Is it safe to delete iPhone and iPad backups?

Backups of an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch that were made on this Mac, one folder for each device.

Review first

It's your own data, or hard to recreate. Decide item by item.

~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/*

What it is

When you back up a device to this Mac in Finder, or in iTunes on older versions of macOS, the backup is stored here in a folder named after the device's identifier. A backup holds the device's settings, app data, and messages and photos that aren't in iCloud. An encrypted backup also holds saved passwords, Wi-Fi settings and Health data. Each new backup updates the device's folder, while backups of devices you no longer have, and backups you archived, stay until they're deleted. If a device doesn't also back up to iCloud or another computer, this may be its only backup.

If it's removed

You can no longer restore a device from this backup, including the passwords and Health data an encrypted backup keeps. Make sure the device has a recent backup in iCloud or elsewhere before you remove it.

How it's removed

Moved to the Trash, where you can restore it.

PRO

The free analyzer finds it and explains it. Removing it is Pro, after a review sheet that lists every move and command. It's never checked for you: it waits for your choice.

Sources

Last checked on 26 Sep 2026. Every entry is written and checked by hand; the app and the command-line tool use the same words.