Extract text from iOS backup files (MDBACKUP)
To convert MDBACKUP backups to another format, you need Apple iTunes or other Backup software.
To convert other file formats to the "iOS Device Backup File" file type, you need software like Apple iTunes or a similar tool.
The .mdbackup format is a local iOS device backup file generated by Apple iTunes on Windows or older macOS versions, and by Finder on modern macOS. It acts as a comprehensive snapshot of an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, storing critical user data such as app settings, local photos, SMS messages, and system configurations. The primary purpose of this file is to restore a device in case of hardware failure or when upgrading to a new phone.
This format is notoriously frustrating for users because it is a closed, proprietary backup archive. .mdbackup files are not meant for direct user access or casual browsing. You cannot simply open one to look at a photo or read an old text message. The files often exceed 100GB, consume massive amounts of hard drive space, and rely on an obfuscated internal structure where files are renamed as SHA-1 hashes rather than human-readable names. Standard web browsers, image viewers, and document editors cannot read them. Users often find themselves trapped, needing to extract a single file but facing the requirement to restore the entire massive backup to a physical device.
Converting a whole .mdbackup archive directly into a PDF or JPG is structurally impossible because it is a complex database, not a single document. However, the internal configuration files rely heavily on Apple's PLIST (Property List) format. Converting or extracting these specific data nodes to XML or TXT is the most viable path to read the underlying configuration text.
This file format is exceptionally difficult to open or convert because it is not a standard archive like a ZIP file. Often, only the original Apple software or expensive third-party forensic extractors can properly read or export the data. However, convert.guru provides a pragmatic workaround. Just drag and drop your file to see what it is and convert it if supported. convert.guru can identify the file format, inspect the file, and show text or internal content. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format (like a binary or XML PLIST), viewing or conversion of that specific data may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your MDBACKUP file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted M4V, ITC2 and ITL files.
If you want to convert MDBACKUP file to BAK, BACKUP, OLD, TMP, TEMP, ARC, ZIP, TAR, GZ, 7Z, RAR or ISO, you can use Apple iTunes or similar software from the "iOS Device Backup Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert SNAPSHOT, OLD, IMG, RESTORE, ISO, COPY, VMDK, TMP, VHD, BAK, ARCHIVE or BACKUP files to MDBACKUP, try Apple iTunes or another comparable tool in the "iOS Device Backup Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our MDBACKUP converter.