Can I delete old iPhone software update files (.ipsw) on my Mac?
Safe to delete; it rebuilds itself. When you update or restore an iPhone through your Mac, the iOS file (.ipsw) is saved here. The update is already on the phone, so the file is no longer needed. Each one takes several gigabytes.
At a glance
| Owner app | Finder |
|---|---|
| Typical size | Several GB per file |
| Safe to delete? | Rebuilds itself |
| Comes back? | Only if you update or restore an iPhone through this Mac again |
| What you lose | You lose nothing. The update has already been installed on the phone; if you ever update through the Mac again, it downloads the current version fresh. |
| Where it is | ~/ |
What it is
An .ipsw file is a complete copy of iOS for one iPhone model. Finder downloads it when you click Update or Restore on an iPhone connected to your Mac, then installs it on the phone. The folder still carries the name iTunes, which used to do this job.
Finder keeps the file after the update is done, and files for phones you no longer own stay as well. Each one is several gigabytes, so a folder nobody has opened in years can hold a lot.
Removing the files costs nothing. The phone is already updated, and the next update or restore through this Mac downloads a fresh file. Gigabroom treats them as Rebuilds itself: ticked by default, moved to the Trash, and recoverable until you empty it.
Delete it by hand
- In Finder, choose Go › Go to Folder… and paste
~/.Library/ iTunes/ iPhone Software Updates - Move the .ipsw files to the Trash, then empty the Trash.
- Or open System Settings › General › Storage and click the Info button next to iOS Files, where iOS installers are listed with backups. Items deleted there are erased right away.
With Gigabroom
- Open Gigabroom and wait for the scan.
- In Clean Up, open Temporary Files. Downloaded iPhone updates are listed as Rebuilds itself and are ticked.
- Click Clean Up. The folder goes to the Trash, and Put Back is available until you empty it.
Related folders
| Folder | Safe to delete? | Typical size |
|---|---|---|
~/ | Rebuilds itself | — |
~/ | Check first | Several GB to over 100 GB per device |
/ | Rebuilds itself | — |
~/ | Rebuilds itself | — |
Questions
Will deleting the .ipsw file uninstall the update from my iPhone?
No. The update was installed from this file. The phone keeps running the same iOS version after the file is gone.
Do I need it to restore my iPhone later?
No. When you restore or update through Finder, it downloads the version Apple currently offers. An old file is usually outdated by then anyway.
Why don’t I have this folder?
Finder creates it only when you update or restore an iPhone through the Mac. If you always update on the phone itself, nothing is downloaded here.
What about iPad updates?
They work the same way and are kept in a neighboring folder, ~/Library/iTunes/iPad Software Updates. Gigabroom lists them separately.
Last checked on macOS 27.0.1 · 2026-11-10