Where are iPhone backups on a Mac, and how do I delete old ones?
Each time Finder backs up an iPhone or iPad to your Mac, it keeps a full copy of the device's data. Old phones' backups stay too, often for years, and each can be tens of gigabytes.
The short answer: backups are in ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup, one folder per device. To delete one, open System Settings › General › Storage, click the info button next to iOS Files, select an old backup and click Delete. Keep the newest backup of every device you still use.
Where are iPhone backups stored on a Mac?
In ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup. Each folder is named after a device's identifier, a long string of letters and numbers, not its name. To see their sizes in Terminal:
du -sh ~/Library/Application\ Support/MobileSync/Backup/*macOS protects this folder: if Terminal says "Operation not permitted", give Terminal Full Disk Access in System Settings › Privacy & Security, or use the steps below.
How do I delete an old backup?
- Open System Settings › General › Storage.
- Click the info button (ⓘ) next to iOS Files. It lists each backup with the device's name, date and size.
- Select the backups you no longer need and click Delete.
With the device connected, Finder has the same list: select it in the sidebar, then General › Manage Backups.
Don't delete single files inside a backup folder: the backup is then broken. Remove a backup as a whole.
Which iPhone backups can I delete?
- Keep the newest backup of each device you use. It is the copy you would restore from.
- Older backups of the same device are usually replaced by the newest one.
- Devices you no longer have: check first that nothing in the backup, like old messages or photos, exists only there.
- Encrypted backups also hold saved passwords and Health data. If you rely on one, keep it.
Backups in iCloud are separate: deleting one on your Mac doesn't touch them.
Can I keep iPhone backups on an external drive?
Not with a setting. Some guides replace the Backup folder with a symbolic link to a drive; Apple doesn't support that, and backups fail whenever the drive isn't connected. The supported way to save space is an iCloud backup, or fewer old backups on the Mac.
Are .ipsw files backups?
No. .ipsw files are iPhone and iPad system software that Finder downloaded to update a device, and they can go. See Can I delete iPhone software update files on my Mac?