Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Where are iPhone backups stored?

I keep trying to back up my iPhone, but iTunes says my back up is corrupt and I need to delete the old one. I have googled the file path for iPhone back ups, and everyone says Mac HD>Users>USERNAME>Library>Application Support>MobileSync>Backups

All well and good, except I get to my username and I don't have a library folder. -.-

iPhone 4, iOS 5

Posted on Nov 10, 2011 1:59 PM

Reply
45 replies

May 20, 2017 5:59 AM in response to tfromgr

Yes, though normally you would do so in iTunes from the iTunes > Preferences > Devices panel rather than in Finder. Obviously you ought to keep at least one good backup for each device that you own in case you need to restore it, though you could opt to backup to iCloud instead of iTunes. See Relocate iOS device backups for a way to move backup data to a different drive if required.


tt2

Jan 9, 2012 10:28 AM in response to SubjectGinger

SubjectGinger wrote:


I keep trying to back up my iPhone, but iTunes says my back up is corrupt and I need to delete the old one. I have googled the file path for iPhone back ups, and everyone says Mac HD>Users>USERNAME>Library>Application Support>MobileSync>Backups

All well and good, except I get to my username and I don't have a library folder. -.-


Don't delete backups through the Finder.

Go to iTunes prefs > Devices, select a backup and click Delete.

Mar 19, 2012 9:10 AM in response to chickiejcr

chickiejcr wrote:


I ran backup from iTunes to back up my iPad. Once the backup is finished where is the backup file. I want to be able to restore from this backed up file.

As noted, they are stored in ~/Library/Application Support/Mobile Sync/ (where ~ is your user Home folder).

But you do not need to access that folder to restore fromn a backup. iTunes will show you what backups you have.


To Restore from a backup select the iPad, right click - Restore from backup and select the backup you want.

Or select the iPad in ITunes, click on Restore and select Restore from backup and select the backup you want.

Jun 18, 2012 1:12 AM in response to Chris CA

Just had a nasty experience with iTunes 10.6.3 -- it somehow deleted YouTube from both my and my son's iPads, and when I tried to restore mine from the backup, I only got back a few of the hundred or so apps I had on the iPad, none of them YouTube. Tried restoring from backup twice, both times with the same incomplete results. I ended up restoring and setting up the thing as a new iPad. Grrr!


Since it appears that the most recent backup (before restoring) was bad, I was wondering if I could use Time Machine to restore a backup from the previous day. I found the backups in Library/Application Support/Mobie Sync/Backup, and restored the entire Backup folder from the previous day (keeping both the restored folder and the original, and then moving the original to the desktop). But when I then launched iTunes, it listed backups from what appeared to be the orignal backups, including the several failed attempts at restoring.


Is there some additional trick to getting the TM backups to appear?


Thanks!

Jun 20, 2012 4:45 PM in response to Chris CA

You cannot delete the YouTube app.


Actually, I didn't. iTunes did. I'm just trying to get it back. 😀 Still haven't tried restoring from the "found" earlier backups and am getting used to the "new" layout and acres of free space from having cleared out all the stuff I was no longer using. May just decide to leave it this way. As for the son's iPad, he says he's never used the YouTube app, anyway, so maybe we'll try -- carefully -- backing up the iPad and see what happens.

Jun 20, 2012 5:51 PM in response to Steve Porritt

Steve Porritt wrote:


You cannot delete the YouTube app.


Actually, I didn't. iTunes did.

Then let me rephrase it. TheYouTube app cannot be deleted buy you or iTunes.

Search in the Spotlight screen.

Tap the Home button, swipe left to right to search the iPad.


Also, as previously mentioned, Check Settings > General > Restrictions and you will see it is disabled.

Jun 20, 2012 10:38 PM in response to Chris CA

That's the issue. When I couldn't find YouTube in its usual spot, I did the Spotlight screen search. Nothing. Then I checked my son's iPad, also recently updated under 10.6.3. No YouTube there, either. Wife had not updated HER iPad in quite some time, and yes, she had the YouTube app.


I didn't check Restrictions on any of the iPads, but then I didn't restrict YouTube. If it got restricted, then it is something that iTunes did, not me, not my son.


And then there is the issue of the corrupted backup. I didn't do that, either. There IS one other detail: I'm running the system that shall not be named (yet, and yes, it is legit), and perhaps that somehow affected iTunes' behaviors. It has certainly caused odd behaviors in other programs I use.


But the point of my original post is, can I restore the iPad backups from Time Machine? If so, how? Any help would be greatly appreciated.


In the meantime, I'll check my son's iPad to see if YouTube has been restricted.

Where are iPhone backups stored?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.