How to delete old iPhone backups on Mac

1. Separate local backups from iCloud backups

This workflow covers backups stored on your Mac. Apple manages iCloud device backups separately through iCloud settings. Removing a backup from your iCloud account does not remove a local Finder backup. Apple also warns that deleting an iCloud backup turns off iCloud Backup for that device, so do not use that screen to solve a Mac disk-space problem.

Our review rule: write down the device and the restore date you want to preserve. “Old” is not the same as “unneeded.” A backup made before you replaced a phone, removed an app or changed accounts may have a different purpose from yesterday’s backup.

2. Identify the backup in Finder

Apple’s current instructions are to connect your iPhone or iPad by USB, select it in Finder and trust it if requested. In the General tab, choose Manage Backups. Control-click a backup to see actions including Delete, Archive and Show in Finder. Inspect the relevant entry before choosing Delete.

For location checking, Finder → Go → Go to Folder accepts ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/. Apple identifies this as the local backup directory. Use the named Finder backup entry to establish what a folder belongs to; do not choose a restore point by an unfamiliar directory name alone.

3. Check the restore point you will retain

If you need a fresh local backup and have enough room, Apple’s Finder workflow uses Back Up Now. After successful completion, Finder shows its date and time. Encryption is required to include Health and Activity data; keep the encryption password because Apple says the backup cannot be recovered without it.

A successful timestamp is a useful check, not a reason to discard every historical copy. Our suggested decision checklist is below. If you cannot answer one of these questions, keep that backup while you resolve the uncertainty.

• Which device does the backup represent, and is that device still available?
• Does the newer backup cover the information you want, or do you need an earlier state?
• If encrypted, do you have the password stored somewhere you can access after losing the phone?
• Are you removing your only remaining recovery copy for a retired or damaged device?

4. Remove one identified backup and check again

Return to Manage Backups, select the identified restore point, choose Delete and review the confirmation. Afterward, check the list to confirm that the backup you intended to keep is still present.

Our recommendation is to remove complete backups through their management interface. Do not trim individual database files or folders inside a backup to make it smaller: partial removal leaves you unable to rely on that restore point.

Compare the Mac’s available space before considering another deletion. If the gain is smaller than expected, investigate the measurement with the related guide. Do not remove a second backup merely to make a category bar reach a target. If backups repeatedly exhaust the disk, plan where you will keep recovery copies before the next device replacement.

Common questions about iPhone backups on a Mac

The questions people ask alongside this one, answered from Apple’s backup page.

• Where are iPhone backups stored on Mac? Apple documents the folder ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup, reachable with Finder’s Go to Folder. The reliable route is Finder → your device → General → Manage Backups, then right-click a backup and choose Show in Finder.
• How do I delete an iPhone backup on Mac? Connect the device, open Finder → General → Manage Backups, right-click the backup and choose Delete. System Settings → General → Storage → iOS files lists the same backups with their sizes and dates.
• Can I move iPhone backups to an external drive? Apple’s page covers locating, archiving and deleting backups, not relocating the folder, so treat the location as fixed. Free space by deleting superseded backups and keeping the newest one per device.
• How much space does an iPhone backup take? About as much as the device’s used storage, minus what is already in iCloud. Storage settings → iOS files shows the size of each one.