Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT
It is ridiculous that there is no way to reset the backup encryption password. You would think that with all of the options for two factor identification and other mechanisms that exist today, that the only way to overcome this is to wipe so many settings.
MacBook Pro 13″, OS X 10.10
If there was a way to bypass backup encryption there would be no point in having it in the first place. How can your computer identify the person who created the backup password, so only that person could reset it?
Either you checked Encrypt Backup, or, if you have a company email account on your phone, your Exchange administrator required it. But either way you were prompted to enter a password - twice. However, that could have been years ago; you are only prompted the first time you made an encrypted backup, you will never be prompted again until you go to restore a backup.
When you entered the backup password if you have a Mac and have Keychain enabled you were given the option of saving the password in Keychain (this is the default). So check Keychain for it.
If you haven’t erased the phone yet you can create a new backup with a new password—>About encrypted backups on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
If neither of those work you get unlimited guesses, so try to guess what password you might have entered back when. If you are like most people it will be a password that you reused. And to speed up the process click to change the password and you will be prompted immediately.
If there was a way to bypass backup encryption there would be no point in having it in the first place. How can your computer identify the person who created the backup password, so only that person could reset it?
Either you checked Encrypt Backup, or, if you have a company email account on your phone, your Exchange administrator required it. But either way you were prompted to enter a password - twice. However, that could have been years ago; you are only prompted the first time you made an encrypted backup, you will never be prompted again until you go to restore a backup.
When you entered the backup password if you have a Mac and have Keychain enabled you were given the option of saving the password in Keychain (this is the default). So check Keychain for it.
If you haven’t erased the phone yet you can create a new backup with a new password—>About encrypted backups on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
If neither of those work you get unlimited guesses, so try to guess what password you might have entered back when. If you are like most people it will be a password that you reused. And to speed up the process click to change the password and you will be prompted immediately.
Lost password for Backup encryption - why do I have to reset all settings on my phone in 2022??
