How to Move iPhone and iPad Backups to an External Drive?

 Do you wish to free up additional space on your Mac? Well, you can easily transfer all the backups related to your iPhone to an external drive. Transferring iPhone or iPad backup files to an external hard drive is not a complicated task, but you need to follow some workarounds if you have backed up multiple gadgets on the same Mac computer. It seems tricky to manage the disk storage on Mac even if you have the 128 GB model but here you will learn how to free up more space for other necessary tasks.

Below written are the instructions to guide those who wish to backup iPad and iPhone storage file to an external drive.

How to Locate Backup Files?

• At the start, hit the Finder directly from the dock section of your Mac.
• Then, press the option “Your Device” at the left-hand side section of the Finder Window.
• After that, tap the Manage Backups option situated in the “General” section.
• Now, choose the specific device option there.
• Next, hold the Control button and then hit the device option.
• Choose the option “Show in Finder” from the available listing.
• Now, backup files will display on your screen.

How to Move Backup Files to an External Drive?

• First of all, connect the external drive to the Mac computer if it isn’t connected already.
• Then, launch the external hard drive on your device.
• Return to the Finder window with your iOS backup files. Then, choose the folder of device backup. It may appear as Backup or having a bunch of letters and numbers.
• Now, drag the Backup to the external hard drive.
• Type the admin password if it asks for the verification process.
• Next, rename the backup folder of your iPhone or iPad that is located in the external hard drive to the folder “ios_backup.” You might be asked to input admin password once more in order to make modifications on your device. If that’s the case, then type the secure passcode into the relevant box.
• Now, rename your old backup folder into the Finder section to the folder “old_backup.”

Note: It is recommended not to remove the folder “old_backup” unless it’s necessary.

How to Create a Symlink to Inform the Mac about the New Location of all your Backups?

• First and foremost, launch the System Preferences page on your device.
• After that, hit the Privacy and Security tab there.
• Now, hit the Privacy option.
• In case you found that the screen is locked, then hit the option “Click the lock to make changes” situated at the lowermost left-hand side edge of your window, otherwise skip the next step and move forward.
• Then, type your system password and then hit the Unlock tab appears via prompt box.
• Tap the option “Full Disk Access” situated at the left-hand side edge of your window.
• Select the “+” icon to add terminals to the app’s listing with complete control over your Mac computer.
• Go to the Finder window and then enter “Terminal” into the search bar.
• Select the Terminal option from the resulting list.
• Hit the Open button.
• Now use the proper terminal coding for this to perform its work.
• Then, locate the Terminal option using the Spotlight search.
• After that, enter the following code into the asking screen:

//ln -s_Volumes_External**/ios_backup_Library_Application/

Support_Mobile_Sync_Backup-4f1234a05e6e7_ccbaddfd12345678f1234b123f//

• Then, you need to tap the Return option.
• After that, press the option “Quit” to exit from the terminal.
• Now, you will be able to view a new folder into your MobileSync Folder that is either called “Backup” or the numbers and letters series that will represent your gadget. You may say it symlink because it will have an arrow at the lowermost left-hand side edge.

Now, you have to authenticate the process just before removing your old backup file on your computer. To do so, pursue these guidelines:

• Hit the Finder tab directly from the dock section of your Mac.
• Then, hit the tab “Your Device” situated at the left-hand side section of the Finder screen.
• Now, tap on the “Back-Up Now” button located at the General tab.
• Launch the folder “ios_backup” on your external hard drive.

How to Deactivate Automatic Backup Once Connected to your Computer?

• Hit the Finder tab located on the Mac’s Dock.
• Then, tap the “your device” button situated at the left-hand side section of your Finder window.
• Tick the relevant box situated at the lowermost section just after the option “Automatically sync when this iPhone is properly connected.”

How to Restore the Backups to Your iPhone?

• Firstly, you have to connect your external drive to the Mac computer if it isn’t connected.
• Then, launch the external hard drive.
• Return to the Finder window and then reach to the device backup’s folder on your Mac where the symlink file is located that you have created recently.
• Now, drag the backup file directly from your external drive to your iPhone backup folder.
• Type the admin password to verify.
• It might take several minutes to back up all your data to your smartphone. You have to ensure you have enough space on the Mac device.
• Hit the Finder available on the Dock or application section of your Mac.
• Then, press the option “your device” situated at the left-hand side edge of the Finder window.
• After that, click the tab “Manage Backups” on the General tab to authenticate the Backup that you desire to use.
• Hit the OK button to exit from the window.
• Tap the Restore Backup option.
• Now, toggle the Backup that you desire to use in the pop-up box.
• Hit the Restore option there.

Users can move their iPhone and iPad backups to an external hard drive to free up space on Mac.Moving back up files creates extra space for various important tasks and documents on Mac.

SOURCE:- How to Move iPhone and iPad Backups to an External Drive?