How to Delete iTunes Backup on Windows or Mac?

“How do I delete iTunes backups from my computer?”

Well, deleting backups with not the right tool can cause damage to your precious files. Thus, you must know how to delete iTunes backup the right way. In this article, we will focus on the steps that you must take before and after deleting iTunes backup from your Mac or Windows device.

Backups are an eternal part of your digital life. However, many-a-time you may need to delete iTunes backup when you are selling or switching your old device. We’ll explain two main parts of deleting iTunes backups. It's safe and won't affect your files at all. Remember, the backup is just a copy of your current data that you want to delete, provided you have taken some essential previous steps as defined below.

Part 1: Before deleting iTunes backups: Backup iOS devices to a computer

Before you decide to delete iTunes backup, let’s take a look at how you can backup essential information to Mac or Windows PC. So, if you don’t know how to do it, simply follow the steps given below. You may commonly know two options of creating backups i.e., iTunes and iCloud. Both of the options, although free to use, follow a lengthy process entirely. Also, there is a limitation on the storage aspect, after which you have to pay for their services.

Therefore, we resort to using a quick and efficient alternative for doing such tasks. The platform named MobileTrans – Backup&Restore is a reliable software for backup and restoration of essential data.

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It is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems. The software can back up many files at a time when required in just one tap.

Steps to backup iOS devices to the computer via MobileTrans – Backup

Step 1: Connect iOS to computer

The first step requires you to connect any of your iOS devices to the computer system. Choose the Backup & Restore module after opening the software.

Step 2: Select files to backup

Go to Phone Backup & Restore, then choose to backup your phone data. All the supported files that you can select for backup would be detected automatically. Now, you need to choose the data for backup and then simply tap the Start button.

Given below are supported files for all iOS devices.

Step 3: Complete Backup

Just keep your iOS device connected to the computer and let the backup complete. Check out the progress in the window and disconnect after the backup is 100% complete.

Part 2: How to delete iTunes backup on Windows PC

To avoid any sort of mishap, keep in mind the following points.

• • Both iTunes and Finder create backups in the Backup folder. Its location varies based upon different operating systems. You can copy the folder but you should not move it to a separate folder, network drive, or external drive.
• • If you ever rename, relocate, extract, or edit any content from backup files, it can cause damage to such data. Even though the backup is a safe copy, but its contents are not readable when they get stored.

If you want to delete iTunes backup on Windows, locate it as follows.

• • Find the Search bar and click the Start button in Windows 7. Tap the magnifying glass in the upper-right corner if you have a Windows 8 operating system. On the other hand, simply tap the Search bar in Windows 10.
• • Enter %USERPROFILE% or %appdata% in the search bar
• • Click the Return tab.
• • Double click folders as: Apple Computer or Apple> MobileSync> Backup.

Deleting iTunes backups in Windows is comparatively easy than Mac operating system. You can either delete them directly or via finding an Application folder as defined below.

Know how to delete iTunes backup on PC directly.

Open iTunes on the computer and select Edit> Preferences. Go to the Devices tab and select the backup files that you want to delete. Confirm to Delete Backup.

If you want, you can copy the whole backup folder to any network or external drive before deleting.

Know how to delete iTunes backup on PC from the Application folder.

Go to the Application folder in Windows. The task could be a little complicated to find it. You can also follow this process: users> username> AppData> Roaming> Apple Computer> MobileSync> Backup.

After you find backup files, follow the same procedure as above, and confirm Delete Backup.

Part 3: How to delete iTunes backup on Mac

Almost two scenarios arise when you want to delete iTunes backup from Mac. The first option is when you have a Mac operating system Mojave or any earlier version. And the second option when you have a Mac operating system Catalina.

Know how to delete iTunes backup on Mac OS Catalina with the following steps.

• • Tap on the Finder icon in the dock.
• • Select either iPad or iPhone in the sidebar.

• • Go to Manage Backups.
• • Now, select the backup folder or file that you want to delete.

• • Confirm Delete Backup.

Know how to delete iTunes backup on Mac OS Mojave or earlier versions with the following steps.

• • Go to Applications Folder or Dock and open iTunes.

• • Then, select the Preferences> Devices tab.

• • Confirm Delete Backup, as shown in the figure given below.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you got the concept of how to delete iTunes backup. See, deleting backups can also lead to harmful situations. So, we always recommend you having its copy either in any network drive or external drive. In this way, you will get both the advantages of saving storage space as well as keeping the safe copy of backup yourself. However, it doesn’t mean that deleting iTunes backups are destructive. It's just that you need to be on the safe side.

But, before you do such a task, remember to know how you can create that backup. It would be highly useful in various cases. Creating a backup with iTunes or iCloud is kind of blurred when we see the performance and growth of its alternatives. Therefore, we chose MobileTrans – Phone to Phone Transfer as one of the trustworthy software by which you can create both backup and restore essential data in Mac or Windows PC.

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Axel Nash

staff Editor