How to Erase iPhone Backups on Mac? Absolute Guide

Summary: Backing up the iPhone to your mac is crucial to protect your data. Like, old backups can pile up and take a lot of your storage. If you are running low on storage, deleting old backups can help your system perform significantly. So, in this guide we will know the reasons to erase backups and how to erase iPhone backups on Mac manually.

Reasons to Delete iPhone Backups

There are several reasons why you want to erase your iPhone backups from the Mac. Follow the steps given below:

• It frees up your space by deleting old iPhone backups from your Mac system.
• Removes outdated backups to create space for new ones.
• Cleans up your storage by removing unnecessary backups from your environment.
• Fix backup errors by deleting corrupt or incomplete files.

How to Erase iPhone Backups on Mac – Manual methods

There are various methods on how to delete iPhone backup on MacBook. The steps are listed below:

Delete iPhone Backup Using Finder (MacOS Catalina and Later Versions) 

From macOS Catalina and later versions, Apple replaced iTunes with separated apps. iPhone syncing is now handled by Finder for device management.

1. Firstly, open Finder on your Mac.

2. Connect your iPhone via USB cable.

3. In the Finder sidebar, select your iPhone under “Locations”.

4. Under the General Tab, click on “Manage Backups”.

5. Now, select the backups which you want to delete from the list.

6. Click on “Delete Backup” and confirm with OK.

7. Now, your iPhone backup is successfully deleted. You can follow the same steps to erase old backups with time.

How to Erase iPhone Backups on Mac – Storage Management

In macOS Mojave, a new storage management tool shows iOS backups. Before, you had to find them manually in a Finder folder.

1. Firstly, click the Apple icon in the menu bar and select “About This Mac”.

2. Then, go to the “Storage Tab” and click “Manage” button.

3. Next, in the storage Management window, select iOS Files from the sidebar.

4. Moreover, you need to find the iOS backup which you want to delete.

5. Right click on it and choose “Delete”.

6. Click on the Delete button again in order to confirm your files.

7. Hence, your iOS backup which you have confirmed is successfully deleted. You can repeat the same process to delete your additional backups.

How to Delete iPhone Backups on MacBook – Using iTunes

Don’t worry, if you are using macOS Mojave or earlier versions. You can still delete your backups through iTunes:

• Firstly, open iTunes on your Mac environment.
• View to the iTunes menu and select the Preferences option.
• In the Devices Tab, find your backup.
• Select the Backup which you want to delete.
• Then, click on Delete Backup.
• Now, confirm with OK.

How to Erase iPhone Backups on Mac – Via System Settings

There is a way that you can access and delete your backup manually from the storage:

1. Open the Finder app and click on “Go” in the Top menu section.

2. Then, you need to select “Go to Folder” option and enter the path:

>> /Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/ <<< 

3. Find the folders with long alphanumeric names.

4. Right click on the backup which you want to delete and select “Move to Trash”.

5. Now, empty the trash to permanently remove backup from your Mac.

How to Erase iPhone Backups on Mac – Smart Solution

To protect your privacy and secure your data, it is crucial to delete iPhone backups on Mac. simply deleting them will not be enough to prevent recovery, so you need a reliable solution for complete wipe which is SysTools Data Erasure Software. This tool permanently erases all data from the Mac, including iPhone Backups, making it unrecoverable. Unlike manual deletion, it ensures no recovery software can retrieve the data. Also, it has compliance with more than 20+ global standards including US DoD 5220.22-M, NIST 800-88 Standards and many more.

 

Here are the steps given below to use this tool for deleting the iPhone backup on Mac:

Step 1. Firstly, Open and launch the tool on your Mac environment.

Step 2. After that, click on the Select File button in order to add the wipe file to the software.

Step 3. Then, you need to Browse to the source where the iPhone Backup is stored.

Step 4. Next, you need to click on the open button to add your file in the software.

Step 5. Now, click on the Next button to initiate your file for the scanning process.

Step 6. Once the scanning is complete, you can Select a data wipe method.

Methods with fewer passes take less time, while those with more passes take longer. Select the option which best fits according to your needs.

Step 7. After selecting the wipe method, click on “Wipe”.

Step 8. The folder will be permanently deleted. Click Yes to Proceed.

Note: This action cannot be undone.

Step 9. Click “OK” on the pop-up confirming the successful wipe process.

Conclusion

In this write-up, we have discussed how to erase iPhone backups on Mac using easy manual and automated steps. As, you can remove old backups using Finder, iTunes, or by manually accessing the backup folders. If you regularly manage your backup, it will keep your mac system organized and run smoothly.