## Reclaim Your Mac’s Storage: Offloading Apps with macOS Sequoia
Apple’s premium pricing for increased storage capacity is a well-known phenomenon. With internal upgrades often impossible post-purchase, many Mac owners turn to external drives for a cost-effective storage boost. This is especially true for demanding applications and large files, which can quickly consume precious internal drive space.
### macOS Sequoia 15.1: A New Era for External App Installation
Previously, macOS relegated new App Store downloads to the boot drive, regardless of size. This posed a challenge for users with limited internal storage. However, macOS Sequoia 15.1 introduces a game-changing feature: the ability to directly install larger applications onto external storage. This is a boon for creatives using resource-intensive software like Final Cut Pro or Logic Pro X, as well as gamers with extensive libraries.
### Streamlining Large App Installation: A Step-by-Step Guide
1. Ensure your external drive is connected to your Mac.
2. Launch the App Store.
3. Navigate to “App Store” in the menu bar and select “Settings…”.
4. Tick the box labelled “Download and install large apps to a separate disk.”
5. Choose your designated external drive from the provided dropdown menu.
### Important Considerations for External App Installation
This feature applies only to applications exceeding 1GB and requires the external drive to be connected during setup. The drive must be formatted as APFS. While the application itself resides on the external drive, some associated data may still be stored internally. Currently, this is a global setting; per-app customization is not available. For optimal performance, a fast external SSD (or an internal SSD within an external enclosure) is highly recommended. This minimizes potential bottlenecks and ensures a smooth user experience.
