Where Does iTunes Store Backups
The number of smartphones is probably more than laptops. The majority of communication daily is done on smartphones. We send files and media attachments and save meaningful conversations and documents on our phones. This makes our phones important and vulnerable to unforeseen events as they store essential data that should be lost or compromised.
Creating backups is necessary to avoid data losses, and if you are an iPhone or iPad user, you will most likely use iTunes. However, where does iTunes store backups are what we are looking for here as you might need that information. Let’s see how you can locate your iTunes-backed data.
Methods to Locate iTunes Backups
1] In Windows
There are multiple ways you can access your iTunes backups. The first is to type in the path to get there. Open your file explorer and type the following path.
C:\Users\PC-User-Name\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobleSync\Backup\
However, if you do not want to use this method because you will have to remember the path, and a single typo can fail, then you can use the manual method. But for the manual method, you must tell your PC to unhide all folders. That is because the AppData folder is, by default, hidden. To unhide the folders, follow the following steps.
- Open File Explorer
- Click the ‘View’ tab present at the top.
- Then, you will see the ‘Options’ menu. Click this menu.
- A small window will pop up with ‘Folder Options’ as its title. Navigate to the ‘View’ tab, which is in the middle.
- There is a category for hidden folders with two checkboxes. One checkbox is to hide, and the other is to unhide. Select the second checkbox.
- Now, navigate to the backup folder as C → Users → PC-User-Name → AppData → Roaming → Apple Computer → MobleSync → Backup
A third way is to directly get into the AppData folder and then navigate to the destination folder. For this, either type %appdata% in the search box or press the Win+R keys to launch Run and type this there. This will open the AppData folder directly, whether it is hidden or not.
2] In Windows, if iTunes was downloaded from Microsoft Store
The location of backups will be slightly different if you download iTunes from Microsoft’s store. In that case, your backups are stored in C → Users → PC-User-Name → Apple → MobileSync → Backup.
3] In Mac
There are two different apps for creating backups. They are the iTunes and Finder. Which one to use depends on your macOS version. However, both apps store backups in the same location. Here is how to access the backup location.
- Launch the app.
- There is a search bar within the app. Type ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/. Alternatively, you can also click the ‘Go’ tab at the top, select the ‘Go To Folder’ option, and type this path there.
- After hitting enter, you will see your iPhone backup.
If you are using the latest version of Catalina on your Mac, follow these steps.
- Launch the app.
- Click your iPhone or iPad under the ‘Locations’ tab on the left sidebar.
- Click the ‘Manage Backups’ option. A list of backups will appear.
- Right-click on any of them and choose ‘Show in Finder’.
The last method is to launch iTunes and navigate to ‘Preferences’. You can find your backups there by clicking the ‘Devices’ tab.
Have you modified the default backup folder location?
If you have changed the default location for iTunes backup and don’t know where the backup is, you can quickly check the path for that, as well. Just follow the steps below.
- Launch iTunes.
- There is an ‘Edit’ tab at the top. Click that and then select the ‘Preferences’ option.
- A new window will pop up. There, select the ‘Devices’ tab.
- It will list all the backups that you have created with their locations.
Conclusion
Data has become crucial nowadays because it contains essential media, conversations, and file attachments. An excellent way to secure data is by creating backups; iTunes is the best official way to do it. However, if you need to access the backup location, you can easily use the methods mentioned above on Windows and Mac.
