Extract text from iOS backup metadata files (MDINFO)
To convert MDINFO metadata files to another format, you need Apple iTunes or other Backup software.
To convert other file formats to the "iOS Backup Information File" file type, you need software like Apple iTunes or a similar tool.
The .MDINFO file is an iOS backup metadata file created when you back up an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch using Apple iTunes or macOS Finder. It acts as an index or configuration file. It stores essential details about the backup itself, such as the device name, Unique Device Identifier (UDID), iOS version, and the date the backup was created. It does not contain your actual photos, messages, or app data - those are stored in associated MDDATA or raw database files within the same directory.
Users usually encounter .MDINFO files when trying to manually recover data from an old hard drive or when their iOS backup becomes corrupted. The main disadvantage of this format is its proprietary usage. You cannot simply double-click it to view your backup contents. Furthermore, it is internally formatted as a binary PLIST (Property List) file, making it completely unreadable in standard text editors.
If you need to extract the metadata, the best conversion targets are readable text formats like XML, JSON, or TXT. Converting to XML restores the original Property List structure, allowing developers and system administrators to read the device identifiers clearly without losing the hierarchical data structure.
Because this is a closed system file designed only to be read by Apple's internal restore processes, it is difficult to open or convert with standard software. Standard online converters fail because they do not recognize the Apple binary plist signature disguised under the .mdinfo extension. However, convert.guru can still identify the file format, inspect the file, and show text or internal content. Just drag and drop your file to see what it is and convert it if supported. If our analysis detects the underlying binary plist format, viewing or conversion to XML may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your MDINFO file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted ICF, RTFD and MDBACKUP files.
If you want to convert MDINFO 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 Backup Metadata 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 MDINFO, try Apple iTunes or another comparable tool in the "iOS Backup Metadata 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 MDINFO converter.