How to Backup iPhone to External Hard Drive on a MAC

Regardless of the operating system, it’s essential to safeguard your smartphone’s data through regular backups. Losing essential photos, contacts, and messages to theft, damage, or software issues is disastrous. Relying solely on iCloud or iTunes may require more backup Control and additional paid storage, as iCloud offers only a tiny amount of free storage.

Redirecting iPhone backups to an external hard drive is a sensible alternative, offering better storage, faster transfers, and enhanced security. If you do not know how to backup iPhone to external hard drive with different methods, then let’s start exploring.

First, if you want to backup iPhone to external drive, you need to know where the current backups on your MAC are.

1. Select Finder from the Dock on your Mac. 

2. Under the ‘Location’ section, click on your iPhone. 

3. Click ‘Manage Backups’ and hold the control key. 

4. Click the backup you want and choose ‘Show in Finder’ from the dropdown. 

You know how to backup iPhone on Mac. However, you can also transfer your backup data to external storage for iPhone using the Terminal by creating a symlink. A symlink is a file that the operating system uses as a path to another file or folder. 

Symlink allows you to change your default location to store backups. You can create a symlink as follows.

1. Launch your Terminal.

2. Paste the command: ln -s/Volumes/name-of-your-external-drive/ios_backup/~/Library/Application Support /MobileSync/Backup/name-of-your-backup-folder

3. Hit enter.

The ‘ln -s’ argument is to create a symlink. The ‘ios_backup’ is the folder on your external hard drive (you can change the name), and ~ is to return to the root directory. The words are case sensitive, and if the command does not work, put a backslash between names with more words like ‘Application\ Support’.

Before we see how to transfer photos from an iPhone to a hard drive or shift the whole backup to an external hard drive, let’s discuss why we should use one.

iCloud offers a limited storage plan: 5 GB for free. However, you may need more than 5GB and must pay charges to increase the storage capacity.

On the other hand, with iTunes, you can create a backup of your whole iPhone and store it locally. Then why transfer iPhone photos to external hard drive or move the entire backup there? What if your Mac’s hard drive crashes or becomes dysfunctional? That is why you should have a decent external hard drive for your iPhone.

To Backup iPhone to External hard drive on your Mac, you need to follow these steps:

Step 1 – Create an iPhone Backup on Your Mac Device

To backup your iPhone storage to an external hard drive through your Mac, do the following:

1. On the Finder menu, go to your iPhone storage’s name, click on Manage Backups

2. Press control and click on the backup you have made. Once you have done so, click on Show In Finder.

3. Long-press control, click on the backup folder; click on Copy after that.

4. Select your external hard drive on the left pane and click on Paste.

This will successfully transfer your backup to your external hard drive. Now, it is easier to retrieve data if your iPhone experiences a failure or you upgrade to a newer model.

iTunes creates and stores iPhone data locally on the Mac. Let’s explore if you do not know how to do iPhone backup with iTunes.

1. On your Mac computer, open iTunes (also connect your iPhone to your external hard drive via USB)

2. Click on your iPhone storage in the bottom left corner of the Devices section.

3. On the backups section, tick Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac

4. Click on Back Up Now

5. After the Backup is Finished, go to iTunes > Preferences

6. Click on Devices and find your backup

7. Long press control and click on your backup, click on Show In Finder

8. Copy your backup

9. Go to your external hard drive and paste the backup folder there.

1. Connect your iPhone and external hard drive to your PC

2. Open iTunes

3. Click on the Device icon on the top of iTunes

4. Under Automatically Back Up, select This computer.

5. Click on Back Up Now

6. Type %appdata%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup on the File Explorer to quickly find your backup.

7. Locate your backup and copy it

8. Go to your external hard drive folder and paste your copied folder there.

Above is another method to Backup iPhone to external hard drive using Windows.

Previously, we saw how to create a symlink on Mac. Let’s learn how to make a symlink on a Windows-based system. Carefully follow the steps below:

1. Open your iPhone backup folder using Windows File Explorer by typing %appdata%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup.

2. To change the location of the backup folder, you will have to delete, either rename or move the current backup folder; once you have done any of these, proceed.

3. On the MobileSync folder, hold shift and right-click; you will either see the Open command window or the Open PowerShell window.

4. Once you have clicked that, type the command “mklink /d Backup “[desired-new-backup-path]“.

5. Press Enter. Your iPhone will create a symlink and change the backup folder location.

Now you know the methods to backup to external hard drive, but how can you be sure that the backup was successful? After you backup iPhone to MAC, it is essential to verify the operation.

If you use the Symlink method, a folder named ‘ios_backup’ will be created. Check the modified date. For backups to be successful, it must match the date of your recent activity.

• Check the Cables: Ensure the iPhone and your external hard drive are properly connected to your Mac.

• Restart Your Devices: If you have weak connection issues, it is advisable to reboot your Mac and your iPhone.

• Free Up Space: Bring the external hard disk to the optimum state as you remove unnecessary files or apps.

• Use a Larger Drive: People who, for example, have an entire current drive can use a larger one.

• Force-quit iTunes: Open the task manager or the force quit menu, close iTunes, and reopen it.

• Retry the Backup: It is possible to back up your iPhone again.

• Contact Apple Support: If the problem continues, contact Apple support for any additional help that might be needed.

• Use Reliable Software: Try Disk Drill or EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard as the tools that can help you with data recovery.

• Follow Instructions: Enter the application’s guidelines to begin a search for the lost files on an external hard drive.

• Check Backup History: Look for earlier backups in your iCloud or iTunes backup history.

• Restore from a Previous Backup: If you find a suitable backup, restore your iPhone.

• Seek Expert Help: Contact Apple support for expert advice and assistance in recovering lost data.

• Configure Time Machine: Set up Time Machine to automatically back up your Mac, including your iPhone backups.

• Schedule Backups: Schedule automatic backups to minimise manual intervention.

• Manual Scheduling: Use iTunes to schedule backups at specific intervals manually.

• Set Reminders: Use a calendar app or set reminders to trigger backups.

• Explore Options: Consider third-party backup software like iMazing or PhoneRescue.

• Advanced Features: These tools often offer advanced automation features and customisation options.

• Choose a High-Speed Drive: Opt for a fast external hard drive with a USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt interface.

• Close Unnecessary Apps: Close unnecessary apps and processes on your Mac during the backup process.

• Update Software: Keep your iPhone’s software up-to-date.

• Free Up Storage: Delete unnecessary files and apps to free up storage space.

• Use Wi-Fi: If possible, use a stable Wi-Fi connection for faster backup speeds.

Following these tips ensures your iPhone backups are reliable, efficient, and secure.

Applying the instructions in this guide, everyone can copy iPhone data to an external hard drive and keep it safe. It is really important to back up your device at least once a week to prevent any data loss that could happen by accident, due to software failure, or if your device is stolen.

iCloud is another useful feature that allows users to create a backup for their iPhone, but it is recommended that they employ an external hard drive as well. When used together, these approaches can develop a strong contingency plan that can protect the data on their iPhone.

Always select a reputable external hard drive, update your equipment often, and back up data as frequently as possible, preferably through an automatic system. Perform application and backup tests occasionally, and lastly, try to familiarise yourself with the newest knowledge in the field of backup.