How to delete old iPhone backups on Mac

Every time you back up an iPhone or iPad to your Mac, Finder keeps a full copy. Old ones, especially of devices you no longer own, are often the easiest big win.

Where they are

Finder keeps device backups in ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup, one folder per backup, with long random names. A backup can be as big as the data on the device, so a few old ones add up fast. They count towards System Data or iOS Files in Storage settings.

Is it safe to delete them?

Deleting a backup removes that restore point, and nothing else. Your devices aren't affected. The one to be careful with is a device's only backup: if you delete it and the device is lost or breaks, there's nothing to restore from. If the device also backs up to iCloud, check that the iCloud backup is recent before deleting the local one.

Backups of devices you no longer own, and older backups of a device that has a newer one, are usually safe to remove.

How to delete a backup

In Finder (best)

• Connect the iPhone or iPad and select it in Finder's sidebar.
• In the General tab, click Manage Backups….
• Select the backup by device name and date, then click Delete Backup.

In Storage settings

Open System Settings › General › Storage. If iOS Files is listed, click the ⓘ button next to it to see and delete backups.

In the folder

Choose Go › Go to Folder… and enter ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup. The folder names don't tell you which device each backup is from, so use the dates, or use one of the two ways above.

Empty the Trash afterwards. Until you do, the space isn't free.

iPhone and iPad update files

When Finder updates or restores a device, it can leave the software update file in ~/Library/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates (or iPad Software Updates). These are safe to delete. Finder downloads the update again if you ever need to restore a device.

How Macaroom handles it

Macaroom lists each backup with its size and when it last changed, and marks backups as Personal data, because only you know whether you still need one. Old update files are marked Rebuildable. Anything you remove goes to the Trash first.

Related guides

• What is System Data on Mac?
• Is it safe to delete ~/Library/Caches?