Encrypt Backup Password Problem

I'm having this issue, as well.

iPhone 5

iOS 8.0.2

iTunes 11.4

I regularly backup and sync my iPhone with iTunes on my Mac. At least every other week plus any time there is an iOS update. I ONLY update the OS through iTunes. I always Transfer Purchases form my iPhone to iTunes and backup before updating. I have encryption turned on in iTunes. I KNOW the password and it is saved to my Keychain on my Mac. If I go into my keychain and reveal the password, it matches what I KNOW the password to be. I would like to change this password. When I choose to change it in iTunes, my old password is not accepted. If I try to turn off encryption, my password is not accepted. It has been this way for some time (iOS 7.something). I keep hoping the next release of iOS will fix it. It hasn't yet.

Has anyone solved this issue yet? I know all my old iTunes passwords and any old passwords that I used to use but nothing works. I don't ever remember setting a password for the encryption.

When would this have set itself up? I have an iPhone 5s but would the encryption password have been set from my first iPhone? If not then I definitely have never set an encryption password for this iPhone.

Could it have happened when I changed from tethering to iCloud backup?

Ran into this issue today when trying to backup my iPhone 4S to upgrade to a 5S. I tried almost every single pin and password that I would normally use, but couldn't figure it out. Then I read posts about using the Windows login passwords, and figured I would give it a try on my Mac. Turns out it was the same as an old password I used 3 years ago as a login password for OSX that I never used for any of my email or Apple accounts.

I'm pretty sure I've never set an encryption password, but I'll assume my memory is bad this time. However, I would've figured that Apple would align all encryption and credentials to your Apple ID.

That's true! I just got into this trouble tonight. I've tried my 4 digit iPhone code, and my current Apple password numerous time but it didn't work. Following your advice I got to restore it with ORIGINAL password, the first one when I first registered my apple account (read iTunes account). Thank god still remember it. Thanks!!!🙂

And the bug still exists! I have owned iphones since first released, I have restored from back up dozens of times. I have NEVER encrypted my back ups. After installing IOS 8 on my Iphone5 and receiving my new Iphone 6 - I tried to restore my new phone from my Itunes back up - only to find the back up is now encrypted. I only use 5 different passwords for EVERYTHING I do depending on the requirements of a site or the security I desire. NONE of my passwords work (not that I ever selected encrypt back up in the first place). I have tried all of the selections in this thread to no avail. I now have a brick for an iphone 6 since I cannot transfer my data from my old phone. On my way to the genius bar this morning to see what they will say. Not feeling particularily confident this is going to play out well for me...

Thank you for your help !!! the password IS the 4-DIGIT passkey, Apple should append description on the Itunes when they request for the encryption password.

Glad it worked for you. Did not work for me.

Spent 6+ hours on this (even managed to get a call-back from Apple Support). They seemed surprised that this is a "known issue" when I told him there were pages and pages of Forum comments here dating back YEARS!! ..... Our "fix" was to enter the last 4 digits of my cell number. (Those 4 numbers have NEVER been a password of mine ... like EVER).

Spent 2 hours at the Apple store. They claimed to know nothing about it. Showed them the pages of forum activity about it and they abruptly ended my support session at the store. Brand new Iphone and I have to tell people "sorry I don't have your contact info anymore I got a new phone" like it's 1992. Thanks Apple, on this issue you suck...

Do you know if there is a Mac edition of this tool?

This just happened when working on an iPad for someone in my office. I performed a backup and did not realize encryption was turned on. After upgrading their iOS I tried to perform a restore but was prompted for a password. I tried many of the suggestions found here; 1234, my password, the 4-digit unlock code of the device, the apple ID password for the person who owns the iPad etc. What finally worked was . . . wait for it . . . . password. Yep, that good old standby "password". Hope this works for someone else and saves you an hour (or more) of pulling out your hair.

Hi & Thanks for taking the time to read this post 🙂 Im sort of having the same problem? I click manually backup & restore then back up now it says syncing but when I goto prefrences there is no back up?

And when I check encrypt iphone back up box it asks for password to be set then says "the password you entered to protect your iphone could not be set"

Also Latest backup: Your iphone has never been backed up to this computer...

So can anyone please tell me how on earth do I (1) Do a Encripted Back-up? & (2) How do I Just do a Non-Encripted Back-up?

Thanks very much in Advance to all who try to help 🙂

Just upgraded from iPhone 5S to iPhone 6. I spent hours typing in every password that I could think of... "iTunes backup password incorrect". I am 100% sure that I never intentionally set an encrypted password for iTunes backup. Then I came across a 4-year old post (thanks Cumas) that worked for me. If you have a 3rd-party password safe or password keeper that stores multiple passwords in an encrypted file, try the master password for that particular program... worth a try.

Well, this thread might be outdated but recently I've encountered this "issue" when restoring my iphone. So I will explain everything I did and what happened.

1. Fresh OS installation done recently and of course fresh itunes installation with only 1 backup.

2. I ran itunes with default settings like I always do and of course no backup encryption; http://prntscr.com/78zfle

3. Once I backed up the whole thing I've noticed it asks me for a password for w/e reason.

4. Tricks with random numbers and lowercase wont work. Lack of pure logic there. The encryption system is no joke.

5. Tried my apple ID password just to be sure and to narrow down the problem more easily but it never worked.

----

6. Figured no password can be assigned without you typing it somewhere.

7. Password that worked for me was the very first one I used for my itunes/apple account even though I changed it few times since then.

8. The system somehow requested that password to be input which worked.

That being said, this could be really tested by the developers and appy warning and confirmation dialogue. The message box "Enter your backup password" is rather misleading nor it helps to case. In my case it was the very first password I used for itunes, despite changing it laterl. Above all, I changed that password on another computer with older items and even still on a totally new PC and fresh OS it still accepted the very first one.

-What I can confirm here is that I never asked for it to be encrypted due to my computer itself being heavily encrypted with no possibility for someone to use anything from it. This is also something developers might look into. Given that I had to input the password I changed ages ago on even different PC and itunes tells you more than enough.

-I hope this can help you guys because it happened to me after narrowing down how the system works. If you are unable to remember which password you used you may want to check your browser for history of password change for certain UID. In worst case im sure someone from apple migh give you the logs for password changes. SO yeah pretty much sure it affects people who changed their password since they created first one, at least itunes one. This is something DEVs may want to look into. At least associate the password with latest one people use for their itunes/icloud.

-=-SOLVED-=- Believe it or not. I did not provide any password when I made the backup. I could not restore to a new iPad. Keep asking for a password.

I tried every current password I use. It happen to be an old 4 digits unlock screen I have use in the past a long time ago.