"iOS Files" in Mac storage is the space taken by backups of your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch made on this Mac, plus the software files Finder downloaded to update or restore those devices.
Apple's description is one line: the category contains iOS backups and firmware. None of it is part of macOS, and your Mac doesn't need any of it to work.
To clear it, open System Settings › General › Storage, click the information button next to iOS Files, select an item and click Delete. The software files are safe to remove, because Finder downloads the current version again when it needs one.
Backups need more thought: a backup may be the only copy of what was on a device.
One detail catches people out. In macOS 27, deleting from iOS Files doesn't use the Trash: the confirmation says the item will be deleted immediately and that you can't undo it. If you want a way back, show the item in Finder and move it to the Trash yourself.
This post explains what the category counts and what it doesn't, why it grows, three ways to clear it and when to use each, and how to keep it small. For where backups live and how to move them to a drive, see where iPhone backups are stored on a Mac.
What "iOS Files" means in Mac storage
Storage settings sorts your disk into categories by what files are for. iOS Files is the one for your other Apple devices: what the Mac keeps on behalf of an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch it has backed up, updated or restored.
The name is older than iPadOS, so iPad backups and iPad software count here too. It's also older than Finder's device page: the software files still sit in a folder called iTunes, from the years when iTunes did this job.
What does the iOS Files category include?
Two kinds of item, kept in a few folders inside your home folder's Library. Storage settings lists them side by side, but they're very different things to delete.
| What | Where it lives | What makes it | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Device backups | ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup | Finder, or iTunes before macOS Catalina | Review first |
| iPhone software files | ~/Library/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates | Finder, when it updates or restores an iPhone | Safe |
| iPad software files | ~/Library/iTunes/iPad Software Updates | Finder, when it updates or restores an iPad | Safe |
| iPod software files | ~/Library/iTunes/iPod Software Updates | Finder or iTunes, for an iPod | Safe |
Each backup is one folder for one device, named after the device's identifier. Each software file is a single file ending in .ipsw, several gigabytes in size, made for one kind of device and one version of its software.
The pages on iPhone and iPad backups and iPhone and iPad software updates describe each one, with their sources.
What isn't counted in iOS Files?
Plenty of iPhone-related data lands in other categories. Knowing which saves you hunting for a backup in the wrong place, or deleting the wrong thing to shrink the wrong number.
| Item | Where Storage settings counts it | Why |
|---|---|---|
| iCloud backups of your devices | Nowhere on the Mac | They're stored in iCloud |
| Photos imported from an iPhone | Photos | They're in your Photos library |
| Messages and attachments from your iPhone | Messages | Messages keeps its own copy on the Mac |
| iPhone and iPad apps on an Apple silicon Mac | Applications | They're installed apps |
| Xcode's device support files | Developer | Xcode makes them for debugging |
| An .ipsw file you downloaded yourself | Documents | It's an ordinary file in your home folder |
| Another account's device backups | Other Users & Shared | Each user has a Backup folder of their own |
Xcode's device support files are the most common mix-up. They live in ~/, in folders named after iOS versions, and they can be large. They belong to Xcode, not Finder, and the page on Xcode device support files explains them.
Why does iOS Files show up if you never back up your iPhone?
Usually because Finder did something on your behalf, or because something done years ago is still there. The common causes:
- Automatic backups. If a device's page in Finder has Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac selected, Apple says the backup runs at the next automatic backup. A device that syncs with this Mac keeps backing up without you clicking Back Up Now.
- An update or restore from Finder. Clicking Update or Restore iPhone on a device's page downloads that device's software, and Finder keeps the file afterwards.
- A one-off backup. A backup made before a repair, a reset or a move to a new phone stays after the job is done.
- Old iTunes backups. Backups made in iTunes before macOS Catalina are in the same folder, and Finder and Storage settings list them with the new ones.
To see whether a device is still backing up here, connect it, select it in the Finder sidebar and look at Last backup to this Mac on its General page.
Is iOS Files part of System Data?
No. iOS Files is a category of its own, with an information button and a list of what's in it. System Data has neither: Apple says you can't manage its contents in Storage settings.
The two do get confused, because both grow without you saving anything. If System Data is the number that worries you, iPhone backups aren't the cause; what System Data on a Mac holds explains what usually is.
How big iOS Files gets, and why
There's no typical size for iOS Files, because it's the sum of choices made over years: how many devices you've backed up here, whether they use iCloud, and how often you've updated them from the Mac.
Why is iOS Files so large on my Mac?
Most of the time, backups. A backup holds the device's data that isn't already in iCloud, so a phone with iCloud Photos turned off puts every photo and video into it. Messages work the same way when Messages in iCloud is off.
Then multiply by devices. Each device keeps its own backup, and the backup of a phone you sold stays until you delete it. A Mac that has backed up a family's iPhones and iPads since the iTunes years can hold a dozen.
Archived backups add more. Archiving keeps a copy of a backup as it was, so later backups of the device don't change it. Each archive is a full backup of its own, and they're easy to forget once the reason for them has passed.
Software files are few but large: several gigabytes each, for each kind of device you've updated or restored from this Mac, and they stay after the update is done.
How much space should iOS Files take?
As much as you need to restore devices that have no other backup, and no more. If every device you own backs up to iCloud, that can be nothing at all.
- Backups of every device on the Mac10–200 GB · Review first
- One iPhone or iPad software file5–15 GB · Safe
- Xcode device support, counted under Developer5–60 GB · Safe
Typical ranges on Macs that have these items at all, from the research behind the app's catalog. Xcode's device support files are shown for comparison: Storage settings counts them under Developer, not iOS Files.
Why does iOS Files keep growing back?
Because whatever made it is still switched on. Each automatic backup updates the device's backup, which grows as the phone fills. Each update from Finder downloads another software file. Deleting today's items doesn't change either habit; the section on keeping iOS Files small does.
How to clear iOS Files on a Mac
There are three routes, and they differ in the one way that matters: whether you can change your mind afterwards. Pick the route before you pick the items.
How do you delete iOS Files in Storage settings?
- Choose Apple menu › System Settings, click General in the sidebar, then click Storage.
- Wait for the bar at the top to finish calculating.
- Click the information button next to iOS Files.
- Select a backup or software file you don't need. Hold down Command as you click to select several.
- Click Delete, then confirm.
In macOS 27, the confirmation says the item will be deleted immediately, freeing its space, and that you can't undo the action. Nothing goes to the Trash, and nothing in Storage settings brings it back.
That's fine for software files, which Finder can download again. For a backup, be sure first, or use the Trash route below.
How do you delete a backup in Finder's Manage Backups?
- Connect the device, or any iPhone or iPad you've backed up on this Mac, and select it in the Finder sidebar. If it asks, tap Trust on the device.
- Click General in the row near the top, then click Manage Backups.
- Control-click the backup you don't need and choose Delete.
- Confirm, then click OK to close the list.
Manage Backups names each backup after its device and shows when it was made, which makes it the clearest place to tell backups apart. Apple doesn't say whether this Delete uses the Trash, so treat it as permanent too.
The same menu offers Archive and Show in Finder. Manage Backups lists only backups: software files appear in Storage settings and Finder, not here.
How do you clear iOS Files with the Trash as a safety net?
- In the iOS Files list in Storage settings, select the item and click Show in Finder. From Manage Backups, Control-click a backup and choose Show in Finder.
- Finder opens the folder with the item selected. Choose File › Get Info to check its size.
- Choose File › Move to Trash.
- When you're sure you won't need it, empty the Trash. The space comes back only then.
Until you empty the Trash, selecting the item there and choosing File › Put Back returns it to its folder. Always move a backup's whole folder, never files from inside it: a backup with parts missing can't be restored.
How do you clear iOS Files without the device?
Manage Backups needs a device connected, though any iPhone or iPad you've backed up on this Mac will do. If none is at hand, use Storage settings, or open the backups' folder in Finder.
In Finder, choose Go › Go to Folder, type ~/ and press Return. Each folder there is one device's backup, named after its identifier rather than its name. Select one and choose File › Get Info to see its size and the date it last changed.
Without Manage Backups, telling the folders apart is harder, so match them by size against the list in Storage settings before you move anything to the Trash.
For software files, you can also go straight to their folder. In Finder, choose Go › Go to Folder, type ~/ and press Return. Open iPhone Software Updates or iPad Software Updates, and move the .ipsw files you don't need to the Trash.
Which route should you use?
| Route | What it shows | Can you undo it? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage settings, iOS Files | Backups and software files, with sizes | No: deleted immediately | Software files, and backups you're sure about |
| Finder, Manage Backups | Backups by device name and date | Not documented; assume not | Telling backups apart |
| Show in Finder, then Move to Trash | One item at a time | Yes, until you empty the Trash | Backups you might want back |
A sensible pattern: use Manage Backups to identify each backup, delete software files in Storage settings, and send backups to the Trash through Finder. Empty the Trash a few days later, once you're sure.
Where was iOS Files before macOS Ventura?
The category has had the same name and the same contents for years. Only the way in has changed.
| macOS version | Where to find iOS Files |
|---|---|
| macOS 27 Golden Gate | System Settings › General › Storage, then the information button next to iOS Files |
| macOS 26 Tahoe | The same as macOS 27 |
| macOS Ventura to Sequoia | System Settings › General › Storage |
| macOS Monterey and earlier | Apple menu › About This Mac › Storage › Manage, then iOS Files in the sidebar |
In the older window, Apple's guide described iOS Files the same way: backup and firmware files, listed individually, each removed with a Delete button.
Which backups to keep, and which to clear
Software files are an easy call. Backups need one question answered for each: does this device's data exist anywhere else? The iPhone backups guide has the short checklist; here's how to answer it.
What happens to your iPhone when you delete its backup on the Mac?
Nothing. A backup is a copy, so the device, its data and its iCloud backups are untouched. What you lose is the ability to restore that device, or a new one, from this copy.
That's why the timing matters more than the device. Deleting the backup of a working phone that also backs up to iCloud costs nothing. Deleting the only backup of a phone that's about to be repaired could cost everything on it.
How do you check whether a device has another backup?
Two places tell you. On the device, open Settings, tap your name, then iCloud › iCloud Backup, and look for the date of the last backup.
On the Mac, connect the device and select it in the Finder sidebar. The backup section of its General page shows when it last backed up, to this Mac or to iCloud.
If the last iCloud backup is recent, the backup on your Mac is a second copy. If there isn't one, the Mac's backup is the only copy, and deleting it should wait until iCloud Backup has run.
Which backups are usually safe to clear?
- Backups of devices you've sold, given away or replaced, once the new device is set up and you've checked nothing exists only in the old backup.
- Archived copies made before an update or a repair that went well.
- Backups of devices that also back up to iCloud, if the iCloud backup is recent and you don't need a second copy.
- Encrypted backups whose password is truly lost, because nothing can restore from them.
Keep the latest backup of any device you still use that doesn't back up anywhere else, and of any device that's lost or broken until its data is safely on a replacement.
What about encrypted backups?
An encrypted backup holds more than a plain one: Apple lists saved passwords, Wi-Fi settings, website history, call history and Health data. Deleting it deletes those copies too.
Encryption doesn't change where a backup lives or how you delete it. It only raises the stakes if the backup is the only place that data exists.
The software update files in iOS Files
Software files are the part of iOS Files you can clear without a second thought, once you know what they are and when they appear.
What is an IPSW file?
It's the software for one kind of device, in a single file ending in .ipsw. Storage settings calls these files firmware. Finder uses one to update a device, or to erase it and install its software from scratch.
Each file is tied to one family of devices and one software version. A file for one iPhone model is no use to a different model, and none of them are any use to the Mac itself.
When does Finder download one?
When you update or restore a device from the Mac. On the device's General page, Check for Update followed by Update downloads the new version, and Restore iPhone downloads the software it reinstalls. Finder keeps the file in ~/ afterwards.
Updating on the device itself is different. In Settings › General › Software Update on the iPhone or iPad, the device downloads its own update, and nothing is stored on the Mac.
Is it safe to delete iPhone software updates on a Mac?
Yes. A file is only useful while Apple still allows that version to be installed, and when Finder needs software for a device, it downloads the current version from Apple. Deleting one costs you a download the next time you update or restore from this Mac.
Wait until any update or restore in progress has finished. After that, every file in these folders is Safe to remove, including files for devices you no longer own.
Where do beta and manually downloaded IPSW files go?
Wherever you saved them, usually your Downloads folder. Storage settings counts them with your documents rather than in iOS Files, and Finder doesn't manage them. Once the device is updated, they're files like any other: move them to the Trash when you're done.
What about Apple Configurator's firmware?
If you manage devices with Apple Configurator, it keeps its own copies of device software, one per device model and version, so it can update many devices without downloading each time. The page on Apple Configurator firmware cache describes the folder.
Configurator downloads a file again when it's missing or out of date, so the cache is safe to clear with the app closed. On a Mac that manages many kinds of device, it can grow larger than Finder's own software files.
| Software file | Where it lives | What deleting it costs |
|---|---|---|
| Downloaded by Finder | ~/Library/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates and similar | A download at the next update or restore from this Mac |
| Downloaded by Apple Configurator | Configurator's container in ~/Library/Group Containers | A download for each model at the next update |
| Downloaded yourself in a browser | Usually ~/Downloads | Downloading it again, if you need it |
| Downloaded by the device itself | On the device, not the Mac | Nothing on the Mac |
Why the space doesn't come back after you clear iOS Files
Sometimes iOS Files shrinks but the free space barely moves, or the category doesn't seem to change at all. There's usually a simple reason.
Why does Storage settings still show the old size?
Storage settings works its figures out in the background, so they can lag behind what you've done. Close System Settings, wait a minute, and open Storage again. The numbers settle once it has counted again.
Are the backups in the Trash?
If you used the Trash route, the space comes back only when you empty the Trash. Open the Trash from the Dock, check what's there, and click Empty. That step can't be undone, so do it when you're sure.
Is a Time Machine snapshot holding on to them?
If you back up your Mac with Time Machine, a local snapshot can keep a deleted backup's space for a while. Your Mac counts that space as available, and Time Machine removes snapshots as they age or when the space is needed. The guide to Time Machine local snapshots explains how they behave.
Do the backups belong to another user?
Each user account has its own Backup folder, and Storage settings counts another account's backups under Other Users & Shared, which you can't change from your account. The person who made them can delete them after logging in to their own account.
A worked example
Say Storage settings shows iOS Files at 96 GB on a Mac with a 512 GB disk. Opening the category lists four backups and two software files. Here's how the decisions go, one item at a time.
| Item | Size | What you find | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backup of your current iPhone | 31 GB | iCloud Backup is on; last iCloud backup was yesterday | Keep for now |
| Backup of an iPhone you sold in 2022 | 27 GB | Its photos are in iCloud Photos; nothing else is missing | Trash it |
| Archived copy of your current iPhone | 24 GB | Made before an update months ago; the update went fine | Trash it |
| Backup of an iPad | 6 GB | iCloud Backup is off; it's the only copy | Keep |
| Two iPhone software files | 8 GB | Both from updates already installed | Delete them |
The software files go first, straight from Storage settings: 8 GB back at once. The sold phone's backup and the archived copy go to the Trash through Show in Finder, so there's a way back for a few days. When nothing has turned out to be missing, emptying the Trash returns the other 51 GB.
The iPad is a different case. Its backup on the Mac is the only one, so it stays until iCloud Backup is turned on for it and has run once. After that, the 6 GB can go too, and iOS Files is down to the one backup you chose to keep.
The result: 59 GB back, nothing lost, and a clear reason for each item that remains.
Keep iOS Files small from now on
Clearing iOS Files once is easy. Keeping it small means changing what made it grow, and each of these changes takes a minute.
Back up to iCloud instead of the Mac
On the device's General page in Finder, select Back up your most important data on your iPhone to iCloud. Apple says the device then backs up to iCloud at its next automatic backup. Backups already on the Mac stay until you delete them.
iCloud Backup needs room in your iCloud storage plan. The post on where iPhone backups are stored compares the two kinds of backup and covers what to do when iCloud is full.
Update devices on the device, not from Finder
On the iPhone or iPad, open Settings › General › Software Update and tap Download and Install. The device downloads its own update, and no software file lands on the Mac. Apple suggests a computer when an update doesn't appear on the device; if you update from Finder for that reason, delete the file afterwards.
Archive only when you need a fixed point
Archiving before a risky update or a repair is sensible. Delete the archive once the moment has passed, because nothing tells you it's still there except the size of iOS Files.
Turn off backups to this Mac for devices that don't need them
A family member's iPad that syncs with your Mac for music doesn't need a full backup here too, if it backs up to iCloud. Change its backup option on its General page, then delete the backup it left behind.
Check iOS Files after every new phone
Moving to a new iPhone tends to leave two things behind: the old phone's backup, and sometimes a backup made just for the transfer. Once the new phone has everything and has backed up on its own, look at iOS Files again and clear what the move left.
Move backups you want to keep but rarely need
Finder can't save backups anywhere but your home folder, but you can copy a finished backup to an external drive and delete it from the Mac. The backup location post linked above covers the steps and the pitfalls.
Mistakes to avoid
Most problems with iOS Files come from treating it like a cache. It isn't one: part of it may be the only copy of a device's data.
| Mistake | What happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Deleting a backup in Storage settings and expecting the Trash | It's gone immediately, with no undo | Use Show in Finder and Move to Trash |
| Deleting files from inside a backup folder | The backup can't be restored | Move or delete the whole folder |
| Moving the whole Backup or MobileSync folder to the Trash | Every device's backup goes at once | Delete backups one at a time |
| Deleting the only backup of a phone before a repair | Its data may be lost for good | Run iCloud Backup first, or keep it |
| Deleting a software file during an update | The update or restore may still need it | Wait until it finishes |
| Deleting iCloud backups to free Mac space | Mac storage doesn't change | Clear iOS Files on the Mac |
Don't paste Terminal commands to clear iOS Files
Everything in this post works in Storage settings and Finder. A guide that asks you to paste a command to delete backups is asking you to remove something that can't be put back, and fake cleanup guides are a known way to install malware.
How the app does it
Wombit is a native Mac app that shows what's using your storage, explains every item in plain language, and clears it safely: Trash first, undoable and logged. File names and paths never leave your Mac.
Its Apple Data pages split iOS Files into its parts. iPhone & iPad Backups lists every backup with the device's name and model, its iOS or iPadOS version, when it last backed up, whether it's encrypted and its size. It reads each backup's own information files and never opens the backup itself.
Backups that haven't been updated for six months come first, with a note. They're Review first: nothing is selected for you, and the review sheet repeats what a deleted backup takes with it. The Installers page lists each iPhone and iPad software file on its own, and those are Safe.
~/
Library/ Application Support/ MobileSync/ Backup/ * Backups of an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch that were made on this Mac, one folder for each device.
Review first · Moves it to the Trash
~/
Library/ iTunes/ {iPhone,iPad,iPod} Software Updates iPhone and iPad software updates
Software files that were downloaded to update or restore an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch connected to this Mac.
Safe · Moves it to the Trash
~/
Library/ Group Containers/ K36BKF7T3D.group.com.apple.configurator/ Library/ Caches/ Firmware Apple Configurator firmware cache
Device software files Apple Configurator downloaded to update or restore iPhone, iPad and other devices.
Safe · Moves it to the Trash
Unlike Storage settings' Delete, what you choose goes to the Trash, where Undo and Put Back return it until you empty it, and each cleanup is logged in Cleanup History.
Seeing your backups and software files is free. Moving them to the Trash is PRO, part of one payment of $4.99 with lifetime access. Every Pro tool's review is free to open, so you see what would go and why before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
What are iOS Files on a Mac?
They're backups of iPhones, iPads and iPod touch devices made on this Mac, and the software files Finder downloaded to update or restore them. Apple describes the category as iOS backups and firmware. None of it is part of macOS.
Is it safe to delete iOS Files on Mac?
The software update files are safe to delete: Finder downloads the current version again when it needs one. Backups are safe to delete only if the device has another backup, such as a recent iCloud backup, or you no longer need to restore it.
Will deleting iOS Files delete anything on my iPhone?
No. A backup on the Mac is a copy, so the iPhone and its iCloud backups are untouched. You only lose the ability to restore the device, or a new one, from that copy.
Does deleting iOS Files in Storage settings move them to the Trash?
No. In macOS 27, the confirmation says the item will be deleted immediately and can't be undone. To keep a way back, click Show in Finder and move the item to the Trash yourself instead.
Why do I have iOS Files on my Mac if I back up to iCloud?
Usually an old backup from before you switched, a backup made before a repair or a new phone, an archived copy, or a software file Finder downloaded when you updated a device from the Mac. Each stays until you delete it.
Why is iOS Files still large after I deleted backups?
Storage settings may not have recalculated yet, so close it and open it again. If you moved backups to the Trash, the space returns when you empty it, and a Time Machine local snapshot can hold it for a while longer.
Do iCloud backups count as iOS Files on my Mac?
No. iCloud backups are stored in iCloud and don't use your Mac's storage at all. iOS Files only counts backups and software files kept on this Mac.
Sources
- Change Storage settings on Mac · Apple
- Locate and manage backups of your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch · Apple
- Update, back up or restore your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to your Mac or to iCloud · Apple
- Update your iPhone or iPad · Apple
- About encrypted backups on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch · Apple
- Find and delete files on your Mac (macOS Big Sur) · Apple