iOS Backup to Ext HD

iOS Backup to Ext HD.md

To summarise the above:

1. Very important, go to System Preferences -> Security. Click on the Privacy tab and choose Full Disk Access. Click 🔒 at the lower left hand corner to unlock. Then √ the Terminal.app.
2. In Finder, choose from the menu Go -> Go to folder, then paste the following line: ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync
3. You should then see a folder called Backup. Copy this folder to the external hard disk.
4. Optional: Create a folder called Backup somewhere else on your external harddisk.
5. Open Terminal app then type: sudo -s When asked, type your Mac login password.
6. Type cd ~/Library/Application\ Support/MobileSync
7. Type ls to verify that you do see Backup in the output
8. Rename the Backup folder to become Backup.bak by typing mv Backup Backup.bak
9. Type ls to verify that you do see Backup.bak in the output, and Backup is no longer there.
10. Type ln -s without hitting ENTER, then drag and drop the Backup folder you've copied (or if you opt for step 4, created) on your external harddisk to the terminal window. Then continue to type ~/Library/Application\ Support/MobileSync/Backup and don't press ENTER yet.
11. You should have something like ln -s /Volumes/M87/Backup ~/Library/Application\ Support/MobileSync/Backup on your terminal waiting to be ENTER'ed. (M87/Backup is where my backup folder was created on my external harddisk, so yours will be different)
12. Press ENTER if things make sense above. You shall get no error after pressing ENTER.
13. Type ls and see if you've got both Backup and Backup.bak in the results.
14. You can then proceed to try to Backup your iPhone and see if there is any error. You shall also see something new in the Backup folder in your external harddisk, likely a new folder will be created with today's date. Don't touch anything there, however.
15. Once things are working, you can Trash the Backup folder on your Mac (Don't touch the one on the external HD!)