How to Delete iPhone Backups on Mac & Windows: A Step-by-Step Guide

Free Up Space: Start Here : Running low on storage? Old iPhone backups on your Mac or Windows PC might be the culprit. In this quick photostory, learn how to locate and delete those unnecessary backups safely. Clear space, speed up performance, and keep only what you truly need.

Delete Backups on Mac Using Finder : Using macOS Catalina or later? Plug in your iPhone, open Finder, and select your device. Under the General tab, click ‘Manage Backups.” A list will appear, right-click the one you no longer need and hit delete. Done! Quick, simple, and effective.

Manually Remove Backups on Mac : For deeper cleanup, open Finder and go to ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/. Each folder is a backup, sort by date, delete the old ones, and empty the Trash. This method gives you full control over what stays and what goes.

Use Storage Settings on Mac : Click the Apple logo, go to ‘About This Mac,” and open the Storage tab. Click ‘Manage,” then select ‘iOS Files.” Here, you’ll find and delete old backups with a single click. It’s a visual, no-fuss way to reclaim space instantly.

Remove Backups via iTunes on Windows : Launch iTunes and head to Edit > Preferences > Devices. You’ll see a list of backups, select the outdated ones and click ‘Delete Backup.” Confirm your choice, and you’re done. This method is ideal if you back up iPhones through iTunes regularly.

Delete Manually from Windows File Explorer : Navigate to C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\. Each folder here holds a device backup. Sort by date, right-click old backups, and delete them. Finish by emptying the Recycle Bin to free up the space permanently.

Clean Up iCloud Backups Too : On your iPhone, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups. Select your device and tap ‘Delete Backup.” On Windows, open iCloud > Storage > Backups. Remove the ones you don’t need to free cloud storage.

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