Q: encrypted passwords in iTunes for backup of iPhone

There is no way to recover the password.

You were warned of this when you turned on encryption.

If you lost the password, the backups are gone and cannot be used.

As this article says:

"If you forgot your password, the only way to turn off backup encryption on your device is to erase the device and set up as new."

About encrypted backups in iTunes - Apple Support

However, the "ton of apps" you paid for will be able to be re-downloaded from iTunes to your newly set up iPhone.

Granted I now understand that there is no way to recover one's encryption backup password if its lost or forgotten. But why should it be that way? Every other password has a path to retrieve it if lost or forgotten. Multiple security questions, etc. Why not do that in this circumstance? Apple has let this slip through the cracks. I expect more for what its worth.

dbeesr6 wrote:

 

... why should it be that way? Every other password has a path to retrieve it if lost or forgotten. Multiple security questions, etc. Why not do that in this circumstance? Apple has let this slip through the cracks. I expect more for what its worth.

Security protections are supposed to be strong -- otherwise why bother setting them up?  Should they simply be a puzzle for the hackers to solve?  No, if you forget a password, the onus is (and should be) on you to take the consequences.

Apple in my opinion has not let anything slip through the cracks here - they have done a completely responsible job of protecting what the person who set the password expected to be protected.

Very good points. You have broadened my thinking about this. Doesn't your argument ring true for all the other password protocols that enable the "puzzle" to be solved? B/C your point of password protection applies to all of the data etc that people protect via a password. There should be no exceptions? Right?

The logic should apply. Any exceptions are, by definition, not secure.

It seems to me that some of a person's (or corporation's) data is much more sensitive than other.

Consider, for example, the person who has an Apple Watch and stores activity data, which includes active calories expended, number of hours stood in a day, and exercise time.  Compare the sensitivity of that to, say, your banking or credit card data.

Should some passwords be easier to retrieve than others?  I think so.

The ability to recover something with the security questions refers to the Apple ID password, I'm guessing? That is because that information resides on the Apple servers. The iPhone passcode, that 4-digit passcode to enter the phone can only be defeated if you restore the device as new, deleting all content on the device, because it only resides on the phone. The passcode for your Restrictions can only be removed the same way, and for that one, even the backup can no longer be used because the passcode resides in the backup and the passcode on resides on the phone. Finally, the encrypted backup resides only on the phone, so there is no way for you to enter any security questions, etc. to recover it. No one else has access to it for you to get it from.

ChrisJ4203 wrote:

 

Finally, the encrypted backup resides only on the phone, so there is no way for you to enter any security questions, etc. to recover it. No one else has access to it for you to get it from.

The encrypted backup file is on one's computer (if backing up locally) and Apple has no way to reset the backup password since it does not have access to this file.  This is the explanation to "If I can reset my bank account password, why can't I reset my iPhone backup password?"  Most encryption schemes do have a provision to reset a password if forgotten, but that is because the password is stored in such a way that it can be administratively reset.  But an iOS backup on a computer provides no way for Apple to "reset" the password for you, and IMO that is a good thing.  The caveat is, remember your dang password!

Note that an iCloud backup is encrypted, but it can be recovered if you forgot your password since the only password is your Apple ID password, and you can reset that with the proper security hurdles being crossed.

True, I was trying to show the biggest issue here is that an outside entity cannot access the file to reset the password. Again, offering a back door approach just invites a path for hacking. Thank you for pointing that out for the OP.

Is it possible to delete the old encrypted backups and begin backing up un-encrypted?

You can delete your backup, but then you'd have to either (a) change your backup routine to use iCloud rather than your computer, or (b) restore your iPhone as new (i.e. don't try to load the encrypted backup -- which means starting over on all settings, losing call and message history, etc.) and then initiate a new backup based on your "fresh" iPhone.

Another possibility, and I haven't tried this:

1- Change your device to backup only to iCloud (which is always encrypted and only requires your iCloud ID password to use)

2- Delete the local backup on your computer.

3- Change your device to backup to your computer once again

4- Initiate a fresh backup (which may allow you to choose not to use encryption).

I don't know if that would work or not, seems like it shouldn't but maybe worth a try.

Any chance that uninstalling all iTunes related materials will by default delete any backups along with it? Maybe reinstalling and beginning with a "fresh" iTunes.

No, removing iTunes will not delete a backup, and there's no need to go that route anyway.  You can delete the backup right from within iTunes (look on the Devices tab of iTunes preferences).  But that alone will not fix your issue, you would need to follow the suggestions above.