Is your Mac running out of space when you try to back up your iPhone? While Apple doesn’t make it obvious, you can actually use an external hard drive for this task.
Don’t worry if you’re not sure how to do it—this guide is here to help.
You’ll learn how to back up your iPhone data to an external hard drive if you’re using iOS 13 and macOS Catalina or later versions.
This process might seem a bit tricky at first, but with these step-by-step instructions, you’ll be able to free up space on your Mac and keep your iPhone data safe.
How to Find Your Current Backup on MacOS
Finding your iPhone backup on your Mac is simpler than you might think. Here’s how you can do it:
- Connect Your iPhone. First, use a USB cable to connect your iPhone to your Mac. This will make your device visible in the Finder.
- Locate Your iPhone. Open Finder on your Mac and look for your iPhone under the “Locations” section.
- Note for Older macOS Users. If you’re using a macOS version older than Catalina, you’ll need to use iTunes instead of Finder to locate your iPhone.
- View Your Backups. Click on “Manage Backups” to see a list of all your existing backups.
- Find a Specific Backup. To locate a particular backup, hold down the “Control” key and click on the backup you’re interested in. This could be labeled simply as “Backup” or might be a string of letters and numbers.
- Reveal the Backup Location. From the menu that appears, choose “Show in Finder“. This will show you exactly where the backup is stored on your Mac.
You’ve now found where your iPhone backup is stored on your Mac. This information will be useful for the next steps in backing up to an external hard drive.
How to Move Your iPhone Backup to an External Hard Drive
Now that you’ve found your iPhone backup, let’s move it to your external hard drive. Don’t worry, it’s easier than you might think!
- Connect Your External Hard Drive. Start by connecting your external hard drive to your Mac.
- Locate Your Backup. Open the Finder window where you found your iOS backup earlier. Look for a folder named “Backup” or one with a series of numbers and letters.
- Transfer the Backup. Simply “drag” this folder and “drop” it onto your external hard drive in the “Locations” section of the Finder sidebar.
- Enter Your Password You might need to enter your “administrator password” to allow this move. This is just a security measure to protect your data.
- Rename the Backup on Your External Drive. After the transfer is complete, rename the folder on your external drive to “ios_backup”. This will help you easily identify it later.
- Rename the Original Backup. Go back to the original location on your Mac and rename the old backup folder to “old_backup”.
If you’re not comfortable using the Mac Terminal, you can stop here. Just repeat these steps whenever you want to back up your iPhone to the external drive.
It’s a straightforward way to keep your data safe and manage your backups easily!
Can You Change Where Your Mac Saves iPhone Backups?
Have you ever wondered if you can change where your Mac stores your iPhone backups? Good news – you can! This guide will walk you through the process. Keep in mind, though, that you’ll be using the Terminal command, which is a powerful but not always user-friendly tool.
Safety First: Before you start, it’s wise to create a full system backup using Time Machine. This way, if anything goes wrong, you can easily restore your original settings.
#1 Creating a Permanent Solution
The most challenging part of this process is setting up a symlink. This is essentially a shortcut that tells your Mac to use your external hard drive for iPhone backups. While not absolutely necessary (you can always move backups manually), a symlink makes the process automatic and hassle-free. This means you won’t have to worry about running out of space on your Mac’s internal drive!
#2 Adjusting Mac Permissions
Before changing the backup location, you need to update your Mac’s permissions. Here’s how:
- Access System Preferences: Click the Apple icon and select “System Preferences”.
- Navigate to Security Settings: Go to “Security & Privacy”, then click on “Privacy”.
- Unlock Changes: Click the lock icon to make changes and enter your admin password.
- Allow Full Disk Access: Select “Full Disk Access”, click the plus (+) sign, scroll through the applications, and select “Terminal”.
By carefully following these steps, you can safely change where your Mac saves iPhone backups. This not only keeps your system organized but also frees up valuable space on your Mac!
How To Change iPhone Backup Locations
Great job on setting up the permissions! Now, let’s move on to actually changing the iPhone backup location on your Mac. This involves creating a symlink, which is essentially a shortcut that directs your backups to a new location on an external hard drive.
- Open Terminal: You can find it in your Applications folder under Utilities, or you can search for it using Spotlight.
- Enter the Command: Copy and paste the following code into the Terminal. Remember to replace
yourexternalharddrivenamewith the actual name of your external hard drive:ln -s /Volumes/yourexternalharddrivename/ios_backup ~/Library/Application\ Support/MobileSync/Backup/ - Execute the Command: Press Return to run the command.
- Close Terminal: You’re all done here. Simply close the Terminal window.
What Just Happened? You’ve successfully created a symlink. This means that from now on, your Mac will save all iPhone backups to the external hard drive, specifically in the folder you designated (“ios_backup”).
This setup not only frees up space on your internal drive but also makes backing up your iPhone more straightforward.
How to Verify Your New iPhone Backup Location
Want to make sure your new backup setup is working? Here’s a quick way to check:
- Start a new backup: Connect your iPhone to your Mac, find it in Finder, and click “Back Up Now”.
- Check your external drive: After the backup finishes, open the “ios_backup” folder on your external drive.
- Look at the date: If the “Date Modified” of the backup folder matches the current date and time, you’re all set!
This simple check confirms that your backups are now saving to your external drive, freeing up space on your Mac.
How to Turn Off Automatic iPhone Backups
If you want to control when your iPhone backs up, especially when using an external drive, here’s how to disable automatic backups:
- Open Finder and select your iPhone under “Locations“.
- Uncheck “Automatically sync when this iPhone is connected“.
You’ll need to back up manually from now on. Make it a habit to protect your data regularly.
This gives you more control over your backups, letting you choose when to save your iPhone data.
Wrapping Up
Great job on mastering your iPhone backups! You’ve learned how to find your existing backup, move it to an external drive, change the default location, and manage automatic backups. These skills will help you save space on your Mac and keep your data organized.
Remember, backing up to an external drive is handy, but it’s crucial to do it regularly. Always make sure your drive is connected when needed and verify that your backups are successful. Your data is precious, so keep it safe!
With these new skills, you’re now a pro at managing your iPhone backups. Your Mac will thank you for the extra space, and you’ll have peace of mind knowing your data is secure.
We’d love to hear from you! Have you tried these methods? How did they work for you? Do you have any tips or tricks to share? Drop a comment below and let us know about your backup experience!
FAQ
How can I find the current location of my iPhone backup on a Mac?
To find your iPhone backup on a Mac, connect your iPhone via USB, and use Finder (or iTunes for older macOS versions) to locate your device. Then, navigate to Manage Backups and select Show in Finder from the context menu.
Is it possible to back up my iPhone to an external hard drive using a Mac?
Yes, it’s possible to back up your iPhone to an external hard drive on a Mac. You’ll need to manually move the backup folder from your Mac to the external drive, or set up a symlink to automate the process using Terminal commands.
What is a symlink and how does it help in backing up iPhones to an external hard drive?
A symlink, or symbolic link, is essentially a shortcut that points to a directory on a different storage device. Creating a symlink for iPhone backups tells your Mac to save future backups to an external hard drive, thus freeing up space on your internal drive.
How do I ensure that my new iPhone backup location is working correctly?
After changing your backup location, perform a backup by selecting Back Up Now in Finder. Then, verify the backup by checking that the Date Modified in the new location reflects the current date and time.
What are the steps to disable automatic backups of my iPhone on a Mac?
To disable automatic backups, open Finder, select your iPhone under Locations, and uncheck the Automatically sync when this iPhone is connected option. Remember to manually initiate backups regularly to protect your data.
What should I do before changing the backup location of my iPhone on a Mac?
Before changing the backup location, it’s recommended to back up your system using Time Machine. This precaution allows you to restore your settings if something goes wrong during the process of changing the backup location.
