{"id":"moving-folders.can-storage-studio-move-my-iphone-backups","url":"/faq/moving-folders/can-storage-studio-move-my-iphone-backups","category":{"id":"moving-folders","title":"Moving folders"},"subcategory":{"id":"specific-folders","title":"Moving specific folders"},"question":"Can Storage Studio move my iPhone or iPad backups to the external drive?","alt_questions":["Move iOS backups to external SSD","iPhone backups taking too much space on Mac","relocate MobileSync backup","Phone backups in What's Using Space","Relocate iPhone backup to NVMe","Move my iPhone backups back to my Mac"],"short_answer":"Yes. In What's Using Space, under Space held by backups, choose Move to fast drive… — the backups are copied, checked and only then removed from your Mac. Keep the drive connected when you back up a device; Move back… returns them.","answer_markdown":"Yes. Open What's Using Space and find your iPhone and iPad backups under **Space held by backups**. With your fast drive connected, choose **Move to fast drive…**. Storage Studio copies the backups to the drive, checks that every file arrived, and only then frees the space on your Mac.\n\nFinder carries on backing up to the drive afterwards, so **keep the drive connected when you back up or restore a device** — while it's unplugged, Finder can't make a backup.\n\nA few things to know:\n\n- It doesn't run while a device backup is in progress — wait for it to finish.\n- If the copy doesn't match the original, the copy is removed and nothing on your Mac changes.\n- **Move back…** brings the backups home to your Mac any time, checked the same way, as long as your Mac has room for them.\n\nIf a backup is for a device you no longer own, you can also delete it from Finder: select the device in the sidebar and use **Manage Backups…**. See [Mac storage basics](/faq/mac-storage-basics/).","answer_html":"

Yes. Open What's Using Space and find your iPhone and iPad backups under Space held by backups. With your fast drive connected, choose Move to fast drive…. Storage Studio copies the backups to the drive, checks that every file arrived, and only then frees the space on your Mac.

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Finder carries on backing up to the drive afterwards, so keep the drive connected when you back up or restore a device — while it's unplugged, Finder can't make a backup.

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A few things to know:

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If a backup is for a device you no longer own, you can also delete it from Finder: select the device in the sidebar and use Manage Backups…. See Mac storage basics.

","answer_text":"Yes. Open What's Using Space and find your iPhone and iPad backups under Space held by backups. With your fast drive connected, choose Move to fast drive…. Storage Studio copies the backups to the drive, checks that every file arrived, and only then frees the space on your Mac.\n\nFinder carries on backing up to the drive afterwards, so keep the drive connected when you back up or restore a device — while it's unplugged, Finder can't make a backup.\n\nA few things to know:\n\n- It doesn't run while a device backup is in progress — wait for it to finish.\n- If the copy doesn't match the original, the copy is removed and nothing on your Mac changes.\n- Move back… brings the backups home to your Mac any time, checked the same way, as long as your Mac has room for them.\n\nIf a backup is for a device you no longer own, you can also delete it from Finder: select the device in the sidebar and use Manage Backups…. See Mac storage basics.","tags":["iphone backups","app data","what to move"],"related":[{"id":"moving-folders.why-wont-storage-studio-move-an-apps-data-folder","question":"Why won't What's Using Space move an app's whole data folder?","url":"/faq/moving-folders/why-wont-storage-studio-move-an-apps-data-folder"}],"applies_to":"app>=4.20","last_reviewed":"2026-10-27","title":"Can Storage Studio move my iPhone or iPad backups to the external drive? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Yes. In What's Using Space, under Space held by backups, choose Move to fast drive… — the backups are copied, checked and only then removed from your Mac. Keep the drive connected when you back up a device; Move back… returns them.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Moving folders","path":"/faq/moving-folders/"},{"name":"Can Storage Studio move my iPhone or iPad backups to the external drive?","path":"/faq/moving-folders/can-storage-studio-move-my-iphone-backups"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/moving-folders/can-storage-studio-move-my-iphone-backups","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-27","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Can Storage Studio move my iPhone or iPad backups to the external drive?","alternateName":["Move iOS backups to external SSD","iPhone backups taking too much space on Mac","relocate MobileSync backup","Phone backups in What's Using Space","Relocate iPhone backup to NVMe","Move my iPhone backups back to my Mac"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. Open What's Using Space and find your iPhone and iPad backups under Space held by backups. With your fast drive connected, choose Move to fast drive…. Storage Studio copies the backups to the drive, checks that every file arrived, and only then frees the space on your Mac.\n\nFinder carries on backing up to the drive afterwards, so keep the drive connected when you back up or restore a device — while it's unplugged, Finder can't make a backup.\n\nA few things to know:\n\n- It doesn't run while a device backup is in progress — wait for it to finish.\n- If the copy doesn't match the original, the copy is removed and nothing on your Mac changes.\n- Move back… brings the backups home to your Mac any time, checked the same way, as long as your Mac has room for them.\n\nIf a backup is for a device you no longer own, you can also delete it from Finder: select the device in the sidebar and use Manage Backups…. See Mac storage basics.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/moving-folders/can-storage-studio-move-my-iphone-backups"}}]},"fragment":"
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Moving folders · Moving specific folders

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Can Storage Studio move my iPhone or iPad backups to the external drive?

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Short answer: Yes. In What's Using Space, under Space held by backups, choose Move to fast drive… — the backups are copied, checked and only then removed from your Mac. Keep the drive connected when you back up a device; Move back… returns them.

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Yes. Open What's Using Space and find your iPhone and iPad backups under Space held by backups. With your fast drive connected, choose Move to fast drive…. Storage Studio copies the backups to the drive, checks that every file arrived, and only then frees the space on your Mac.

\n

Finder carries on backing up to the drive afterwards, so keep the drive connected when you back up or restore a device — while it's unplugged, Finder can't make a backup.

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A few things to know:

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  • It doesn't run while a device backup is in progress — wait for it to finish.
  • If the copy doesn't match the original, the copy is removed and nothing on your Mac changes.
  • Move back… brings the backups home to your Mac any time, checked the same way, as long as your Mac has room for them.
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If a backup is for a device you no longer own, you can also delete it from Finder: select the device in the sidebar and use Manage Backups…. See Mac storage basics.

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Applies to Storage Studio 4.20 and later · Last reviewed

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Related questions

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