You may know that syncing your iPhone or iPad with iTunes stores the backups on your PC or Mac, but where? As iTunes does not allow you to view iTunes backup files directly, you will need an iTunes backup viewer to scan the iTunes backup folder and display them in front of you.
The following content shows you how to find and view iTunes backups on a PC or Mac with or without restoring files. Let's check the two straightforward ways together.
Part 1. Where to Find iTunes Backup Files on Windows PC and Mac?
Part 2. How to View and Read iTunes Backup Files on PC or Mac via Coolmuster iPhone Data Recovery
Part 3. How to Check Backups on iTunes after Restoring Backups to Your iPhone
Bonus Tip: How to Delete iTunes Backup on Windows PC and Mac?
Before you view iTunes backup files with the help of an iTunes backup viewer, you may have tried multiple times to access the iTunes backup files manually. Well, where are the iTunes backups stored on a Windows PC or Mac? They are saved in a folder called MobileSync on your computer.
Below are the default iTunes backup location on Windows PC and Mac:
On Windows PC: \Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\
On Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/
How to get to iTunes backups on your Windows PC:
1. Open the search box.
Note: If you still use Windows XP, open the Documents and Settings/users(username)/Application Data/Apple Computer/MobileSync/Backup to access the iTunes backup files.
2. Tap the search box, enter %appdata%, and hit the Enter key on the keyboard.
3. From here, open the folders in sequence: Apple Computer > MobileSync > Backup.
How to get to iTunes backups on your Mac:
You can input the above location path in the menu bar, or:
1. Open iTunes on macOS 10.14 or lower or Finder on macOS 10.15 or higher.
2. In iTunes: Click Preferences > Devices > control-click the wanted backup from the list > select Show in Finder.
In Finder: Connect your iDevice to your Mac and tap your iDevice under Locations. Then, tap Manage Backups under the General section > right-click a backup file > choose Show in Finder.
After that, you will notice that these files are non-readable. If you need to view iTunes backups, continue reading the next part.
You might also need:
Want to transfer music from an iPhone to a computer without iTunes? This guide will tell you how to do it.
If you would like to copy files from your PC to your without iTunes, you can utilize these 5 easy methods.
In the past, if you wish to view the iTunes backup files, you have to restore data to your iPhone via iTunes first. Although it's official and reliable, you cannot avoid losing the existing iPhone files. Now, you are no longer need to endure data loss anymore. With the professional iTunes backup view - Coolmuster iPhone Data Recovery, you can directly view the backup files' details on your PC or Mac and decide which specific items to restore without data loss.
The key features of Coolmuster iPhone Data Recovery:
* Check and view contacts, messages, message attachments, notes, note attachments, calendars, voice memos, camera roll, photos, etc., from an iTunes backup file.
* Restore the desired specific items to a computer in readable formats without connecting your iPhone.
* Cause no data loss on your iPhone.
* Keep the original file format and quality without data damage.
* Widely compatible with Windows 11/10/8/7/2003/2000/Vista/XP and all iPhone models (iOS 5 to iOS 16), such as iPhone 14/13 Pro Max/13 Pro/13/13 mini/12 Pro Max/12 Pro/12/12 mini/SE/11 Pro Max/11 Pro/11/X, etc.
How to view files in iTunes backup selectively?
1. Download and run Coolmuster iPhone Data Recovery on your computer and choose the Recover from iTunes Backup File tab on the left panel.
2. Select a backup file on the interface when it displays and click the Start Scan button to continue.
Note: If you cannot find the desired iTunes backup file, tap the Select button at the bottom to pick an iTunes backup file from other customized folders.
3. Tick off the data types you want to check in the next interface and hit the Start Scan button again. After scanning, it will show the specific files in different categories on the interface.
4. Choose one category from the left window and preview all files under the category. If necessary, you can check the specific files you want to restore and hit the Recover to Computer button to store them to your computer in readable formats.
Further reading:
iTunes Backup to Android Transfer: How to Restore iPhone Backup to Android Phone?
List of 10 Best iPhone Backup Extractor Software [2021]
As we mentioned above, you can also view iTunes backup files after restoring data to your iPhone, although the syncing process will erase the existing data on your iPhone. If you don't mind the restored files overwrite the current iPhone data, start with the following steps.
How to look at backups on iTunes after restoring data?
1. Open the latest version of iTunes on your computer and connect your iPhone or iPad to it using a USB cable.
2. When iTunes recognizes your iDevice, tap the iDevice icon at the top-left corner and click Restore Backup under Summary.
3. Select the backup file you wish to restore and hit the Restore button.
After restoring data to your iPhone, you can freely check the restored files under different features on your iPhone.
Read more: Want to fix the error 11 on iTunes? You can learn effective methods from this article.
If you don't need the old iTunes backups anymore and want to free up more storage on your computer, you can delete the iTunes backups by following the instructions below.
1. Launch Finder on macOS Catalina or later, or open iTunes on macOS Mojave or earlier and Windows PC.
2. Click your iDevice. In Finder, tap General > Manage Backups > right-click the backup you want to delete > click Delete or Archive. In iTunes, click Preferences > Devices > right-click the backup you want to delete > tap Delete or Archive. Then hit OK when finished.
3. Choose Delete Backup and confirm the operation.
You've got two ways to view iTunes backup files on your PC or Mac. After careful consideration, I strongly recommend you try Coolmuster iPhone Data Recovery, with which you can check and view all the backup file content without connecting your iPhone and restoring data. If you wish to restore iTunes backup files, it also saves them in various readable formats. Last but not least, it's easy, fast, and secure to use.
Related Articles:
How to View iPhone Backups on Windows 11/10/8/7 and macOS Monterey/Big Sur? (4 Easy Ways)
How to Restore Contacts from iTunes Backup to iPhone Easily? (Top 3 Ways)
Does iTunes Backup Photos from iPhone? (Proven Tips)
[Fixed] How to Extract Photos from iPhone Backup?
iCloud vs. iTunes Backup: What's the Difference between Them? (Full Guide)
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