

If the version you're opening is older than the oldest one we still support, you see A new version is available instead, and Storage Studio downloads, checks and installs the new version for you. See Keeping Storage Studio up to date.

2. Welcome and the terms

Welcome to Storage Studio asks you to read and accept the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Disclaimer. You tick two boxes — that you accept the documents, and that you understand Storage Studio is not a backup tool and you keep your own backups of anything you value — then click Continue. Decline & Quit closes the app and changes nothing. Storage Studio doesn't start its background work until you've accepted. You can reread the documents later; see Legal documents and your consent choices.

3. Full Disk Access

One quick permission and we're all set explains why Storage Studio needs Full Disk Access, and opens System Settings at the right page for you. Switch Storage Studio on in the list; the window notices within a couple of seconds and moves on, with no restart needed. Skip for now lets you continue without it. Full details: Why Storage Studio asks for Full Disk Access.

4. Start your free trial

If this Mac doesn't already have a trial or licence, you're asked for your full name, email address and country, then Email me a code. Type the one-time code from the email and click the button to start your trial. If the code doesn't arrive, check your spam folder; Start my trial without the code lets you begin anyway and confirm your email later.

• Already bought a licence? Click I have a licence instead. See Activating your licence.
• Used a trial on this Mac before? You'll see You're all set — this Mac already has an active trial, and Continue takes you on.

More about the trial: The free trial.

5. The Setup Wizard

On a first install, Storage Studio Setup runs four short steps: a welcome, picking your external drive (or skipping it), installing the background service, and a final You're all set! screen. Closing the wizard on this first run quits the app, because Storage Studio can't work without its background service. See The Setup Wizard.

If the background service is installed but not running on a later launch, you see One more thing — let's start the service instead.

After that

Storage Studio's icon appears in the menu bar, next to the clock. Click it to open the app. Next: The Home screen and Where to start.

See also: Installing Storage Studio, The menu bar icon and popover.