Where Does LM Studio Store Downloaded Models?
LM Studio model folder on desktop, its publisher nesting, and why the app never moves old downloads for you.
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LM Studio downloads models into a models folder under ~/.lmstudio: ~/.lmstudio/models on Mac and Linux, %USERPROFILE%\.lmstudio\models on Windows. Inside, files nest by publisher and model name, ending in .gguf files you can read directly.
Changing the downloads folder in the My Models tab only redirects future downloads. Existing models stay where they are until you move or symlink them by hand. Older installs and Flatpak builds used different roots (including ~/.cache/lm-studio/models), so confirm the active path at the top of the My Models tab.
Where LM Studio stores this, by platform
%USERPROFILE%\.lmstudio\models
Nested as <publisher>/<model>/<file.gguf>. Changeable in the My Models tab (applies to future downloads only). Presets alongside in %USERPROFILE%\.lmstudio\config-presets.
~/.lmstudio/models
Same publisher nesting as Windows, changeable in the My Models tab for future downloads. Verify the active root at the top of that tab; older installs used different folders.
~/.lmstudio/models
Same layout for .deb and AppImage installs. Flatpak builds may use ~/.var/app/ai.lmstudio.lm-studio/.lmstudio/models instead, so confirm in the My Models tab.
Frequently asked questions
I changed the downloads folder but my models are still on C:. Why?
By design. LM Studio redirects only future downloads and never moves existing ones. Move the .gguf files yourself (keeping the publisher nesting) or symlink the old folder to the new location.
What is the folder nesting inside the models directory?
Publisher, then model, then the .gguf file: models/<publisher>/<model>/<file.gguf>. Keep that structure when moving files by hand or the app will not list them.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.