How to Change the iTunes Backup Location on Windows 11

iPhone and iPad backups made with iTunes (or Apple’s newer Apple Devices app) on Windows 11 are saved on your C: drive, and there’s no setting to change the location. With several devices, backups can easily take up 50–200 GB. The reliable workaround is to move the backup folder to another drive and leave a directory junction in its place, so iTunes keeps saving to the “same” folder while the files actually live elsewhere. This guide walks through it safely.

Quick Answer

Close iTunes, move the Backup folder from %USERPROFILE%\Apple\MobileSync (Microsoft Store version) or %APPDATA%\Apple Computer\MobileSync (website version) to a folder on another drive, then open Command Prompt in that MobileSync folder and run mklink /J "Backup" "D:\Phone Backups".

Step 1: Find Your Current Backup Folder

Press Windows key + R and try each path:

• iTunes or Apple Devices from the Microsoft Store: %USERPROFILE%\Apple\MobileSync
• iTunes downloaded from Apple’s website: %APPDATA%\Apple Computer\MobileSync

The one that opens and contains a Backup folder is yours. Inside, each device’s backup is a folder with a long name of letters and numbers. You can also check in iTunes: Edit > Preferences > Devices lists your backups.

Step 2: Create the New Folder and Move the Backups

1. Close iTunes and Apple Devices completely, and unplug your iPhone.
2. Create a folder on the other drive, for example D:\Phone Backups.
3. Open the Backup folder, select everything inside it (Ctrl + A), and copy it to the new folder. Wait for the copy to finish.
4. Go back to MobileSync and rename the original Backup folder to Backup-old. Keep it until you’ve confirmed everything works.

Step 3: Create the Directory Junction

1. Click Start, type cmd, and open Command Prompt (administrator isn’t usually required for junctions, but you can use it).
2. Go to the MobileSync folder. For the Microsoft Store version:
   cd "%USERPROFILE%\Apple\MobileSync"
   For the website version:
   cd "%APPDATA%\Apple Computer\MobileSync"
3. Create the junction:
   mklink /J "Backup" "D:\Phone Backups"
4. You should see Junction created for Backup <<===>> D:\Phone Backups. A Backup folder with a shortcut arrow appears in MobileSync.

Step 4: Test and Clean Up

1. Open iTunes or Apple Devices, connect your iPhone, and click Back Up Now.
2. Check that the backup date updates and that D:\Phone Backups changes size.
3. Once it works, delete Backup-old to free up the space on C:.

Important Tips

• Keep the drive connected. If the target is an external drive and it’s unplugged, iTunes can’t back up (and may show an error). Internal drives are the safest choice.
• Use NTFS. Format the target drive as NTFS, not FAT32 or exFAT, for large backup files and permissions.
• Encrypt backups in iTunes or Apple Devices to include saved passwords, Health and Wi-Fi data, and keep them private.
• Don’t edit files inside the backup folders; this can corrupt the backup.

Undo the Change

Close iTunes, delete the Backup junction in MobileSync (this removes only the link, not the files), move the contents of D:\Phone Backups back into a new folder named Backup in MobileSync.

Alternatives

• iCloud Backup: back up to iCloud instead of your PC (Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup on the iPhone).
• Delete old backups: in iTunes, Edit > Preferences > Devices, select an old backup and click Delete Backup.
• External drive guide: see how to back up an iPhone to an external hard drive on Windows 11.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the backup location in iTunes settings?

No. Neither iTunes nor Apple Devices on Windows lets you choose a backup folder.

Is a junction the same as a shortcut?

No. A shortcut is just a file that opens another location; programs follow a junction as if it were the real folder.

Does this work on Windows 10?

Yes. The paths and mklink command are the same.

Summary

1. Close iTunes and find the MobileSync folder.
2. Copy the Backup folder’s contents to another drive and rename the original.
3. Run mklink /J “Backup” “D:\Phone Backups” in the MobileSync folder.
4. Test a backup, then delete the old folder.