Where Are iPhone Backups Stored on Mac?

If you are wondering where iPhone backups are stored on Mac, the folder is ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/. Do not start deleting its long, unreadable subfolders, though. I use Finder's Manage Backups list first because it shows the device and backup date in a form I can actually judge.

That distinction matters when the backup may be your only usable copy from an old iPhone. Identify it in Finder, decide whether you still need the restore point, and let Finder perform the deletion.

Quick Answer: Find and Delete an iPhone Backup on Mac

1. Connect the iPhone or iPad to your Mac with a cable.
2. Open Finder and select the device under Locations.
3. Click General, then Manage Backups.
4. Check the device name and backup date.
5. Control-click the backup and choose Delete, or select it and click Delete Backup.
6. Confirm the choice, then check Mac storage again.

Apple's current backup-management guide also exposes Archive and Show in Finder from this list.

Step 1: Separate Local Backups From iCloud Backups

Deleting a local backup frees storage on the Mac. Deleting an iCloud backup frees iCloud storage instead. They are separate copies with separate controls.

Apple's backup-method comparison says computer backups are stored on the Mac or PC and use that computer's available space. iCloud backups live in iCloud. You can use both methods, but one is not proof that the other is current or usable.

Before deleting a local backup, answer three questions:

1. Is this the most recent backup of a device you still use?
2. Is a newer local or iCloud backup complete?
3. Could you need this copy to restore an old device, recover data, or move to a replacement?

If you cannot answer yet, leave the backup in place.

Tip: Do not use the iPhone's current contents as proof that an older backup is unnecessary. A backup may matter precisely because something is later deleted, damaged or replaced.

Deleting an iCloud backup is a different workflow under Apple Account storage. Apple warns that deleting an iCloud backup also turns off iCloud Backup for that device. This guide does not use that route because it will not reclaim space on your Mac.

Step 2: Open the MobileSync Backup Location Safely

Use the hidden folder to confirm location and size, not to guess which device a random name belongs to.

Apple documents this Mac path:

~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/

To open it:

1. Switch to Finder.
2. Choose Go > Go to Folder.
3. Paste the path above.
4. Press Return.

The tilde means your current home folder. Each macOS user account can therefore have its own local device backups.

Inside Backup, you may see folders with long opaque names. Do not rename them, edit files inside them, combine their contents, or infer the device from the folder name. A backup is a structured set, not a folder of ordinary photos and documents.

If you need to match a folder to a human-readable entry, go back to Manage Backups, Control-click the named backup, and choose Show in Finder. That creates the link between the device/date entry and the folder without guesswork.

Tip: Folder size can tell you which backup occupies space. It cannot tell you whether that backup is safe to lose.

Step 3: Identify the Backup Before Removing It

The device name and date in Manage Backups are the useful identity checks. The folder's opaque name and modification timestamp are not enough for a keep/delete decision.

1. Connect the iPhone or iPad with a USB cable.
2. Open Finder and select the device under Locations.
3. If prompted, unlock and trust the device.
4. Open the General tab.
5. Click Manage Backups.
6. Compare the listed device names and dates with what you still own and what you may need to restore.

The connected device is needed to reach this management screen. The list can include backups from other devices that previously used the Mac.

Keep the backup when:

• it is the only recent copy of a device you still use;
• the device is being replaced, repaired or erased;
• you need an older restore point for a specific reason;
• an iCloud backup is incomplete, stale or unverified; or
• you do not yet know who owns the backup.

Consider deleting it when:

• it belongs to a device you no longer use;
• a newer backup has been completed and you have verified the copy you intend to keep;
• the old restore point no longer serves a recovery or migration purpose; and
• freeing Mac storage is worth losing that specific restore option.

Step 4: Archive or Delete the Chosen Backup in Finder

Use Finder's own controls after you have made the retention decision.

In Manage Backups, Control-click the intended entry. Apple's current interface offers these relevant actions:

• Show in Finder locates the corresponding backup folder.
• Archive is an available management action for the selected backup.
• Delete removes the selected local backup.

Archive is not a deletion or storage-cleanup action. If your goal is to reclaim space, it does not replace the decision to keep or delete that local backup.

To delete:

1. Select the exact backup by device name and date.
2. Control-click it and choose Delete, or use Delete Backup.
3. Read the confirmation carefully.
4. Confirm only that one backup.
5. Click OK when you are finished.

Tip: If you intend to keep an additional copy elsewhere, make and verify that copy before deleting the Mac's managed backup. A folder that merely finished copying is not a tested restore.

Step 5: Verify the Storage You Reclaimed

Check the result before removing another backup. One deliberate deletion is easier to verify than a bulk cleanup.

1. Open System Settings > General > Storage.
2. Wait for the categories and available-space number to recalculate.
3. Return to Finder's Manage Backups and confirm the intended entry is gone.
4. If the storage figure has not changed, wait a few minutes and check again before deleting anything else.

The published Mac storage guide explains how System Settings, Finder and Disk Utility report space differently. If the backup was buried inside a large gray category, What Is System Data on Mac? explains why the category can remain broad even after its total changes.

Use Sensei to Check the Broader Storage Picture

Sensei is useful after the backup decision when you still need to see what else is consuming Mac storage.

As of September 2026, Sensei 2.1.2 requires macOS 14 or later. Its current product page documents storage scanning for system junk, large files and unnecessary clutter, while the Clean workflow opens with View Items.

A useful handoff is:

1. Open Clean and choose View Items.
2. Review the broader storage categories and large-file results.
3. Keep using Apple's Finder workflow for every iPhone-backup identity and deletion decision.
4. Return to System Settings or Sensei afterward to verify the Mac's available space.

Sensei is not an iPhone backup product and does not prove that a backup can restore or that iCloud contains a newer usable copy.

What Encryption Changes—and What Archive Does Not

Encryption changes what a computer backup can contain and adds a password requirement. Archive is a separate Finder action, not the Delete command used to reclaim space.

• A lock icon in Manage Backups identifies an encrypted computer backup.
• Apple's encrypted-backup documentation says encrypted backups can contain saved passwords, Wi-Fi settings, Health data and call history that unencrypted computer backups omit.
• If you forget the password, Apple says you cannot use previous encrypted backups.

If an encrypted backup is your only copy containing Health or Keychain-related data, confirm the password and recovery need before removing it. Do not delete it merely because another unencrypted backup has a newer date.

Keep the Backup You Would Actually Need

MobileSync/Backup holds the local files, while Finder's Manage Backups list gives you the device and date needed to act on the right copy. Delete the chosen entry there, then verify the reclaimed space before moving on.

For the broader storage picture, start with How to Check Mac Storage. If the gray category remains confusing afterward, read What Is System Data on Mac?.

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Related guides:

• How to Check Mac Storage
• What Is System Data on Mac?
• How to Free Up Disk Space on Mac