Yes, in almost every case. The IPSW files on a Mac are complete copies of iPhone, iPad or iPod software that Finder downloaded when you updated or restored a device from the Mac. Once that update or restore has finished, the file has done its job.
Finder keeps them in ~/ and in two sibling folders for iPad and iPod. Storage settings counts them under iOS Files, which Apple describes as backups and firmware. The software files are the firmware half.
Each one is large. The iPhone files on Apple's servers today are between about 11 and 13 GB each, and the Mac keeps one for every device and version it has fetched. A few updates from the Mac can add up to tens of gigabytes.
Deleting them costs nothing you can't get back. A device installs only versions Apple still authorizes, so an old file soon becomes useless, and when Finder needs software again it downloads it from Apple. The one file to leave alone is a file an update or restore is still using.
What an IPSW file is
An IPSW file is the whole operating system for one family of devices, packed into a single file that ends in .ipsw. Apple's guides call it device software, and Storage settings calls it firmware. They're the same thing.
What's inside an IPSW file?
Everything the device needs to start up and run. Apple's security guide gives examples of the parts of an installation bundle: the boot loader, the kernel and the operating system image. A restore file carries all of them, not just what changed since the last version.
None of it is yours. An IPSW file holds no photos, messages, settings or app data, which is why it can be thrown away and fetched again without losing anything.
Why is an IPSW file so big?
Because a Mac always fetches the full system. Apple's security guide says that when a device is updated while it's connected to a Mac, a full copy of iOS or iPadOS is downloaded and installed. An update over the air, on the device itself, downloads only the components that update needs.
That's why the same update can be a modest download in Settings on the phone and well over 10 GB on the Mac. The Mac isn't wasting space by accident; it's holding a complete system, ready to install from scratch.
How big is an IPSW file?
It depends on the device and the version, and recent versions are larger than old ones. Apple's update servers report these download sizes for the files that are current now:
- Recent iPhone, iOS 27.0.110.7–12.9 GB · Safe
- Recent iPad, iPadOS 27.0.110.5–12.2 GB · Safe
- Older iPhone and iPad, iOS 15 to 185–8.8 GB · Safe
- Apple TV, tvOS 26.65.3 GB
- Mac restore image, macOS 27.0.126.6 GB
Download sizes Apple's update servers reported for the current files on 15 October 2026, in decimal gigabytes as Finder shows them. Files from earlier versions on your Mac may be smaller.
Finder keeps one file per device family and version, and doesn't replace old ones. Two iPhones and an iPad updated from the same Mac, once each, can leave around 35 GB behind.
How do you read an IPSW file's name?
Apple names each file after the devices it fits, the software version and the build. A current example from Apple's servers is iPhone18,1_27.0.1_24A446_Restore.ipsw: device identifier iPhone18,1, version 27.0.1, build 24A446.
The identifier isn't the name on the box, and several models can share one file. Files for older devices use group names instead, such as iPhone_4.7_P3_16.7.16_20H392_Restore.ipsw. The version in the middle is the part that matters when you decide whether to keep a file.
How do you tell which device a file is for?
Compare the version in the file's name with the one each device runs. On an iPhone or iPad, open Settings › General › About to see its version. A file for a version a device already runs, or for an older one, has nothing left to do.
If no device you own matches the identifier or group name, the file is for a device you've sold, given away or helped someone else with. Nothing else can use it.
Is an IPSW file the same as an iPhone backup?
No, and the difference decides what's safe. A software file holds Apple's operating system and nothing of yours. A backup holds a device's settings, messages, app data and more, and it may be the only copy of them.
Both appear in the same list under iOS Files, which makes them easy to mix up. Software files can go without a second thought; backups need the questions in the iPhone backups guide answered first.
Where IPSW files are stored on a Mac
Most Macs that have IPSW files keep them in one place, a folder Finder inherited from iTunes. A few other apps keep their own copies, and a file you downloaded yourself stays wherever you saved it.
| Where | What puts it there | Level |
|---|---|---|
~/Library/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates | Finder, when it updates or restores an iPhone | Safe |
~/Library/iTunes/iPad Software Updates | Finder, when it updates or restores an iPad | Safe |
~/Library/iTunes/iPod Software Updates | Finder or iTunes, for an iPod | Safe |
| Apple Configurator's Firmware cache | Apple Configurator, for each model it updates | Safe |
~/Downloads, or wherever you saved it | You, from a browser | Yours to decide |
~/.tart/cache | Tart, for macOS virtual machines | Review first |
The pages on iPhone and iPad software updates and Apple Configurator firmware cache describe the two main folders, with their sources.
How do you open the folder in Finder?
- In Finder, choose Go › Go to Folder.
- Type
~/and press Return.Library/ iTunes - Open iPhone Software Updates, iPad Software Updates or iPod Software Updates.
The Library folder in your home folder is hidden by default. Another way in is to hold the Option key, choose Go › Library, then open iTunes. If there's no iTunes folder, or the update folders are empty, there are no software files here to clear.
Why is the folder called iTunes?
Before macOS Catalina, iTunes updated and restored iPhones and iPads; Apple still tells people on macOS Mojave or earlier to use it. From Catalina on, Finder does the job. The folder kept its old name, so the files land in an iTunes folder even on a Mac that has never had iTunes.
Where does Storage settings count them?
Under iOS Files, which Apple describes in one line: it contains iOS backups and firmware. Choose Apple menu › System Settings, click General, click Storage, then click the information button next to iOS Files to see each item and its size.
A file you downloaded yourself in a browser is different. It sits in your Downloads folder like any other file, so Storage settings counts it under Documents. The post on iOS Files in Mac storage covers the rest of that category, backups included.
Does each user account have its own?
Yes. The folder is inside your home folder, so each account on the Mac has its own. Another account's software files are counted under Other Users in Storage settings, and that person can delete them after logging in to their own account.
Why your Mac downloaded iPhone software
Software files appear only when you, or someone using your Mac, did one of a few things with a device connected. Knowing which one tells you whether the file is finished with.
Updating a device from Finder
This is the most common reason. Apple's steps for updating with Finder are:
- Open a Finder window and connect the iPhone or iPad to the Mac.
- Select the device in the Finder sidebar.
- Click General, then click Check for Update.
- Click Download and Update and follow the onscreen instructions, entering the device's passcode if asked.
Finder downloads the full software file first, installs it, and keeps the file afterwards. The steps are the same in macOS 27 Golden Gate and macOS 26 Tahoe.
Restoring a device to factory settings
On the same General page, Restore iPhone (or Restore iPad) erases the device and installs its software from scratch. The Mac downloads the software for it. Apple says to turn off Find My on the device first, and you can back up to the Mac as part of the restore.
Rescuing a device in recovery mode
When an iPhone won't start or an update has failed, Apple's fix is recovery mode. You connect the device to the Mac, press its buttons in a set order until a Connect to computer screen appears, and Finder offers Update or Restore.
Apple says your computer then downloads software for the device. If that download takes more than 15 minutes, the device may leave the recovery screen; let the download finish, then put the device in recovery mode again. The file stays on the Mac when the rescue is over, which is how many people end up with one they don't remember.
What's the difference between Update and Restore?
Update installs the new software and keeps the device's data. Restore reinstalls the software and erases everything on the device; Apple's words are that it erases all your data. In recovery mode, Apple suggests trying Update first if you haven't already.
Both download the same full software file to the Mac, so either one can leave a file behind. Restore is also why a recent backup matters more than any software file: the software can always be fetched again, your data can't.
Updating on the device downloads nothing to the Mac
In Settings › General › Software Update on an iPhone or iPad, the device downloads its own update. Nothing is stored on the Mac, even if the device happens to be connected to it.
| What you did | Does the Mac keep an IPSW file? |
|---|---|
| Updated in Settings on the iPhone or iPad | No |
| Check for Update, then Download and Update, in Finder | Yes, the full software |
| Restore iPhone or Restore iPad in Finder | Yes |
| Update or Restore in recovery mode | Yes |
| Backed up or synced in Finder | No |
| Updated or restored with Apple Configurator | Yes, in Configurator's own cache |
Are IPSW files on a Mac safe to delete?
Yes, once nothing is using them. The catalog rates Finder's software files Safe: when Finder needs software for a device, it downloads it from Apple, so deleting a file only costs a download the next time you update or restore from this Mac.
Why can't you reuse an old IPSW file?
Because installing one needs Apple's approval, every time. Apple's security guide describes it: during an install, the device sends Apple's installation authorization server a list of measurements of the software, plus the device's unique chip identifier.
The server checks the list against versions whose installation is permitted. If it matches, the server signs it for that one device. Apple says this lets it stop signing older versions with known vulnerabilities, and that it's designed so an older version from one device can't be copied to another.
So once Apple stops authorizing a version, its file can't be installed, even on the device it was made for. Apple doesn't publish when it stops; it simply does, and the old file becomes dead weight.
Does deleting an IPSW file affect your iPhone?
No. The device already has its software installed, and the file on the Mac was only the delivery. Deleting it changes nothing on the device, in its data, in its iCloud backups or in its backups on the Mac.
Can you use an old IPSW file to downgrade?
Only while Apple still authorizes that version, and that window doesn't stay open. Apple Configurator, which lets you pick a file yourself, also warns that if you restore an older version, the operating system may not work properly.
So keeping old files "in case you want to go back" doesn't work. If a version is still being signed, Apple can supply the file again; if it isn't, the file won't help.
Do you need to keep an IPSW file to restore your iPhone later?
No. A restore needs the software Apple currently authorizes for the device, and Finder fetches it at the time. What you need to keep for a restore is a backup of the device's data, not a software file.
When should you keep one for now?
- An update or restore is in progress, or failed and you're about to try again. Wait until the device is working and set up.
- You downloaded a file on purpose to use with Apple Configurator, and haven't used it yet.
- Apple Configurator is midway through a batch of devices of the same model. Its cache saves it downloading the same file for each one.
Which files should you delete?
| The file | Delete it? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| For a version the device already runs | Yes | Its job is done |
| For a device you no longer own | Yes | Nothing else can use it |
| For an older version than the device runs | Yes | It can't downgrade the device unless Apple still signs it |
| In use by an update or restore | Not yet | Wait until it finishes |
| In Configurator's cache, mid-batch | After the batch | Configurator reuses it for each device |
| A beta or other file you saved yourself | When you're done with it | Finder doesn't manage it for you |
How to delete IPSW files on a Mac
There are two routes. Storage settings is quickest; Finder gives you the Trash as a safety net. For software files the difference matters less than for backups, because a deleted file can always be downloaded again.
How do you delete IPSW 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 software file. Hold Command as you click to select several.
- Click Delete, then confirm.
Treat this Delete as permanent. Apple's guide doesn't say the item goes to the Trash, and the list mixes software files with backups, so read each name before you select it. On macOS Monterey and earlier, the same list is in Apple menu › About This Mac › Storage › Manage.
How do you delete IPSW files in Finder?
- In Finder, choose Go › Go to Folder, type
~/and press Return.Library/ iTunes - Open iPhone Software Updates or iPad Software Updates.
- Select the .ipsw files you don't need, and choose File › Get Info if you want to check their size.
- Choose File › Move to Trash.
- Empty the Trash when you're sure. The space comes back only then.
Until you empty the Trash, you can select a file there and choose File › Put Back. Leave the folders themselves where they are; an empty folder takes no space.
Should you move IPSW files to an external drive instead?
There's little reason to. A file is useful only while Apple still authorizes its version, and while it does, Finder can download it again. Moving it to a drive keeps a file that will soon be impossible to install, and takes space there instead.
What about IPSW files in Downloads?
Files you saved from a website are ordinary files, and Finder doesn't track them. Open your Downloads folder, choose View › as List, and click the Size column to bring the largest to the top. To look further, type ipsw in the search field of a Finder window.
Before you delete one, check you're not about to need it for a restore with Apple Configurator. If you are, use it first; afterwards it's just a large file.
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 | Assume not | Clearing software files quickly |
| Finder, then Move to Trash | The files, by name and version | Yes, until you empty the Trash | Checking names first |
| Finder search for .ipsw | Copies outside Finder's folders | Yes, until you empty the Trash | Files you downloaded yourself |
Why didn't the free space come back?
Usually one of three things. Storage settings works its figures out in the background, so close System Settings and open Storage again after a minute. Files sent to the Trash keep their space until you empty it.
And if Time Machine backs up your Mac, a local snapshot can hold on to deleted files for a while. macOS counts that space as available and removes snapshots when it needs room; the guide to Time Machine local snapshots explains how they behave.
Apple Configurator's software cache
Apple Configurator is Apple's app for preparing many devices at once, mostly in schools and businesses. It updates and restores iPhone, iPad and Apple TV; Apple says it doesn't update a Mac or Apple Vision Pro. Like Finder, it downloads full software files to do that.
Where does Apple Configurator keep its downloads?
In its own container, at ~/. It keeps one file per device model and software version, so it can update more devices of the same model without downloading again.
On a Mac that has prepared many kinds of device, this cache can grow larger than Finder's own folder. Storage settings counts it in System Data, not iOS Files.
Is it safe to clear Apple Configurator's cache?
Yes, with the app quit. When a file is missing or out of date, Apple Configurator downloads the current one from Apple. The cost is one download per model the next time you update or restore that kind of device.
The best moment is after a batch of devices is finished. Clearing it midway just means downloading the same file again for the next device.
How do you see what's in the cache?
In Finder, choose Go › Go to Folder, paste the path above and press Return. Choose View › as List and click the Size column. Each file's name gives the devices and the version, in the same pattern as Finder's own files, so you can see which models and versions it still holds.
Using a file of your own with Apple Configurator
Apple Configurator's guide documents using an IPSW file you supply. In its device window, you drag the .ipsw file onto a device, then choose to update or restore it. The guide gives the same method for installing beta software.
You can also drag a file onto a Blueprint, and the update or restore runs when you apply the Blueprint. Either way, the file stays wherever you saved it, and it's yours to delete once the devices are done.
IPSW files for Macs
Macs with Apple silicon have IPSW files too. They're far larger than an iPhone's, and they come from different places, so they're worth knowing about if your disk holds one you can't explain.
What is a macOS IPSW file?
A complete macOS system for Macs with Apple silicon, in one file. Apple's Virtualization framework calls it a macOS restore image: an installation media file for a specific version of macOS. The current one, for macOS 27.0.1, is about 27 GB.
Which apps download a macOS IPSW?
- Virtual machine apps that use Apple's Virtualization framework, such as UTM and Tart, use one to install macOS in a new virtual machine. UTM downloads the latest compatible file for you if you don't choose one.
- Tart keeps the files it downloads in its cache,
~/, and removes the least recently used entries when it needs room. See Tart image cache..tart/ cache - Finder, on a Mac with macOS 14 or later, when you revive or restore another Mac with Apple silicon in DFU mode. Apple says the helping Mac needs an internet connection and enough storage to download what it needs. It doesn't say where the download is kept.
What about Intel Macs?
Intel Macs don't use IPSW files for macOS. For an Intel Mac with the Apple T2 Security Chip, Apple's revive and restore process works on the chip's firmware, and the Mac then starts up from macOS Recovery over the internet. Virtual machines of macOS made with UTM's Apple virtualization need a Mac with Apple silicon.
Is a macOS IPSW the same as a macOS installer?
No. An installer is an app, such as Install macOS in your Applications folder, that installs or upgrades macOS on a Mac. An IPSW restores a Mac with Apple silicon, or a new virtual one, from scratch. The post on old macOS installers covers the installer apps.
Is it safe to delete a macOS restore image?
Yes, once the virtual machine is installed; the file is what macOS is installed from. Apple's documentation for developers shows an app loading a restore image saved on disk instead of downloading one, so keeping it only saves a download the next time you make a new machine.
At about 27 GB, it's usually worth deleting unless you make new virtual machines often. Delete it through the app that downloaded it where the app offers a way, or move it to the Trash in Finder with the app quit.
A worked example
Say a Mac with a 256 GB disk is running short, and Storage settings shows iOS Files at 49 GB. Opening the category lists one backup and three software files. In Downloads, a search for ipsw finds one more.
| Item | Size | What you find | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backup of your current iPhone | 13.6 GB | It doesn't back up to iCloud | Keep |
| iPhone file, iOS 27.0.1 | 12.3 GB | The phone was updated from Finder yesterday and works | Delete |
| iPhone file, an iOS 26 version | 11.5 GB | Left from a recovery-mode rescue last spring | Delete |
| iPad file, iPadOS 27.0.1 | 11.6 GB | For an iPad you gave away | Delete |
| Beta file in Downloads | 12.4 GB | Installed weeks ago with Apple Configurator | Move to Trash |
The three software files go from Storage settings: 35.4 GB back at once. The beta file goes to the Trash from Finder, and another 12.4 GB returns when the Trash is emptied.
The backup is the one item that stays, because it's the only copy of the phone's data. That's 47.8 GB back, nothing lost, and iOS Files is down to the one item that matters.
Why not clear everything from Storage settings?
You could, for the software files, and the example does. But the backup sits in the same list, a click away, and Delete there is best treated as permanent. Clearing software files by name, and leaving backups to a separate decision, keeps one slip from costing the only copy of a phone's data.
Keep IPSW files from piling up
Software files come back each time you update or restore from the Mac. A few habits keep them from building up again.
- Update iPhones and iPads in Settings › General › Software Update on the device when you can, so nothing lands on the Mac.
- If you do update from Finder, check iOS Files once the device is working, and delete the file it left.
- After rescuing a device in recovery mode, delete the software file the rescue left behind.
- If you use Apple Configurator, clear its cache when a batch of devices is done.
- Delete beta and other files you downloaded yourself once they're installed.
Mistakes to avoid
| Mistake | What happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Moving the whole iTunes folder to the Trash | Other things kept there go too | Remove only the .ipsw files |
| Deleting a backup thinking it's a software file | The only copy of a device's data may go | Read each name in iOS Files first |
| Keeping old files to downgrade later | Apple won't authorize an old version | Delete them |
| Deleting a file during an update or restore | The process may need it | Wait until the device is working |
| Downloading files from other websites when Finder would fetch them | A file you have to track and delete yourself | Let Finder or Apple Configurator download from Apple |
Don't paste Terminal commands to delete IPSW files
Everything here works in Storage settings and Finder. A guide that asks you to paste a command to clean up iOS files is asking you to run something you can't check, 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 and explains every item in plain language. It scans the whole disk or any folder, reading only names, sizes and dates, and file names and paths never leave your Mac.
On the map, Finder's software folders are explained from the catalog's iPhone and iPad software updates entry: what the files are, why they're safe to remove and what removing them costs. The Apple Data › Installers page lists each iPhone and iPad software file on its own, apart from the backups beside them.
Finder's software files and Apple Configurator's cache are Safe: they count toward the safe-to-remove total and start checked in Cleanup. Device backups are Review first and never start checked. Tart's cache is Review first too, because it can hold changes to a virtual machine as well as downloads.
~/
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
~/
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
~/
.tart/ cache Virtual machine images Tart has pulled from registries, and macOS restore images it has downloaded.
Review first · Moves it to the Trash
Unlike Delete in Storage settings, what you remove goes to the Trash, where Undo and Put Back return it until you empty it, and each cleanup is logged in Cleanup History.
Seeing all of this is free. Moving it 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
Can I delete IPSW files after updating my iPhone?
Yes. Once the update has finished and the iPhone works, the file has done its job. When Finder needs software for the device again, it downloads it from Apple, so deleting the file only costs a download next time.
Where are IPSW files stored on a Mac?
Finder keeps them in the iTunes folder of your home folder's Library, in iPhone Software Updates, iPad Software Updates and iPod Software Updates. Apple Configurator keeps its own copies in its container, and files you downloaded yourself stay where you saved them, usually Downloads.
Why is my Mac downloading iPhone software?
Because a device was updated or restored from the Mac, in Finder or in recovery mode. When a device is updated while connected to a Mac, a full copy of iOS or iPadOS is downloaded. Updating in Settings on the device downloads nothing to the Mac.
Can I use an old IPSW file to downgrade my iPhone?
Only while Apple still authorizes that version. Every install needs Apple's approval for that one device, and Apple stops signing older versions. Once it does, the old file can't be installed, so keeping it doesn't help.
How big is an IPSW file?
Current iPhone files for iOS 27.0.1 are about 10.7 to 12.9 GB on Apple's servers, and iPad files about 10.5 to 12.2 GB. Files for older versions are smaller. A macOS restore image for a Mac with Apple silicon is about 27 GB.
Does deleting an IPSW file delete my iPhone backup?
No. Software files and backups are separate items, even though Storage settings lists both under iOS Files. A software file holds only Apple's operating system. Read each name before you delete, because a backup may be the only copy of a device's data.
Do I need to keep an IPSW file to restore my iPhone later?
No. A restore installs the software Apple currently authorizes for the device, and Finder downloads it at the time. What you need for a restore is a backup of the device's data.