How to Backup iPhone to An External Hard Drive in 2024

Backup is something that’s been hammered on us for too long, yet we miss it often & regret later on. Sometimes, it feels like someone is poking us so hard and it results in us starting to ignore the fact. Now all know how extremely important the data is in today’s world and why we must keep it safe (in case of malware attacks, system failure, & etc.).

Additionally, it’s always easy to backup small files because they don’t take too much space. But when it comes to large files like whole cell phones or other device backup, you need to start thinking about a larger size storage device. Because let’s just be honest that having a small storage device isn’t going to be helpful when you are trying to backup heavy data in one go.

Backup iPhone to External Hard Drive in 2024

Talking about heavy data backup, situations appear when you need to create a backup of iPhone to external hard drive. Reasons can vary from user to user but the ultimate goal is to save the files as a backup in a safe place.

Plus, we all know about the backup saving platforms like iCloud but they also come with limitations. You can only store a limited amount of data on the iCloud (for FREE) & if you wish to get more, you have to loosen up your pocket.

And eventually we end up looking for the external storage devices to save the data. This is why, here we will talk about how to backup iPhone to external hard drive:

There are a few prerequisites that you need to keep checked before starting iPhone backup process:

1. Both iPhone & external hard drive need to be connected to the Mac

2. Get an external hard drive with a good amount of storage space

3. Format it completely & create a new folder (easy to remember name, like iPhone Backup)

Considering that the above prerequisites have been met successfully, let’s start by using the easiest method possible:

Method 1: Backup iPhone Data to External Hard Drive Folder

1. You need to start with closing off the iTunes & launch Finder on your mac.

2. Post launching Finder, give your system command for cmd + shift + G where you need to put in the path as mentioned below:

~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/

3. After typing in the above path, a window will open up & you will have to tap on the Backup folder to copy the same.

4. Navigate yourself to the external drive’s new folder that you created & paste the copied Backup folder here.

Obviously, it would be a time consuming process because you are directly copying a large amount of data. But hey, the more important thing is that your work is getting done. You have successfully been able to backup iPhone data without any hassle.

Now that the iPhone backup data transfer has been completed, you can either rename the original files (that you backed up) in the Finder. Or simply delete it from the system as you have the backup with you now.

Do I Have to Do This After Every Backup Creation?

Since you are pretty much sure that your iPhone backup data has been stored on an external hard drive, it’s a sign of relief. But, do I have to do this after every backup is being created? Because that would be a hell of a task plus the time-consumption factor will also play a big role. In this tech era, where almost everything is being done automatically, is there any way to store the iPhone backup on a hard drive through some other way?

Yeah!! There is a solution to this problem where you can get rid of manually copying the backup files and pasting on external hard drives. The solution you are looking for is, iTunes and in the below section, we will talk about commanding iTunes to help users backup iPhone to the external hard drive location. All that’s required is that your external hard drive must be connected to the mac while going through the iPhone backup process. So let’s start the process of how to backup your iPhone to an external hard drive through iTunes:

1. You need to start with navigating yourself to the Terminal on your mac.

2. Once launched successfully, type in the below path & hit ENTER

ln -s /Volumes/ExternalHD/iPhoneBackup/Backup/ ~/Library/Application\ Support/MobileSync/Backup

Please know that there are a few changes that need to be made from your end in the above command. For example, instead of ExternalHD, you need to replace it with the external hard drive name. Also, replace iPhone Backup with the name of the folder you used on your external hard drive.

3. That’s all you need to do and from now on, your iPhone backup data will be stored under the specific file folder on the external drive. You just have to make sure that while preparing the iTunes backup, the hard drive is properly connected to the system.

After going through every step mentioned above that involves accessing Terminal, test if you were successfully able to create iPhone backup to the external hard drive. Once verified, you can go ahead with deleting the old iPhone backup file on your mac. Simple!!

Wrapping Up

Data has never been an important asset as it is in today’s world and what if you lose all the precious data over your laziness? Because you weren’t ready to create the backup whenever required and meanwhile, your system went through an irreparable loss. That is why creating backup is very important & here we have explained how to backup your iPhone to an external hard drive. Doing so will keep the system storage space to minimal use as once in a while, you need to create an iPhone backup to keep the data safe & secure.

So explore the above ways to successfully backup iPhone data on an external hard drive and never worry about losing your data.

Recommended Readings:

How to Fix Slow External Drive in Windows 10

Delete Backup Files in Windows 10

How To Delete iPhone Backups On Mac

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