Why Editing Fallout Shelter Saves on iOS Is Different
On Windows, your Fallout Shelter save files sit in a plain folder under Documents\My Games\Fallout Shelter. On Android, a file manager app can reach them directly. iOS is a different story. Apple's sandboxing model means every app lives in its own isolated container — no other app, and no user, can browse into that container without Apple's explicit permission or a special bridge tool.
The save files themselves are identical across platforms. Fallout Shelter uses the same Vault1.sav, Vault2.sav, and Vault3.sav format whether you're on an iPhone 16 or a Windows PC. The challenge is purely about getting the file out, editing it, and putting it back. Once you have the file on your computer, our free online Fallout Shelter Save Editor handles the rest in seconds.
Good to know: Fallout Shelter supports iTunes File Sharing, which means Apple officially allows you to access its Documents folder through iTunes or Finder — no hacks required. iMazing builds on top of this with a much friendlier interface.
I've tested every method listed below on iOS 17 and iOS 18 devices. The iMazing route is the smoothest by a wide margin, but if you'd rather not install extra software, the iTunes File Sharing path works just as well — it just takes a few more clicks.
Method Comparison at a Glance
Before diving into steps, here's a quick overview so you can pick the right approach for your situation:
| Method | Jailbreak Required? | Cost | Difficulty | Works on iOS 17/18? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iMazing | No | Free tier available | Easy | ✅ Yes | Most users — cleanest workflow |
| iTunes / Finder File Sharing | No | Free | Easy | ✅ Yes | Users who already have iTunes |
| Filza (Jailbreak) | Yes | Free | Hard | ⚠️ Depends on jailbreak | Advanced users only |
| iTunes Backup Extraction | No | Free | Medium | ✅ Yes | Last resort if File Sharing fails |
My recommendation: Start with Method 1 (iMazing). It takes about five minutes, the free tier is genuinely enough, and the restore step is just as easy as the extract step — which matters a lot when you want to put the edited file back.
Method 1 — iMazing (Recommended, No Jailbreak)
iMazing is a well-established iOS device manager trusted by millions of users worldwide. Its free tier lets you back up and restore individual app data, which is exactly what we need. You don't have to buy a licence for this task.
Before you start: Always back up your original save file first. Once you've extracted it, copy it to a safe folder on your desktop before making any edits. If something goes wrong, you'll be glad you did.
What You Need
- A Windows PC or Mac
- iMazing installed — download free from imazing.com
- A USB cable (Lightning or USB-C depending on your device)
- Fallout Shelter installed and at least one vault saved on your iPhone/iPad
Step-by-Step: Extract the Save File
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Download and install iMazing Head to imazing.com and grab the free version for your OS. The installation is straightforward — just follow the prompts. No Apple ID required at this stage.
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Connect your iPhone or iPad via USB Plug in your device. On your iPhone, tap Trust when the "Trust This Computer?" prompt appears. iMazing will detect your device within a few seconds and show it in the left sidebar.
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Open Manage Apps Select your device in iMazing, then click Manage Apps from the Overview tab (or find it in the left sidebar under your device). A list of all installed apps will load.
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Find Fallout Shelter and back up its data Scroll or search for "Fallout Shelter" in the app list. Click the three-dot menu next to it and select Back Up App Data. iMazing will prompt you to choose a destination folder — your Desktop is fine. Check Extract app data and click Continue.
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Locate the .sav file Once the backup completes, open the extracted folder on your Desktop. Navigate into the
Documentssubfolder. You'll seeVault1.sav,Vault2.sav, orVault3.sav— one file per vault slot you've used. -
Make a backup copy right now Duplicate the .sav file and rename the copy something like
Vault1_original_20260329.sav. Keep it somewhere safe. This is your safety net.
Step-by-Step: Edit the Save File
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Open the Fallout Shelter Save Editor Go to falloutsheltereditor.blog in your browser. Drag and drop your
Vault1.savfile into the upload area, or click Choose File to browse to it. -
Make your edits The editor loads your vault data instantly. Use the Vault tab to adjust caps, Nuka-Cola Quantum, food, water, energy, lunchboxes, and Mr. Handies. Switch to the Dwellers tab to edit individual SPECIAL stats, health, happiness, and equipment. One-click buttons like Max All Stats and Unlock All Rooms are in the Vault tab.
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Download the modified save Click the 💾 Save Changes button at the bottom of the editor. Your browser will download the modified
Vault1.savfile. Move it to the same folder where you extracted the original.
Step-by-Step: Restore the Edited Save to Your iPhone
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Close Fallout Shelter on your device Double-press the Home button (or swipe up on Face ID devices) and swipe away the Fallout Shelter card. The game must not be running in the background.
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Open iMazing and go back to Manage Apps Your device should still be connected. Find Fallout Shelter again in the app list.
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Restore App Data Click the three-dot menu next to Fallout Shelter and select Restore App Data. Browse to the folder containing your edited
Vault1.savand confirm. iMazing will push the file back to your device's Documents folder. -
Launch Fallout Shelter and verify Open the game. Your vault should load with all the changes applied. Check your caps, dweller stats, and any unlocked rooms to confirm everything looks right.
That's the full iMazing workflow. The whole process — extract, edit, restore — typically takes under ten minutes once you've done it once. The official iMazing documentation on exporting and restoring iOS app data is also worth bookmarking if you want deeper detail on the backup options.
Method 2 — iTunes / Finder File Sharing (Free, No Extra Software)
If you'd rather not install iMazing, iTunes File Sharing is Apple's own built-in bridge. Fallout Shelter exposes its Documents folder through this channel, so you can pull the .sav file out and push it back using nothing but iTunes (Windows / older macOS) or Finder (macOS Catalina and later).
macOS note: On macOS Catalina (10.15) and later, iTunes was replaced by Finder. The File Sharing panel moved to Finder → your device → Files tab. Everything else works the same way.
Extract via iTunes File Sharing
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Connect your device and open iTunes (or Finder) Plug in your iPhone or iPad. In iTunes, click the device icon near the top-left. In Finder, select your device in the sidebar under Locations.
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Navigate to File Sharing In iTunes: click File Sharing in the left panel. In Finder: click the Files tab at the top of the device pane. A list of apps that support file sharing will appear.
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Select Fallout Shelter Scroll down the app list until you see Fallout Shelter. Click it. The right panel will show the files inside its Documents folder — you should see
Vault1.sav,Vault2.sav, and/orVault3.sav. -
Save the file to your computer Select the .sav file you want to edit, then click Save to… (iTunes) or drag it to a folder on your Desktop (Finder). Make a backup copy before touching it.
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Edit with the online save editor Upload the file to falloutsheltereditor.blog, make your changes, and download the modified .sav.
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Restore: drag the edited file back Close Fallout Shelter on your device first. Then, in the iTunes / Finder File Sharing panel with Fallout Shelter selected, drag your edited
Vault1.savinto the Documents area (or click Add File…). Confirm the overwrite when prompted. Sync if necessary, then launch the game.
Filename must match exactly. The game expects Vault1.sav, Vault2.sav, or Vault3.sav — nothing else. If your browser renamed the downloaded file (e.g. added a number suffix), rename it back before copying it to the device.
Method 3 — Jailbroken Devices (Advanced Users Only)
If your device is already jailbroken, you can skip the middleman entirely and access the save file directly using Filza File Manager — a full-featured file browser available through Cydia or Sileo.
Jailbreaking carries real risks: it voids your Apple warranty, can expose your device to security vulnerabilities, and may break with iOS updates. If you're not already jailbroken, Methods 1 or 2 are strongly preferable. This section is here for completeness, not as a recommendation.
Save File Path on Jailbroken iOS
The save files live inside the app's sandboxed container. The exact path looks like this:
/var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/[AppUUID]/Documents/
The [AppUUID] is a long alphanumeric string that changes per installation. In Filza, navigate to /var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/ and sort by date modified — the most recently touched folder is usually Fallout Shelter. Inside you'll find the Documents folder containing your .sav files.
Workflow
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Open Filza and navigate to the save folder Use the path above. Tap the .sav file and use Filza's built-in share sheet to AirDrop or email it to your computer.
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Edit on your computer Upload to falloutsheltereditor.blog, edit, download the modified file.
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Copy the edited file back Transfer the file back to your device (AirDrop works well) and use Filza to move it into the same Documents folder, overwriting the original. Close and reopen Fallout Shelter.
The Fallout Shelter community on Reddit's r/foshelter has ongoing threads about jailbreak-based editing if you need device-specific advice — it's a good place to check for your exact iOS version and jailbreak tool combination.
How to Transfer a Fallout Shelter Save from iOS to PC (or iPad)
One of the most common questions I see is: "I've been playing on my iPhone for months — can I move my vault to PC?" The answer is yes, and the process is almost identical to what you've already done above. The save format is cross-platform compatible, so a vault built on iOS loads perfectly on Windows.
iOS → PC (Bethesda Launcher version)
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Extract the .sav file from your iPhone Use iMazing or iTunes File Sharing as described in Methods 1 or 2 above.
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Copy to the PC save folder On your Windows PC, navigate to
C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Documents\My Games\Fallout Shelter\. Paste yourVault1.savhere. If a file already exists, rename it as a backup first. -
Launch Fallout Shelter on PC Your iOS vault will appear in the vault selection screen. All dwellers, resources, and progress carry over.
iOS → Steam
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Disable Steam Cloud sync first In Steam, right-click Fallout Shelter → Properties → General → uncheck Keep game saves in the Steam Cloud. This prevents Steam from overwriting your transferred save.
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Copy the .sav file to the Steam save location Navigate to
C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\FalloutShelter\and paste your extracted .sav file there. -
Launch via Steam and verify Open Fallout Shelter through Steam. Your vault should load. You can re-enable Steam Cloud after confirming the transfer worked.
iOS → iPad (Device-to-Device)
Want to move a vault from your iPhone to your iPad? Extract the save from the iPhone using iMazing, then use iMazing's Restore App Data feature to push it to the iPad. Both devices need to be connected (you can do them one at a time). This is also the cleanest way to back up a vault before a factory reset.
Pro tip: If you want to edit the save during the transfer — say, to max out resources before moving to PC — just run it through the save editor between the extract and the copy step. One trip, two wins.
Troubleshooting Common iOS Save Editor Issues
Things don't always go smoothly the first time. Here are the issues I've run into personally, and how to fix them.
| Problem | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Fallout Shelter doesn't appear in iTunes File Sharing | App not installed, or iOS version mismatch | Reinstall the app. Make sure iTunes is up to date. Try iMazing instead — it's more reliable for this. |
| iMazing shows no files in the Documents folder | No vault saved yet, or app hasn't been opened after install | Open Fallout Shelter, create or load a vault, close the game, then retry the extraction. |
| Edited save won't load in the game | Filename mismatch or file placed in wrong location | Confirm the filename is exactly Vault1.sav (case-sensitive). Re-do the restore step in iMazing or iTunes. |
| Game crashes immediately after loading edited save | Values too extreme (e.g. billions of caps) or corrupted data | Restore your backup. Edit again with more conservative values — caps under 999,999 are safe. Avoid editing too many things at once. |
| Changes don't appear in game | Game was running in background during restore | Force-close Fallout Shelter completely before restoring. On iOS, swipe up from the app switcher to kill it. |
| iMazing asks to purchase for restore | Some restore features are paywalled in newer versions | Use iTunes File Sharing (Method 2) for the restore step — it's completely free and works just as well. |
What to Do If Your Save Gets Corrupted
First, don't panic. If you followed the backup step earlier, you have a clean copy. Restore the original .sav file to your device using iMazing or iTunes File Sharing, launch the game to confirm it loads, then try editing again — this time with smaller changes. The most common cause of corruption is setting a resource value to an astronomically large number. Keep caps under 999,999 and SPECIAL stats between 1 and 10.
If you didn't make a backup and the save is corrupted, check whether Fallout Shelter's built-in cloud save has a recent copy. In the game's main menu, look for the cloud icon next to your vault slot — if cloud save was enabled, you may be able to restore a previous version from there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I edit Fallout Shelter saves on iPhone without jailbreak?
Yes, absolutely. Both iMazing (Method 1) and iTunes / Finder File Sharing (Method 2) work on completely stock, non-jailbroken iPhones and iPads running iOS 13 through iOS 18. You don't need to modify your device in any way. The process relies on Apple's own File Sharing API, which Fallout Shelter officially supports.
Where is the Fallout Shelter save file on iOS?
On a non-jailbroken device, the save files live inside Fallout Shelter's sandboxed Documents folder. You can't browse to this folder directly from the Files app, but you can access it through iTunes File Sharing or iMazing. The files are named Vault1.sav, Vault2.sav, and Vault3.sav — one per vault slot. On a jailbroken device, the full path is /var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/[AppUUID]/Documents/.
Does iMazing work for free to extract Fallout Shelter saves?
Yes. iMazing's free tier allows you to back up and extract app data, which covers everything you need for this guide. A paid licence unlocks features like unlimited device connections and advanced backup scheduling, but none of those are required for extracting and restoring a single game's save file. Download the free version from imazing.com and you're good to go.
How do I transfer a Fallout Shelter save from iOS to PC?
Extract the Vault1.sav file from your iPhone using iMazing or iTunes File Sharing, then copy it to C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Documents\My Games\Fallout Shelter\ on your PC (Bethesda Launcher version) or C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\FalloutShelter\ (Steam version). The save format is identical across platforms, so your vault loads with all progress intact. See the full walkthrough in the Transfer section above, and use the PC and Steam save editor guide if Steam Cloud restores the older vault.
Can I move my Fallout Shelter save from PC to iPhone?
Yes — it works in reverse too. Copy the .sav file from your PC save folder, then use iMazing's Restore App Data feature or iTunes File Sharing to push it into Fallout Shelter's Documents folder on your iPhone. Close the game completely before restoring, then relaunch to see your PC vault on mobile.
Is editing a Fallout Shelter save file safe?
Fallout Shelter is a single-player game with no competitive multiplayer, so editing your save affects only your own experience. Our online save editor processes everything locally in your browser — your save file never leaves your computer. The main risk is accidental corruption from extreme values, which is why keeping a backup copy before editing is so important. As long as you back up first and use sensible values, the process is completely safe.
What can I actually edit in the Fallout Shelter save editor?
Quite a lot. The editor lets you modify vault resources (caps, Nuka-Cola Quantum, food, water, energy, Stimpacks, RadAway, lunchboxes, Mr. Handies), individual dweller SPECIAL stats, health, happiness, radiation, level, name, gender, and equipped items. One-click actions include Max All Stats, Unlock All Rooms, Unlock All Recipes, Remove Rocks, Clear Emergency, and change vault theme. You can also edit wasteland explorers' inventory and health. See the full How to Use guide for a complete breakdown.
Why does Fallout Shelter not appear in iTunes File Sharing?
A few things can cause this: the app isn't installed, it hasn't been opened yet after a fresh install, or your version of iTunes is outdated. Try updating iTunes first. If Fallout Shelter still doesn't appear, use iMazing instead — it uses a different access method that's more reliable across iOS versions. Also make sure you've actually created and saved at least one vault in the game before trying to extract.
Final Thoughts
Editing a Fallout Shelter save on iOS used to feel like a puzzle with missing pieces — most guides either required jailbreaking or glossed over the restore step entirely. In 2026, the iMazing route makes the whole thing genuinely approachable. You extract, you edit, you restore. Ten minutes, no jailbreak, no risk to your device.
The key things to remember: always back up your original .sav before touching it, keep resource values within reasonable bounds, and make sure the game is fully closed before you restore. Do those three things and you'll be fine.
If you run into anything this guide doesn't cover, the FAQ section on our homepage has additional troubleshooting, and our Platform Guides page goes deep on save file locations for every platform. Happy vault managing.