Inside the Backup directory, one will find one or more folders with long, cryptic names consisting of 40 hexadecimal characters. These are the actual device backups. Each unique string of letters and numbers corresponds to the unique Device ID (the UDID or a derivative) of a specific iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. The contents of these folders are not meant to be human-readable; they consist of numerous .mddata , .mdinfo , and .mdbak files, along with a property list file named Info.plist or Manifest.plist . These are not simple copies of photos or songs, but rather a database of application states, settings, and other binary data that only iTunes (or a specialized third-party tool) can properly interpret.
: iTunes does not have a built-in setting to change the backup directory. To move backups to another drive (e.g., an external HDD), you must create a Symbolic Link (Junction) using the Command Prompt or PowerShell .
iPhone backups can take up a massive amount of space (often 10GB–50GB+). If your C: drive is full, you can move this folder to an external drive using "Symbolic Links," but this is an advanced procedure.
C:\Users\[Your Username]\Apple\MobileSync\Backup
For users who prefer a more direct method over manually navigating hidden folders, Windows 10 offers two primary alternatives. The first is using the "Run" dialog (accessed by pressing the Windows + R keys). By typing %appdata% and pressing Enter, the user is instantly taken to the C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming folder. From there, they can manually click into Apple Computer or Apple and then MobileSync\Backup . The second, even faster command is to type %appdata%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup directly into the Run dialog or the File Explorer address bar. This command leverages Windows environment variables to resolve the path instantly, bypassing the need to unhide folders or click through multiple directories.
Inside the Backup directory, one will find one or more folders with long, cryptic names consisting of 40 hexadecimal characters. These are the actual device backups. Each unique string of letters and numbers corresponds to the unique Device ID (the UDID or a derivative) of a specific iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. The contents of these folders are not meant to be human-readable; they consist of numerous .mddata , .mdinfo , and .mdbak files, along with a property list file named Info.plist or Manifest.plist . These are not simple copies of photos or songs, but rather a database of application states, settings, and other binary data that only iTunes (or a specialized third-party tool) can properly interpret.
: iTunes does not have a built-in setting to change the backup directory. To move backups to another drive (e.g., an external HDD), you must create a Symbolic Link (Junction) using the Command Prompt or PowerShell . where is itunes backup stored windows 10
iPhone backups can take up a massive amount of space (often 10GB–50GB+). If your C: drive is full, you can move this folder to an external drive using "Symbolic Links," but this is an advanced procedure. Inside the Backup directory, one will find one
C:\Users\[Your Username]\Apple\MobileSync\Backup The contents of these folders are not meant
For users who prefer a more direct method over manually navigating hidden folders, Windows 10 offers two primary alternatives. The first is using the "Run" dialog (accessed by pressing the Windows + R keys). By typing %appdata% and pressing Enter, the user is instantly taken to the C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming folder. From there, they can manually click into Apple Computer or Apple and then MobileSync\Backup . The second, even faster command is to type %appdata%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup directly into the Run dialog or the File Explorer address bar. This command leverages Windows environment variables to resolve the path instantly, bypassing the need to unhide folders or click through multiple directories.