Lost Password to iPhone Backup

Apple created a password made from your old iPhone password combinations.

No. Apple did not do this.

Apple will going to put password on your backup for the “safety” of your files.

Again, No.

This was a choice you made. It is not set by Apple or by default. You, or perhaps a corporate employer with an installed profile on your device, made an overt, deliberate choice to set a password for your iTunes backup.

Apple seriously need to resolve these issues.

The issues where users can't recall setting a password? Twice? And then years later believing every conspiracy theory on Google about "who did this?" Not sure how Apple can resolve this issue.

There is no issue to solve. Backups do not get encrypted by themselves, and if you are going to restore a device to a backup, you need to be running the same iOS as the backup or higher in order to do the restore.

You figured out your password, and you updated your device. No issue - simply a matter of getting your stuff into the position it needed to be in to do the setup.

GB

How is it that this same issue has not been resolved by Apple?! it's 2017 and still happening. I use 3 PW and none work....I just want future backups to be unencrypted but I can't uncheck the box without the PW. Apple you guys have got to do something about this ridiculousness!

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Can someone explain why it's useful to have an unrecoverable password? All of my other accounts with other companies will give me the opportunity recover a lost password. If I forget the password to my ATM card, my bank doesn't say "sorry, there's no way to get your money now." If I forget the password to my google account, they email me at my other email address or text me on my phone. But if you forget the password for your iPhone backup, (an obscure password most people seem unaware of), then that's it: no iPhone backup. Who does this serve? Are any customers having a better experience because of this feature? Are there any success stories about the time someone almost backed up someone else iPhone but they were foiled because the security so extremely tight? What's the point? Please explain who is helped by a password that cannot ever be recovered by anyone?

As you implied earlier that you have read the entire thread, the answer has been posted many times in the thread. So there's no need to ask again; just review what you read. Along with answers and explanations to each of the other points you raised.

Ok, so you've proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that iTunes is doing what Apple wants it to do.

I think it's abundant clear from seven years of complaints that what Apple want iTunes to do is NOT what Apple customers want iTunes to do.

Was there a point in time when there were a lot iPhone backup hacks and this level of security became necessary?

Same happened to me, I tried to enter all codes: screen unlock, apple ID, Windows, nothing. Then I simply entered my SIM PIN code and it worked. MobileIron was setup on my PC to encrypt my data and the code was the same.

So I don't know if it was the SIM PIN or MobileIron that was used to encrypt the data, just try these two and hope it will help too

Same thing just happened to me. My phone wasn’t holding it‘s charge & the techs at the Apple Store didn‘t know why. They suggested I back up my iPhone 6 then use the Restore iPhone in iTunes. I’ve never ticked the Encrypt Backup box or set a password for any backup. I know this because when I now tick the Encrypt Backup the Set Password box appears asking me to select a password & verify it. I backed up (no encryption) then went through the Restore iPhone procedure. When I tried to restore the backup it asked for a password. l’ve tried all the usual passwords to no avail. Without reading 67 pages, is there a way to restore non encrypted data without a password?

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Was there a point in time when there were a lot iPhone backup hacks and this level of security became necessary?

Apple added the option to prevent unencrypted backups storing health data, HomeKit data and passwords. I would suggest the risk of annoying the "freedom fighter mindset" outweighs the risk of inadvertently allowing naive/inexperienced users to store private sensitive data in a non-encrypted manner.

You could also post the question to the many corporate employers out there who force the encryption requirement on their iOS device users via a management profile.

I tried everything everyone suggested on this first page and nothing worked... then I typed in the password I use to unlock my mac when it's sleeping and it worked. That's not the password I used when I first got my iPhone, not the passcode, not 000 or 1234, and not the password I changed it to when I checked "encrypt." I'm sure somewhere in these answers, coincidentally passwords that worked also happened to be passwords that were used in other places so it's hard to pinpoint exactly which password is the ultimate answer. I don't believe I used my mac password anywhere else, so it just might be the one. Try that if nothing else works!

I know it's an old discussion, but it's the first result on search engines. Same thing happend here and I was 100% sure I didn't use any password. Try the password of your useraccount on your computer. Worked for me.

Part of the issue here is that the user is not asked to re-enter their password on subsequent backups. Let's assume I did set a password at some point and don't know what it was (although I always use 1 of 3 passwords for local auth and none of those are working so I am suspect of that, perhaps Apple is defaulting to a user account password?). If I haven't backed up in months, iTunes should re-prompt for my backup password. I am absolutely positive that I was not re-prompted for this password despite performing a manual backup over 2 months after the previous backup I made.

I would prefer to see all manual backups require a verification of the password BEFORE making the backup. For most users, iCloud backups will be happening automatically and iTunes backups are a quicker, more secure way to backup prior to switching devices. In these cases, the user will be backing up and restoring from backup on the same day, or the following few days. This is a perfect opportunity to ensure there is no confusion about the password and prevent the user from receiving a new device and being unable to properly restore because of years old passwords.

I went through all the forums and tried to find the answer to this question with no success. Then I read somewhere that the password is the same as your phone unlock passcode from when you did the back up! So thankfully I remembered what the unlock code was of my phone at the time I did the backup and finally managed to access the back up. I hope this helps!

The backup password is whatever the person put in at the time they set up an encrypted backup. It could be a passcode that they used to use or currently use for their Lock Screen. It could be a whole list of things as Lawrence Finch has provided in this thread.

GB

This seems like a lost cause... this also points out a very major flaw in apples philosophy. the accidental encryption of our Iphone to our computer causing this problem needs a solution that is still highly secure... such as proof of Government ID, security questions, itunes information on viewing things that can be matched to our profile. To lose in my case over 10 years worth of notes and shortcuts to my livlihood (book author) has me appauled. I am furious that Apple has not created a highly secure work around for this problem.