Badges and status
Match the labels in the app to their meaning and next steps.
Badges describe an item's current state; they are not a complete health check. Read the label before deciding what to do. Clickable badges provide more detail, and different versions may show different combinations.
App location and update protection
| Badge | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Local | The app is on your Mac and has no other label to display. | Migrate it when you want to free space. |
| Linked | A local entry points to the external app. | Connect the external drive to use it. |
| Locked Migration | The app is linked and update protection is enabled where needed. | Read app updates before updating. |
| Unlocked Migration | This app needs update protection, but it is not currently locked. | Click for the reason and check how to update it safely. |
| Partially Linked | Only some apps or components in a folder are linked. | Expand the folder and check each item. |
| Orphaned Link | The local entry exists, but its external target cannot currently be found. | Connect the original drive and refresh. This does not prove the files were deleted. |
| Unlinked, External | The external app has no usable local entry yet. | Use “Link Back to Local” if needed. |
| Pending Move Out | A real local app appears newer than the external copy. | Check both versions and the destination, then move the newer local app out. |
“Locked Migration” protects specific update scenarios; it does not replace a backup. “Pending Move Out” is not an instruction that must be acted on immediately.
App types
| Badge | Meaning and limitations |
|---|---|
| Running | Save your work and quit the app before migrating or restoring it. |
| System | A macOS system app, generally unsuitable for migration. |
| Non-native | An iPhone or iPad app running on Mac. Support depends on the device and OS. |
| App Store | An app from the App Store, or an external installation managed by macOS. Click for details where available. |
| Sparkle, Electron | Frameworks used by the app. They help identify update behavior; they do not confirm successful migration. |
Signature status
| Badge | Meaning | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Signature replaced | The original developer signature was replaced by a local signature. | Open “Repair” or “View repair steps” and follow upgrade and repair. |
| Signature check pending | The signature or recovery-material check did not produce a reliable result. | Connect the drive, use “Check signature,” and keep your backups. Provide diagnostics if this persists. |
| Resigned | The app is identified as locally re-signed, without the more specific developer-signature replacement warning above. | This does not mean the official identity is restored or that container data is accessible. |
Signature status and data location are separate. “Mounted” does not establish that an app's signature is healthy, and “Signature replaced” does not establish that data is damaged.
For an app confirmed as re-signed, the context menu retains “Restore Original Signature” and hides the duplicate re-sign action. Check the signature first if its status is unclear. Newly saved official originals are on an external drive; reconnect that drive before restoring. See signing and repair.
Data directories and custom folders
| Status | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Local | Data is still on this Mac. | Check its purpose before migrating. |
| Linked | A symbolic link at the original path accesses external data. | Keep the drive connected. |
| Mounted | The external data volume is attached at the original directory. | Open the app and verify actual reads and writes. |
| Awaiting Mount | The data volume was found but is not attached at its original path. | Use “Mount.” |
| External Drive Disconnected | The managed data volume cannot currently be found. | Connect the original drive and check that the volume is available. |
| Awaiting Relink | External data remains, but the local entry needs rebuilding. | Check the target, then use “Relink.” |
| Needs Normalization | A managed link was recognized, but its location needs tidying. | Read the confirmation for “Normalize.” For old container links, see classic mode. |
| Existing Symlink | A symbolic link exists but is not yet managed in AppPorts' layout. | Check the real target and use an available action. |
| User folder shortcut | A container shortcut to Desktop, Downloads, Pictures, or another personal folder; the data is not exclusive to this app. | Target sizes are excluded and migration or restore is unavailable. Do not treat it as an ordinary empty folder. |
| Orphaned Link | A custom folder's link target is temporarily unreachable. | Check the drive, path, and connection first. |
| Not Found | The configured directory does not currently exist. | Check the original location before creating an empty folder with the same name. |
| External | A custom folder's data is stored externally. | Check the local side to decide whether relinking is needed. |
| Target Conflict | Other content already exists at the destination. | Establish which copy belongs where; do not overwrite it directly. |
| Copy Retained | An operation left a copy that must be retained or cleaned up later. | Follow the completion message after confirming where the valid data is. |
Important, Recommended, and Optional
These indicate a directory's importance, not the probability that migration will succeed. Important affects core app functionality; Recommended usually offers useful space savings; Optional may be small or reproducible. Quit related programs before migrating any category.
For example, “Recommended + Local” means a local directory may be worth reviewing. “Linked + Running” means the external app is in use. To change its location or repair an entry, see restore, relink, and unlink.