Where Is iPhone Backup Stored on PC? The Simple Truth for 2026

So, you’re staring at your computer screen, wondering where on earth those gigabytes of iPhone data actually went. It’s a common frustration. You clicked "Back Up Now" in iTunes or that new Apple Devices app, watched the little progress bar crawl across the screen, and then... nothing. No folder popped up. No confirmation of where the files are sitting. Honestly, Apple doesn't make this easy to find. They sort of treat the backup like a black box—you're allowed to put things in, but they don't really want you poking around the gears.

If you’re trying to free up space or just want to make sure your photos are actually safe, knowing exactly where is iphone backup stored on pc is the first step. Here's the deal: it depends entirely on how you installed your software.

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The Quick Paths (Copy and Paste These)

Most people just want the address. No fluff. If you are on Windows 10 or Windows 11, there are two primary "neighborhoods" where your data lives.

If you used the Apple Devices app or the Microsoft Store version of iTunes:
Open your File Explorer and paste this into the address bar:
%USERPROFILE%\Apple\MobileSync\Backup

If you used the classic "Standalone" iTunes (downloaded from Apple's website):
Paste this instead:
%AppData%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup

You’ll likely see a bunch of folders with names that look like someone fell asleep on their keyboard—long strings of random letters and numbers (hexadecimal strings, technically). That's your backup. Each folder represents a different device or a different point in time.

Why Is This So Confusing?

Basically, Windows handles "App Data" differently depending on whether the program was installed as a traditional .exe file or through the Microsoft Store. Store apps are "sandboxed," meaning they have their own little protected corner of your drive. Traditional apps just dump everything into the Roaming folder.

When you find the folder, don't expect to see a folder named "My Vacation Photos." You’re going to find thousands of files with no extensions. These are SQLite databases and fragmented bits of data. Apple does this to keep the backup efficient and somewhat secure. If you try to rename these files or move them individually, you'll almost certainly break the entire backup. Seriously, don't touch the individual files inside the folders.

What about iCloud?

Kinda important to mention: if you back up to iCloud, there is no physical file on your PC. It’s all sitting on Apple's servers. You can see the size of the backup if you have the iCloud for Windows app installed, but you won't find a "Backup" folder in your File Explorer.

Moving Your Backups to Another Drive

This is the big one. iPhone backups are massive. If you have a 256GB iPhone that’s nearly full, your C: drive is going to start screaming for mercy. Since Apple doesn't give you a "Change Backup Location" button (which is honestly ridiculous in 2026), you have to use a "Symlink" or Symbolic Link.

It's basically a digital shortcut that tricks the Apple software. The app thinks it’s writing to the C: drive, but the OS is actually rerouting those files to your D: drive or an external SSD.

1. Move the current folder: Go to the paths mentioned above and Cut the Backup folder.
2. Paste it: Put it on your big external drive (e.g., D:\iPhoneBackups).
3. Command Prompt: Open CMD as an administrator.
4. Run the magic command: You’ll use mklink /J.

It looks something like this:
mklink /J "C:\Users\YourName\Apple\MobileSync\Backup" "D:\iPhoneBackups"

If you get a "Local volumes are required to complete the operation" error, it means you're trying to link to a network drive, which usually doesn't work well with this method. Stick to an internal or USB-connected drive.

Can You Actually See What's Inside?

Not easily. Since the files are encrypted (if you checked that box) or just renamed into gibberish, you can't just double-click them. If you're desperate to get a single photo or a specific text message thread out of a backup without restoring the whole phone, you'll need a third-party tool.

Experts and tech hobbyists usually point toward things like iMazing or iBackup Extractor. These programs index those weirdly named files and rebuild them into a library you can actually browse. They aren't free, usually, but they save a lot of headaches if your phone is broken and you only have the PC backup left.

Actionable Next Steps

• Check your storage: Right-click that Backup folder and hit Properties. If it's over 50GB and your C: drive is red, it's time to move it.
• Verify your path: Copy-paste the paths I gave you into the Windows Run box (Win + R). If one doesn't work, the other one will.
• Delete old ones: If you see three or four long-name folders, check the "Date Modified." You probably have backups of your old iPhone 12 or 14 still taking up space. You can delete the old ones safely through the Apple Devices app > Settings > Manage Backups.
• Update your software: In 2026, the old version of iTunes is basically a ghost. Switch to the Apple Devices and Apple Music apps for Windows; they handle the backup process much faster on modern hardware.

Keeping track of where your data lives is just good digital hygiene. Now that you've found it, maybe copy that folder to a thumb drive once in a while. Redundancy is the only way to be truly safe.