Has anyone managed to circumvent the passcode request for local iOS backups?
I want to set up automatic backups of my phones locally, but I have heard that Apple does not allow you to create a backup without entering the passcode anymore.
Would have been nice to have the option when using a trusted device and encryption.
iPhone 15 Pro Max, iOS 26
Let me explain this clearly.
If you have ever taken an encrypted backup of an iPhone on a Mac or PC, then all future backups of that iPhone on that computer will remain encrypted by default. You cannot remove encryption from the existing backup set.
This is because each backup is not a full reset—it updates the previous backup by adding new data and removing deleted data based on what has changed on the iPhone since the last backup.
If you want a backup without encryption, you must first archive the current backup. After archiving, you can create a new backup without encryption. This new backup will be completely separate from the old encrypted one.
Every time when you try to take a backup it is overwritten on the old backup. If you do not remember the password for the old backup, then look for it in KeyChain it is probably stored there, if you had enabled iCloud Keychain.
If not, keep trying the password as there are no limits on the number of attempts. If you still can't get it.
Delete or Archive the old backup and create a new one. This time you will have an option, whether to create with or without encryption. Good Luck!
Watch the GIF below for archiving a backup.
How to archive and create multiple Backups for the same device on the same computer.
Take a fresh backup on the same computer without encrption
Use daily iCloud backups.
How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support
Thank you for your reply, SravanKrA!
It seems I was unclear with my question.
I have an 8TB redundant drive connected to my Computer, I want to back up my iPhone to this drive automatically.
When you create a backup of your iOS device from your computer, you normally have to enter the passcode on your device.
This is different from iCloud which does not require entering the passcode for some reason.
What I want to achieve is the the automatic backup of iCloud, without needing to rely on cloud storage.
Basically I want to have automatic backups just like Time Machine for Mac (without the timeline part).
Automatic without having to to enter the iPhone passcode every time when a backup is requested.
I already mentioned that I do not want to use cloud storage as I am not willing to upload my personal data to a stranger’s computer.
Adrián_Marc wrote:
I already mentioned that I do not want to use cloud storage as I am not willing to upload my personal data to a stranger’s computer.
🤪
Circumvent passcode request for automatic backups
