iOS Files Taking up Space on Mac

What are iOS files on Mac?

iOS files within macOS typically consist of backup data from an Apple iPhone or iPad. They’re created when we connect a device to our Mac and use the backup or restore features, which automatically save a local copy of all our data. iOS files can also include iOS firmware downloads if you’ve ever used your Mac to perform an update, which is why we sometimes find iOS system files taking up too much space on Mac.

If you inadvertently sync your iPhone or iPad while charging it from your computer, you’ll need to clean up Mac storage to remove the files and reclaim the space.

Why are iOS files taking up space on Mac?

iOS files on an Apple Mac computer take up space after syncing an iOS or iPadOS device (an iPhone or iPad). They mostly include backups of your device, but may also include iOS update files. As modern iPhone and iPad models typically contain a lot of data, backing this up to a Mac usually uses up a significant amount of storage space.

We find that almost all iPhone and iPad users have many gigabytes’ worth of photos and videos, text messages, documents and files, and app and game data, which is why we regularly see iCloud storage is full warnings.

Is it safe to remove iOS files on your Mac?

It’s usually perfectly safe to remove any iOS files taking up space on Mac. However, before you do so, we suggest ensuring that you have a recent iCloud backup of your data so that if anything happens to your iPhone or iPad, you can restore your content to a new device and you don’t lose anything. If you want to know how to delete on MacBook, it’s as easy as deleting some files via Apple’s Finder app.

A note from our experts: 

 

If you need to quickly free up space on your Mac, we recommend using MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup tool from Clario Tech. In just a few clicks, it can remove common system junk that builds up on most Macs, including unnecessary log and cache files, old Mail attachments, unused language packs, and undeleted trash that takes up gigabytes of space.

 

Here’s how to use it:

1. Download MacKeeper and install it.
2. When the app opens, select Safe Cleanup in the sidebar, then choose Start Scan.
3. Once the scan is complete, select the files you want to delete, then click Clean Junk Files.

How to find iOS files on Mac?

The best way to find iOS files on Mac is to use the Finder app, which is built into Apple’s macOS operating system, to navigate to the folder where backup data is stored. Alternatively, you can go to your iPhone or iPad in Finder after connecting the device to your computer with a USB cable, then select the Manage Backup option within the General tab. However, this only shows you backup data, not iOS firmware files.

How to delete iOS files on Mac?

We’ve found that there are three fairly simple ways to delete iOS system files taking up space on your Mac. You can either delete them from the library folder, remove them from the list of backups within Finder, or clear the data from the iOS Files category within the macOS Storage settings. On older versions of macOS, you can use the iTunes app.

Let’s take a closer look at these options:

• Remove iOS files on Mac with Library folder: Manually delete backup files from the hidden Library folder in macOS.
• Get rid of iOS files on Mac via Finder: Connect to your iPhone or iPad through Finder then remove backup files using the Manage Backups option.
• Delete iOS files on Mac with Storage settings: Use the Storage settings within Apple’s System Settings app to delete iOS files.

1. Remove iOS files on Mac with Library folder

To manually delete iOS system files taking up too much space on Mac from the Library folder, follow these steps:

1. Open the Finder app.
2. While holding down the Option key, select Go > Library in the menu bar.
3. Navigate to Application Support > MobileSync > Backup.
4. Select all files in this folder, then drag them to the Trash.
5. Right-click the Trash, then choose Empty Trash.

2. Get rid of iOS files on Mac via Finder

If you don’t like the idea of digging into the Mac’s Library folder, which is home to critical system files, you can get rid of iOS files on Mac via Finder instead. Try this:

1. Connect your iPhone or iPad to your Mac, then in Finder, select your device in the sidebar.
2. Under the General tab, click the Manage Backups button.
3. Select a backup, then choose Delete Backup.
4. Click Delete again when prompted to remove the backup from your Mac.

3. Delete iOS files on Mac with Storage settings

Our favorite way to delete iOS backup files on Mac, since it’s perhaps the easiest method, is to remove them from within System Settings. Here’s how:

1. Open the System Settings app, then go to General > Storage.
2. Click the i button next to iOS Files.
3. Select files you want to get rid of, then click Delete.
4. Click Delete again when prompted to confirm.

Within the Storage screen, you’ll also notice the System Data item, which takes up a lot of space. You might be wondering, what is system data on Mac, and can you delete it? Unfortunately, the answer is no as this contains the macOS operating system itself.

Conclusion

When you find that iOS files are taking up too much space on your Mac, you can easily delete them. The three most effective methods are to remove them from within the macOS Library folder, to delete them via Finder after connecting your iPhone or iPad, or to remove them using the System Settings app.

Another excellent way to quickly free up space on Mac is to remove all system junk and unnecessary files using MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup utility. Developed by Clario Tech, it scans your system for Mail attachments, log and cache files, additional language packs, and undeleted Trash files that can all be removed in just a few clicks. Try it out today and see how much space you can free up.