Install Mac Apps on External Storage in macOS Sequoia - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Install Mac Apps on External Storage in macOS Sequoia

by

If you're running out of space on your Mac's internal drive, macOS Sequoia 15.1 includes a handy new feature that lets you install large apps directly to external storage. Here's how to use it to preserve space on your boot drive.

MacBook Pro OWC Envoy Ultra
Apple is known for charging customers a very high markup for additional storage when buying a new Mac. Given that internal storage usually can't be upgraded after purchase, it's no wonder that external drives are a popular solution for many Mac users who want the extra space but don't want to pay a premium for the privilege.

Until recently, macOS automatically installed new apps downloaded from the Mac App Store to a Mac's boot drive, which was not particularly helpful to users with dwindling internal storage. In macOS Sequoia 15.1, however, Apple has added a new option that lets you download and install apps that require more than 1GB of storage to an external drive. Anyone working with large apps like Final Cut Pro or Logic Pro, or gamers with space-consuming titles, will surely welcome this ability to download and install large apps to a separate disk.

Installing Mac Apps to External Storage

  1. Connect your external drive to your Mac.
  2. Open the App Store.
  3. Click App Store in the menu bar and select Settings....
  4. Check the box next to "Download and install large apps to a separate disk."
  5. Select your external drive from the dropdown menu.

install apps external disk mac app store

Some considerations to keep in mind: The feature only works with apps larger than 1GB, and your external drive must be connected when enabling the setting. (Make sure the drive you connect is APFS formatted.) Additionally, while apps will install to your external drive, bear in mind that, depending on the app, some app data may still be stored on your main drive.

It's also worth noting that you can't choose installation locations using this method on a per-app basis – it's an all-or-nothing setting for qualifying apps. Lastly, for the best experience, use a fast external SSD (or an internal SSD in an external enclosure) to ensure optimal app performance.

Top Rated Comments

kirky29 Avatar
kirky29
19 months ago
Once again, a very Apple way of doing this... :-/
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Slix Avatar
Slix
19 months ago
This is convenient! You could always move big apps after downloading them to the external disk, since day one essentially on the Mac. But having it automatically happen for big apps is a nice option.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
turbineseaplane
19 months ago
Anything other than "no longer charging extortion level SSD upgrade pricing", it would seem

:confused:
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C
CharlesS
19 months ago
Why would anyone need this? It's always been possible to have your apps on a separate drive. Just drag them over. LaunchServices will detect the apps in their new location and they'll just work. It's one of the best things about the Mac, and it's been that way basically since the beginning.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
F
fathergll
19 months ago

A tiny step in the right direction. I don't know why it had to be this limited.

This is an absolute requirement to even begin to be taken seriously for games. Steam has had very flexible support for multiple libraries on multiple disks in whatever subfolder you choose, for like ten years.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Darmok N Jalad Avatar
Darmok N Jalad
19 months ago

Or you can move your Home folder to an external SSD - IF AND ONLY IF you plan to use the drive always connected.
You will however, always need to download the app and manually move it to the external drive.

I am using my Base M4 Mac mini like this with an external 4TB SSD
How well does the drive stay connected when the Mac idles/sleeps? Sometimes the biggest challenge to this approach is that the drive occasionally gets unmounted by the OS for some unknown reason, and then you have trouble until a reboot.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

MacBook Pro Low Angle Wide Lens

Apple to Launch 'MacBook Ultra' With These Six New Features

Friday April 24, 2026 10:32 am PDT by
While the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro were just updated with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips last month, bigger changes are reportedly around the corner. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the higher-end MacBook Pro models will be receiving a major redesign by early 2027, and he said that Apple might use "MacBook Ultra" branding for them. If so, the MacBook Ultra would likely be a...
Read Full Article • 139 comments
Apple TV Thumb 3

Here's What's Coming in the 2026 Apple TV

Thursday April 23, 2026 12:08 pm PDT by
There are a lot of folks waiting for a new version of the Apple TV because the set-top box hasn't been updated since 2022. There is an update coming this year, but people will need to wait a bit longer because Apple is holding the next Apple TV until the new version of Siri comes out this fall. Design Apple TV design updates don't happen often, and that's not changing in 2026. The next...
Read Full Article • 164 comments
Mostly Screen iPhone Purple Feature 2027

20th Anniversary iPhone to Feature Custom 'Micro-Curved' OLED Panel

Friday April 24, 2026 3:34 am PDT by
For its 20th-anniversary iPhone, Apple is tapping Samsung to produce a custom micro-curved OLED display that is brighter and thinner than existing panels, according to new supply chain information out of China. Apple is reportedly considering a radical redesign for the 20th-anniversary iPhone that could feature a completely bezel-less display that curves around all four edges of the device. ...
Read Full Article • 105 comments