Your iPhone backup lives in a hidden folder on your computer, not in iTunes or Finder

When you back up an iPhone to a Mac or Windows PC, the backup file itself does not sit in iTunes or the Finder window where you initiated the backup. Instead, your computer stores it in a system folder that is hidden by default. On a Mac, backups go to ~/Library/MobileDevice/Backups. On Windows, they go to C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup. You will not see these folders unless you unhide them first.

The reason Apple hides these folders is that they are not meant to be opened or moved by hand. Your computer uses them automatically when you restore from backup. But if you need to find the backup file to check its size, move it to another drive, or delete old backups to free up space, you can navigate there once you know the path.

Key Takeaways

  • On a Mac, iPhone backups are stored in the hidden Library folder at ~/Library/MobileDevice/Backups.
  • On Windows, backups are in C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup.
  • These folders are hidden by default, so you must unhide them in your system settings to see them.
  • Each backup is a single folder with a long string of letters and numbers as its name, and you can delete old backups to reclaim disk space.
  • Do not move or rename backup folders while iTunes or Finder is open, or your computer will not find them when you restore.

How to find backups on a Mac

Open Finder and click the Finder menu at the top left. Select Settings (or Preferences on older macOS versions). Click the Advanced tab. Check the box next to Show hidden files, folders, and drives. Close the settings window.

Now open Finder again and press Command + Shift + G to open the "Go to Folder" dialog. Type ~/Library/MobileDevice/Backups and press Enter. You will see a folder for each iPhone or iPad backup on your computer. Each folder has a name like 00008101-000C1A2E3F4G5H6I — a long string of letters and numbers. Inside each folder are the actual backup files.

To find out which backup belongs to which device, right-click any backup folder and select Get Info. The date modified will tell you when that backup was created. If you want to see which device it came from, you can also check iTunes or Finder: plug in your iPhone, open Finder, click the device name in the sidebar, and look at the backup section to see the date of the most recent backup.

How to find backups on Windows

First, you must show hidden files and folders. Open File Explorer and click the View tab at the top. Check the box next to Hidden items. Now you can see hidden folders.

Click the address bar at the top of File Explorer and paste this path: C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup. Replace [Your Username] with your actual Windows username. Press Enter. You will see a folder for each backup, named with a long string of letters and numbers.

To find out which backup is which, look at the date modified for each folder. The most recent date is your latest backup. If you have multiple devices, the backup folder created most recently is the one from whichever device you synced last.

How much space backups use and when to delete them

An iPhone backup can range from a few gigabytes to 50 gigabytes or more, depending on how many photos, videos, and apps you have. If your computer is running low on disk space, deleting old backups is a safe way to free up room. You can always create a new backup whenever you need one.

To delete a backup, navigate to the backup folder (using the steps above), right-click the backup folder you want to remove, and select Delete or Move to Trash. Do this only when iTunes or Finder is closed. If you delete a backup while Finder is open and trying to use it, you may corrupt the backup process.

If you are not sure which backup to delete, keep the most recent one and remove any older than a few months. You can always check the date modified to see how old each backup is.

Moving backups to an external drive

If you want to keep old backups but move them off your main hard drive, you can copy the backup folders to an external drive. Close iTunes or Finder first. Navigate to the backup folder, select the backup folder you want to move, and drag it to your external drive. Once the copy is complete, you can delete the original from your computer.

However, if you move a backup and then want to restore from it later, you will need to move it back to the original location before you can use it. Your computer looks for backups only in the MobileSync\Backup folder, not on external drives. So moving backups is useful for long-term storage, but not for regular use.

Why your backup might not appear where you expect it

If you backed up through iCloud instead of to your computer, the backup will not be in these folders. iCloud backups are stored on Apple's servers, not on your Mac or Windows PC. To check whether your backup is on your computer or in iCloud, plug in your iPhone, open Finder or iTunes, click your device, and look for the backup section. It will say either "Back up to this computer" or "iCloud".

If you have never backed up to your computer before, the MobileSync\Backup folder may not exist yet. Plug in your iPhone, open Finder, select your device, and click Back Up Now. Your computer will create the folder and the backup file automatically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I open a backup file to see what is in it?

No. Backup files are encrypted and compressed, so you cannot open them like a regular folder. The only way to see what is in a backup is to restore it to an iPhone. If you want to check whether a specific photo or contact is in the backup before restoring, you will need to restore to the phone itself.

What happens if I rename a backup folder?

Your computer will not recognize it. iTunes and Finder look for backup folders with specific naming patterns. If you rename a folder, your computer will treat it as a new, empty backup location and may overwrite it the next time you back up. Leave backup folder names as they are.

Can I use a backup from one computer on another computer?

Yes, but you have to move the backup folder to the correct location on the new computer first. Copy the backup folder to the MobileSync\Backup folder on the new computer (using the paths listed above), then plug in your iPhone and restore from that backup in Finder or iTunes.

How do I know if my backup is complete?

In Finder or iTunes, the backup section will show the date and time of the last successful backup. If the backup is still in progress, you will see a progress bar. Once the bar disappears and a date appears, the backup is done. Do not unplug your iPhone until the backup is complete.

Will deleting a backup affect my iPhone?

No. Deleting a backup file on your computer does not change anything on your iPhone. It only removes the backup copy from your computer. Your phone will continue to work normally. You can create a new backup at any time.