iTunes may be a little nerve racking when it comes to finding and managing your backups. One of the best features of iTunes is being able to retrieve all of your data if for any reason(s) your iOS device were to malfunction. In the event of you having to restore your device after a malfunction, having an iTunes backup will feel like a cool breeze on a hot summer day with no shade within miles. You may also delete backups that are no longer needed to free up space off your device in the event you need too. With a little practice backing up your device via iTunes, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing your information is in a viewable location.
All your iTunes backups are saved to your User folder within your device. The main backup location of your backup folder varies depending on your operating system, and this location can’t be changed. No worries because you may want to have extra copies of your iTunes backups elsewhere. All you have to do is copy the backup folders to another location, external drive or even an network storage location. Now let’s get down to business of locating a specific backup. The following steps will navigate you to your specific backups within your Mac:
- Open iTunes
- Go to the iTunes menu (next to the Apple in the left upper corner)
- Click on Preferences > Devices
- Locate the backup you would like to view
- Right (or Control) click on this backup
- Select “Show in Finder” from the drop down box
Don’t have an Apple product with iTunes? No problem! Navigating the Windows seas a little will have you to your backups in no time.
Windows Vista and Newer Operating Systems
- In Windows Vista or Windows 7: Click Start; In Windows 8: Click the magnifying glass in the upper-right corner.
- In the search bar, type: appdata and press return
- Double-click on these folders: Apple Computer > MobileSync > Backup.
Windows XP Operating System
- Click Start, then choose Run
- In the search bar, type: appdata
- Click OK
- Then double-click these folders: Apple Computer > MobileSync > Backup.
Rest assured that in no time you’ll be the master of your iTunes Backups.