How to Extract Your iPhone Backups (Mac)

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Posted August 24, 2009 at 11:28pm by iClarified

These are instructions on how to extract the backups that iTunes makes of your iPhone using iPhone Backup Extractor for Mac.

Step One
Download iPhone Backup Extractor from here and save it to your desktop.

Step Two
Double click to extract the archive then drag the extracted application into your Applications folder to install it.

How to Extract Your iPhone Backups (Mac)

Step Three
Double click iPhone Backup Extractor icon from the applications folder to launch it.

Step Four
Click the Read Backups button to have the application display the iPhone backups on your system.

Step Five
Select the backup you would like to extract from the list that appears then click the Choose button.

Step Six
iPhone Backup Extractor will then display a list of the different application settings that can be extracted. Make a selection from the list then click the Extract button.

Note: In this example we will select iPhone OS Files as this contains the more important information we might want to recover such as contacts or sms etc.

Step Seven
You will now be asked to select a location for the extraction. Navigate to the folder of your choice then click the Choose button.

Step Eight
You can now navigate to the folder you specified for extraction. In it you will find a folder called iPhone OS Files. This folder will contain the extracted system settings and data.

NOTE***: You will notice many of the files have a .sqlitedb extension. These are database files that can be opened using Sqlite Database Browser. You can download it here.

THANKS***: Thanks go out to Pádraig for creating this utility. You can donate to his efforts here

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mayinjune - May 16, 2016 at 8:54am

Are you sure that you choose the contacts before you extracted the backup? If you chose but it still shows the contact, it may be some damage on your backup. So I advice you use iTunes or some recovery tool to check up the contacts on your iTunes backup. I recommend you the FonePaw iPhone Data Recovery which can check up the backup of your iTunes for free.

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marrouki - April 14, 2015 at 5:10pm

I already downloaded the app and extracted my backup, but I can't find my contact list, please help!

CraigJoubert - October 29, 2015 at 7:09am

To recover lost data from your iOS devices,you also can follow this way. goo.gl/VWdmQN

Paring - December 7, 2014 at 3:01am

sadfsdafdsfsd

Trinny - November 25, 2014 at 4:14am

Is there any way possible way to recover a deleted voice memo which was never imported into iTunes or iCloud. I am guessing it must still be stored somewhere inside the iPhone itsself and hopefully recovered or am I completely wrong?

jay_buba - October 11, 2014 at 9:41pm

please how do I then restore the stuff I extracted using the software??

Candy22 - July 29, 2014 at 9:16am

www.ipubsoft.com/iphone-backup-extractor

Sridharan - July 18, 2014 at 1:47pm

Is there any ways to recover if you don't remember the password

wikidigi - December 12, 2013 at 3:36am

Wow, a very nice post. Thank you for sharing. And I also know a freeware which do the same thing. It's called iRefone with both windows & mac versions.

John L - November 15, 2013 at 5:18am

Great utility, nicely written, that works on old or neglected hardware without a hitch.! Very Nice.

dev gautam - August 26, 2013 at 6:26am

appipod

Becky - June 29, 2013 at 10:34am

I was wondering whether you can read previous back ups... Or does the most recent backup replace all previous versions? Many thanks

heather - April 10, 2013 at 6:15am

I can't find my old backed-up notes! Can you help? I used iPhone Backup Extractor to get to the notes in backup and then downloaded SQLite Database Browser in hopes to view the text. But I cannot figure that out! Can you help explain how I get my notes text using SQLite Database Browser?? Thanks!!!

chris - February 26, 2013 at 11:37pm

after I have done all that, what do I do to actually backup the iPhone with the information I gathered from this software (Excuse the ignorance please).

barb - January 1, 2013 at 8:58am

Which programm should I use to open *.plist-files in readable text? I am looking for the Restrictions Password on my iPhone that i have forgotten

jdog - November 16, 2012 at 10:20am

what if your ipod doesn't show up when you click read backups

Cyla - November 20, 2012 at 9:44am

You mean your iPod device did not show in your computer? Have you checked the connection? Extracting iPhone backups needs a software. I have used one-Wondershare Data Recovery for iTunes, which is very helpful that i got back lost images, contacts and messages.

madra - October 16, 2010 at 6:45am

unfortunately it doesn't work if your backup is encrypted. there disnae seem to ba anything out there that will allow you to retreve your info from an encrypted iphone backup - even if [as is the case here] you know the password. most frustrating!

Vera - November 14, 2012 at 7:40am

I think there is no way to decrypt. But you can try to use wondershare Dr.Fone to extract you file from your iPhone to mac or windows

Michele Adams - April 26, 2010 at 6:16am

Wow, This totally worked for me. You need to disable encryption and be sure the back up was stored successfully in your MobileSync/Backup Folder. I researched hours before finding this, whew! Only problem I'm having now is I'm unable to see the TIME on the deleted call logs, let me know if there is a solution to this. THanks!

Gc - August 12, 2011 at 3:44pm

all right !! but what do you do if you have an already encrypted backup file which you need to extract ? this is my case, and itunes, after successfully creating the encrypted backup with my latest settings/photos .etc.., was totally unable to restore my iphone using this newly created backupfile (the progress bar hangs or throws an error *Itunes cannot restore the iphone '[yourName]'s" because an unknown error has occured" , while being half way.)

Antiich - August 11, 2012 at 3:33am

How do you disable encryption though?

Fiona - November 14, 2012 at 6:58am

I think there is no way to decrypt. However, you can use one kind of tool to extract and recovery data on your iPhone file to your computer. How about Wondershare Dr.Fone, just have a try.

Joshua - March 21, 2010 at 10:37pm

My iPhone backup was encrypted. Is it the reason that after I extract the content, (e.g. iPhone OS Files), the extracted folder is empty? OS X: 10.6.2, iPhone OS 3.1.3

clawfire - August 31, 2010 at 6:57am

yep, definitly. in this time, nobody can uncrypt encrypted backup without use iTunes iPhone restauration :(

CM - February 7, 2010 at 5:51pm

Once we have this iPhone Backup file, can we use it on a different Mac to get our iPhone to sync on a new Mac? My older iMac is about to die and I'm madly trying to figure out how best to get all my iPhone data over to the newer iMac. What do you recommend? I've moved all my iTunes music, movies, podcasts and even the applications over using iTunes' home sharing feature. But I'm very concerned that I will lose all my contacts, SMS messages, notes, and iCal information when I go to sync my jailbroken and unlocked iPhone on my new iMac the first time. I also do not want to lose my jailbroken and unlocked status. Can you advise me on how to proceed from here before my older iMac gives up the ghost and I'm truly up a creek? Thanks!

soleil - September 10, 2009 at 5:50am

Doesn't work on 10.4.11. Please fix. Thx

erwin - September 30, 2009 at 4:15am

yes, confirmed, didn't work on my macos 10.4.11 here either.

bloodkin - May 27, 2010 at 10:51pm

It only works on OSX 10.5 and above

matt - July 26, 2010 at 11:48am

Why not 10.4 support?

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