iExplorer makes it really simple to browse and extract files from within the iTunes backups on your Mac or Windows PC and also lets you access the most current information on your iPhone or iPad by making a new backup. These iTunes backups contain some of your most personal data such as text messages, voicemails, notes, contacts, calendars, call history, bookmarks, camera roll photos (DCIM), and more.
To get started, open up iExplorer, and to explore existing backups on a Mac, click on the Browse iTunes Backups button on the screen asking you to connect an iPhone, iPad or iPod, or if you are using iExplorer 4 for Windows, you'll automatically see the list of iTunes backups in the iExplorer windows upon launching it.
Or, to access and load data that's on your device currently, just connect your iPhone or iPad and navigate to the Backup section and choose to Load Backup Data (if the device has no existing iTunes backups on that Mac or PC) or Back Up Now*. Once the backup is loaded, you can select from several different datatypes in the left panel, browse your data, and use the Export buttons to make copies of your data in a folder on your computer or on any mounted drives. Most sections within the Backup section include an Export All button to transfer all of that datatype in a single transfer. You can also use iExplorer's "Backup Explorer" feature to view the raw files and folders in your backup which includes backed up iOS app data. You'll see a folder for every app you've downloaded from the App Store. Just drag/drop any of the folders or files to your computer or right-click and choose Export to a folder.
*It's important to note that when choosing to 'Load Backup Data' or 'Back Up Now', it will in most cases overwrite any previous backup for that iPhone or iPad in iTunes, so if you have any data that is in an iTunes backup but is no longer on your device due to deleting it from the device or unforeseen dataloss, you'll definitely want to export that data using iExplorer's Export buttons in the Backup section before choosing to create a new backup. Just go through each section, and most of them have an Export All option to backup all of that datatype in a single folder on your computer. You can see the article below for more information on preserving your backup data:
How to keep a safe backup with iExplorer
Troubleshooting Tip: If the Backup section is loading blank or giving an error, please look at this article: Why is my Backup data not appearing?
Additional Support Information:
Need more assistance? We also have several iExplorer tutorials that explain how to transfer specific Backup datatypes:
- How to access iPhone, iPod, or iPad backups
- How to access iPhone SMS & iMessage
- How to access iPhone voicemail
- How to access iPhone or iPad notes
- How to access iPhone contacts
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