How do I access photos of backed up iPhone files on my Mac?

[satchmo]

Just sold my iPhone but backed up the phone to my Mac via iTunes (I'm still on High Sierra 10.13)

Now, how do I access those backed up photos?

In iTunes I select the desired backup and then select 'Show in Finder', I'm taken to a MobileSync folder with a bunch of files.

Is this where the backed up photos reside? The files are not jpegs, just weird alphanumeric file names.

 

[0128672]

The backup files are in a format intended for restores, not for viewing like normal files.

"Don't edit, relocate, rename, or extract content from your backup files, because these actions might ruin the files. For example, to restore from a relocated backup file, you need to move it back or the file won't work. Backups serve as a safe copy of your entire device. So while you might be able to view or access a backup file's contents, the contents usually aren't stored in a format that you can read." [emphasis mine]

Locate backups of your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support

Find a list of your iOS or iPadOS backups on your Mac, PC, and iOS or iPadOS device. Learn how to delete backups, copy them, and more.

support.apple.com

 

[rickyalan]

try iBackup Viewer, it's fast.