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I was wondering how to access the /private/var/mobile/library folder(s) on my iMac. This is (obviously) for my iPhone.

I'm currently using an iPhone 5 on iOS 7. I've been trying to use iExplorer but if I can't I'll try it on my laptop, too.

Thank you in advance.

P.S: I was also wondering what would happen if I deleted the Messages backup from the iCloud section on iExplorer?

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Dani AI

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For — quick clarification and safe ways forward.

’s Finder tip points to the Mac’s ~/Library (local files on the iMac), not the iPhone. The exact paths you listed (/private/var/… on the device root) live on the phone’s root filesystem. On an un‑jailbroken iPhone those root folders aren’t exposed to the Finder or normal file‑browsing tools; tools that show the raw /private tree require root (jailbreak) access. That is why iPhoneBrowser-like access fails on a stock device.

Practical alternatives that don’t need jailbreak:

  • If the goal is to remove message content from Spotlight search, delete the conversations in Messages and let iOS reindex; toggling items in Settings → General → Spotlight Search can force reindexing.
  • For bulk export/remove of SMS data, make a local iTunes backup and use a backup browser (iExplorer, iBackupBot, etc.) to export the Messages database or to edit the backup, then restore that backup. Always keep an untouched copy of the original backup before any edits.

Notes and cautions:

  • Spotlight index files are typically system/cached files and usually aren’t part of a standard user backup, so editing a backup may not remove Spotlight index entries. Removing those Spotlight folders directly requires root-level access (jailbreak) or a full erase+restore that forces the system to rebuild indexes.
  • Deleting a Messages backup from iCloud removes that saved backup from Apple’s servers but does not delete messages currently on the device; it only removes the ability to restore those messages from that iCloud backup. Export or make a local backup first if recovery might be needed.

Editing/restoring backups can cause data loss if done incorrectly. Keep a verified, untouched backup and export important data before attempting any removal or restore.

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Okay, maybe I should've worded that differently, but thank you , because what I meant was: how can I access those folders–which are on my iPhone–using a program on my iphone?

Thank you again.

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That did shed light on things, yes, but what I'm trying to do is delete the content of the folders:
/private/var/mobile/Library/Spotlight/com.apple.MobileSMS/
/private/var/mobile/Library/Spotlight/com.apple.SpotlightTopHits/

It's a long story of why, but that's why I want to find them. iPhoneBrowser was an application that did this but the iPhone had to be jailbroken and mine isn't.

Thanks in advnace.

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