Where Does Ollama Store Downloaded Models?
Ollama model storage folder on Windows, macOS and Linux, plus the OLLAMA_MODELS variable that moves it.
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Ollama downloads every model into a models folder under a .ollama directory tied to the user (or service account) running it. A couple of large pulls can fill a small system drive fast.
The documented escape hatch is the OLLAMA_MODELS environment variable. Point it at a bigger disk and restart the app or service. Existing downloads do not migrate on their own.
Where Ollama stores this, by platform
C:\Users\[Username]\.ollama\models
Set OLLAMA_MODELS as a user environment variable to relocate. Quit Ollama from the tray before changing it, since closing the window leaves the service running with the old path.
~/.ollama/models
Move both blobs and manifests when relocating. A launchctl setting is lost on reboot, so use a LaunchAgent plist for a persistent override.
/usr/share/ollama/.ollama/models
Applies to the standard systemd install running as the ollama user. Override with a systemctl edit drop-in and chown the target directory to ollama. Manual user-run installs use ~/.ollama/models instead.
Frequently asked questions
How do I move Ollama models to another drive?
Set the OLLAMA_MODELS environment variable to the new folder, move the existing blobs and manifests directories there, then restart Ollama. On Linux the target must be owned by the ollama service user.
What exactly do I copy to back up my models?
The library is the blobs and manifests folders inside the models directory. Copy both. Copying only blobs leaves Ollama unable to list anything.
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