Where to find iphone backup on macbook

To make sure you don't lose important files, macOS has a special backup program. That way, you won't lose your vacation photos or portfolio. In this article, we'll tell you more about how to make a backup of your MacBook, iMac, and Mac Mini.

  1. Time Machine
  2. iCloud
  3. Expand iCloud

Make a backup

Where to find iphone backup on macbook

There are 2 ways to make a backup of the most important files on your Mac device.

  1. Make a backup with Time Machine
  2. Make a backup with iCloud

Make a backup with Time Machine

  • System Preferences

  • Time Machine

  • Select Disk

  • Available Disks

  • Confirm

Time Machine is an Apple program with which you can easily copy the data on your Mac to a external storage device. When you make a backup, always choose a drive with a larger storage capacity than your Mac.

  1. Click on the Apple logo in the upper left corner and click on System Preferences
  2. Click on Time Machine
  3. Click on Select Disk
  4. Select the hard drive you want to use for the backup
  5. Confirm the drive you're going to use. It's possible the drive has to be emptied, formatted, or configurated first
  6. Check Back Up Automatically to keep making backups

Make a backup via iCloud

With iCloud, you can store files in the cloud on the Apple server. You have access to iCloud with your Apple ID. As opposed to Time Machine, which makes a complete backup, you can only use iCloud to store the parts that fall within iCloud. That are your Contacts, Calendar, Keychain, Photos, and iCloud Drive, for example.

  1. Click on the Apple logo in the bottom left and click on System Preferences
  2. Click on Apple ID
  3. Click on iCloud on the left, and click on what you want to store in iCloud on the right
  4. Also select iCloud Drive and click on Options. You can select all programs, files, and data you want to store in your iCloud here
  5. iCloud Drive is now available in Finder. You can manually drag files there.

Expand iCloud

iCloud has a limited storage capacity of 5GB. Apple gives you this storage space for free. If you want to store more files in iCloud, you can purchase additional storage space. These are the rates:

  • € 0.99 per month for 50GB of storage
  • € 2.99 per month for 200GB of storage
  • € 9.99 per month for 2TB of storage

Did this help you?

How can we improve this page?

Optional

We only use your feedback to improve the website, we won't respond.

Article by:

Tim Apple Expert.

You’ve probably backed up your devices multiple times, but have you ever wondered where are iPhone or iPad backup stored on Mac or computer? While you do not need to find these files to delete your backups or restore your iOS device, it is still useful to know where they are stored. So, if you want to locate your iPhone or iPad backup, let’s move!

  • Where are iPhone backups stored on Mac?
  • Find a Specific iPhone Backup Location in macOS
  • Locate a Particular iPhone Backup in macOS
  • Where are iPhone backups stored on Windows PC?

Where are iPhone backups stored on Mac?

All your iPhone or iPad backups are stored in one designated location on your Mac. Here’s how you can access it:

  1. Open Finder and hit Command+Shift+G on the keyboard or magnifier icon in the menu bar
  2. In the text input field, copy and paste this:
    ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/
    Where to find iphone backup on macbook
  3. Hit Return and the directory will open, as shown below:
    Where to find iphone backup on macbook

Find a Specific iPhone Backup Location in macOS

  1. Connect your iPhone or iPad using a cable
  2. Open Finder and click on your device on the left pane of the window.
    Where to find iphone backup on macbook
  3. Click on Manage Backups to see a list of all your backups.
    Where to find iphone backup on macbook
  4. To find the location of a specific backup, right-click on it and then select Show in Finder.
    Where to find iphone backup on macbook
  5. On the next screen, you will see the folder containing backup files.
    Where to find iphone backup on macbook

Locate a Particular iPhone Backup in macOS

  1. Content your device with the Mac
  2. Open iTunes, click Preferences, and then select Devices
  3. From here, you can right-click on the backup that you want, then choose Show in Finder.
  4. Click OK once you are done

Where are iPhone backups stored on Windows PC?

Different versions of Windows save iPhone and iPad backups in different locations, irrespective of which iTunes version you are using.

On Windows 10 or Windows 8 system, iPhone or iPad backup location would be:

\Users\YOURUSERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup

On your computer running Windows 7 and Windows Vista you can locate the backup at the following path:

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

On your Windows XP machine, the backup would be at:

C:\Documents and Settings\user\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup

Alternatevely,

You can also follow the below steps to access iPhone backup on Windows PC :

Find the Search bar:

  • On Windows 10, the Search bar is beside the Start button
  • On Windows 8, click on the search icon (magnifying glass) in the top-right corner
  • On Windows 7 and earlier, click the Start button

In the Search bar, enter: %appdata% OR if you downloaded iTunes from the Microsoft Store, enter: %USERPROFILE%

Hit Return and then navigate to the folders “Apple” or “Apple Computer” MobileSyncBackup.

Note: Windows usually treats the Application Data and AppData directories and their contents (including iPhone backup) as “Hidden” files. Therefore, to see the documents, you need to enable “Show Hidden Files” within Windows Explorer.

Summing Up

While there may be several reasons to locate backups on your computer, it is advisable not to meddle with these files in any way. Do not try to move, rename, or edit them, as this may corrupt your backups and cause data loss.

Lastly, did you know you can also extract text messages from your iPhone backup? If you’re looking for any other information about iPhone backups, please let us know in the comments below.

You may also like to read:

  • Change iPhone Backup Location on Mac and Windows
  • How to Show Battery Percentage on Mac
  • AnyTrans App: Fully Back Up and Manage Your iPhone
  • How to Backup and Install iPhone Apps from Mac/Windows Without iTunes

Where to find iphone backup on macbook

iGeeksBlog has affiliate and sponsored partnerships. We may earn commissions on purchases made using our links. However, this doesn’t affect the recommendations our writers make. You can read more about our review and editorial process here.

The founder of iGeeksBlog, Dhvanesh, is an Apple aficionado, who cannot stand even a slight innuendo about Apple products. He dons the cap of editor-in-chief to make sure that articles match the quality standard before they are published.