How to Change iTunes Backup Location Easily

You have probably noticed that sinking feeling when iTunes or Finder tells you there is not enough space to back up your iPhone. It is a frustrating moment, especially when you know your internal drive is nearly full. Learning how to change iTunes backup location is the single best fix for this problem, and it does not require any special software.

Our research shows that a single iPhone backup can consume between 15 and 60 GB of space. Apple's default backup path on both Windows and macOS sits squarely on your system drive. As of 2026, many users still lose precious gigabytes because they never realize the backup location is adjustable.

Let us walk through the process so you can reclaim that space.

Why Your Internal Drive Is Screaming for Space

The default backup location is buried inside your user folder. On Windows, it lives at %APPDATA%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\. On macOS, it sits at ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/.

Both paths are on your primary drive.

If you own a laptop with a 256 GB SSD, a single backup eats up a significant chunk. Now imagine you back up three devices. You have just lost 60 to 180 GB to a folder you never see.

Most users only discover this when they hit the dreaded "iPhone backup could not be saved" error.

The real problem is that Apple does not offer a simple dropdown menu to change the location. There is no setting inside iTunes or Finder that says "choose backup folder." That is why the workaround exists.

Your system drive is also the fastest part of your computer. That is by design. But using it for bloated backup files is wasteful.

An external SSD or a secondary internal drive is perfectly capable of storing these backups. The tradeoff is speed, and in practice, the difference is negligible.

The Short Answer: Symlinks and Junctions Are Your Friends

The trick is to create a symbolic link or a directory junction. These are special file system objects that point to another folder. When iTunes or Finder saves a backup, it writes to the old path.

The system then redirects that writing to your new location.

On Windows, you use a junction via the mklink command. On macOS, you use a symbolic link via the ln -s command. Both are free and built into the operating system.

The process works like this. You move the backup folder to the new drive. You delete the original folder.

Then you create a link that points back to the new location. The computer and iTunes never know the difference.

The Anatomy of an iOS Backup

Before you start moving files, it helps to understand what you are dealing with. An iOS backup is not a single file. It is a folder containing several files and subfolders.

The main components are the Manifest.db file, the Info.plist file, and a series of folders containing raw device data. The Manifest.db is a SQLite database that tracks every file in the backup. The Info.plist holds metadata about the device and the backup settings.

If you have enabled encrypted backups, the data is scrambled. That is good for security, but it means you cannot browse the backup contents even after moving it.

The size of a backup depends on how much data is on your device. Photos, messages, and app data are the biggest contributors. A typical backup for a 128 GB iPhone with 60 GB of used space will be around 20 to 30 GB.

Windows or Mac: The Decision Tree

Your operating system determines the exact commands you need to run. The logic is straightforward, but you must follow the right branch.

If you are on Windows, you use a junction. A junction is a type of reparse point that works specifically with local folders. It is the safest option because it avoids some of the quirks that symbolic links have on Windows.

If you are on macOS, you use a symbolic link. This works for both iTunes and Finder. The command is identical regardless of your macOS version.

The key difference is that on macOS you run the command in Terminal. On Windows, you open Command Prompt as Administrator. Both require you to know the exact paths to the old and new locations.

How to Actually Move the Backup Folder

Here is the step-by-step process for both Windows and macOS. Follow these steps carefully.

Step 1: Locate the Current Backup Folder

On Windows, press Win + R, type %APPDATA%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\, and hit Enter. That opens the backup folder directly.

On macOS, open Finder. Click Go in the menu bar, then Go to Folder. Type ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/ and press Enter.

Step 2: Quit iTunes or Finder

Close iTunes or Finder completely. If the backup folder is open, close that window too. The system needs no locks on the folder.

Step 3: Copy the Backup Folder to the New Location

Connect your external drive. Create a new folder called iOS Backups or something similar. Copy the entire Backup folder from its original location to the new drive.

This step takes time. A 30 GB backup can take 10 to 15 minutes to copy over USB 3.0. Do not interrupt the process.

Step 4: Rename the Original Backup Folder

After copying, go back to the original location. Rename the Backup folder to Backup.old. This is a safety measure.

If something goes wrong, you can revert by deleting the link and renaming this folder back.

Step 5: Create the Link

On Windows:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator. Run this command, replacing the paths with your own.

mklink /J "C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup" "D:\iOS Backups\Backup"

On macOS:

Open Terminal. Run this command.

ln -s /Volumes/ExternalDrive/iOS\ Backups/Backup ~/Library/Application\ Support/MobileSync/Backup

Step 6: Test the Link

Open iTunes or Finder. Connect your iPhone. Run a backup.

It should complete without errors. To verify the new location is being used, check the modification date of the files on the external drive.

Step 7: Delete the Old Backup Folder

Once you confirm the backup worked, you can delete the Backup.old folder from the original location. That frees up the space immediately.

A quick note on safety. If you are using a tool for complex automation, you might find it useful to compare workflows. For example, if you are already familiar with using AI for step-by-step guides, the same logic applies to system administration tasks.

You can even use a structured approach to document your own processes.

Common Backup Blunders (And How to Fix Them)

Moving your backup folder sounds simple. But a few small mistakes can cause big headaches. Here are the most common problems and how to solve them.

"Access Denied" error on Windows

This happens when you run Command Prompt without administrator privileges. Right click Command Prompt and select "Run as administrator." The mklink command requires elevated permissions. Without them, the junction fails silently.

Symbolic link not working on macOS

macOS has a security feature called System Integrity Protection (SIP). It can block symbolic links in certain system folders. The ~/Library folder is usually fine.

But if you get a "Permission denied" error, you may need to temporarily disable SIP through recovery mode. Most users never need to do this.

The backup folder disappears after moving

If you delete the original folder before creating the link, iTunes or Finder cannot find the backup path. Always rename the folder to Backup.old first. Create the link.

Test the backup. Then delete the old folder.

The external drive is not recognized

Some external drives use the exFAT or FAT32 file system. These formats do not support symbolic links or junctions. The drive must be formatted as NTFS (Windows) or APFS (macOS).

If you are unsure, check the drive properties in your operating system.

The backup fails with "corrupted data"

This usually means the link points to the wrong folder. Run the dir command (Windows) or ls -la (macOS) to verify the link target. The output should show the arrow pointing to your external drive path.

Multiple backups using the same external drive

If you back up multiple iPhones, the backup folder contains subfolders for each device. Each subfolder is named with a unique identifier. You can safely move the entire Backup folder to the external drive.

All device backups will redirect together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will moving the backup location affect iCloud backups?

No. This change only affects local backups stored on your computer. iCloud backups are stored on Apple's servers and are completely separate. You can use both methods simultaneously.

Can I use a network drive or NAS for backups?

Apple does not officially support network drives for iOS backups. The backup process requires direct disk access. Using a NAS can cause timeouts and corruption.

Stick to a locally attached drive.

How do I undo the changes and restore the original location?

Delete the symbolic link or junction. Then move the backup folder back to the original path. You can also rename Backup.old back to Backup if you kept it.

The original location is restored immediately.

Does this work with encrypted backups?

Yes. Encrypted backups use the same folder structure. The encryption happens at the file level.

Moving the folder does not affect the encryption. Your backup remains secure.

What happens if I disconnect the external drive?

If you disconnect the drive while iTunes or Finder is open, the backup will fail. You will see a "Backup could not be saved" error. Reconnect the drive and try again.

The backup resumes from where it left off.

How often should I check the backup location?

Check it once after the initial setup to confirm the link works. After that, the system handles everything automatically. You only need to check again if you change drives or reinstall your operating system.