Find backups stored on your Mac or PC
To avoid ruining any of your backup files, here's what you should know:
- The Finder and iTunes save backups to a Backup folder. The location of the Backup folder varies by operating system. Though you can copy the Backup folder, you should never move it to a different folder, external drive or network drive.
- Don't edit, relocate, rename or extract content from your backup files. For example, to restore from a relocated backup file, you need to move the backup file back to where it was in the Backup folder or the file won't work. Backups serve as a safe copy of almost all of your device's data and settings. So while you may be able to view or access a backup file's contents, the contents aren't usually stored in a format you can read.
Search for the backup folder on your Mac
To find a list of your backups:
- Connect your device to your Mac using a USB or USB-C cable.
- In the Finder, select Go > Go to Folder.
- Type or copy and paste ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/ in the pathname window.
Find a specific backup
On a Mac with macOS Catalina or later:
- Open the Finder.
- Click your device.
- Under the General tab, click Manage Backups to see a list of your backups. From here, right-click on the backup you want, then choose Show in Finder, or select Delete or Archive.
- Click OK.
Search for the backup folder on Windows 8 or 10
- Find the Search bar:
- In Windows 8, click the magnifying glass in the top right-hand corner.
- In Windows 10, click the Search bar next to the Start button.
- In the Search bar, enter %appdata%. If you can't see your backups, enter %USERPROFILE%.
- Press Return.
- Double-click these folders: "Apple" or "Apple Computer" > MobileSync > Backup.
Delete or copy backups on your Mac or PC
Don't edit, relocate, rename or extract content from your backup files, because these actions may ruin the files. You can make copies of your backups or delete backups you no longer need.
Copy backups to another location
If you need copies of your backups, you can find the Backup folder and copy the entire folder to another place, such as an external drive or network-storage location.
Time Machine copies your Backup folder automatically when you back up the Home folder on your Mac.
Delete backups
On a Mac with macOS Catalina or later:
- Open the Finder. Click your device.
- Under the General tab, click Manage Backups to see a list of your backups. From here, right-click on the backup you want, then select Delete or Archive.
- Click Delete Backup, then confirm.
Find and manage backups stored in iCloud
If you use iCloud Backup, you won't find a list of your backups on iCloud.com. Here's how to find your iCloud backups on your iOS or iPadOS device, Mac or PC.
On your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch:
- Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud.
- Tap Manage Account Storage, then tap Backups.
- Tap a backup to see more details about it, choose which information to back up or delete the backup.
You can choose which content to back up solely from the Settings menu of the device that stores that content. For example, while you can view your iPad backup from your iPhone, you can only choose which iPad content to back up from the Settings menu of your iPad.
On a Mac with macOS Catalina or later:
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences.
- Click Apple ID.
- Click iCloud.
- Click Manage.
- Select Backups.
On a Mac with macOS Mojave or earlier:
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences.
- Click iCloud.
- Click Manage.
- Select Backups.
On your PC:
- Open iCloud for Windows
- Click Storage.
- Select Backup.
Find out more about how to delete or manage iCloud backups from your Mac or PC.
Learn more
- Find out the difference between iCloud and iTunes backups.
- Follow steps to back up your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.
- Find out about encrypted backups.