Lost Password to iPhone Backup

"You can also make a backup in iCloud, which automatically encrypts your information every time." This is what I apparently did. Unfortunately I have the same problem as everyone else: not sure what password iCloud used when it encrypted my backup but nothing is working.

saxplayer8 wrote:

I know I didn’t set a password this morning and it is asking for a password. There is a serious problem with this process!

I know you DID set a password, because it is the only way a passcode can be set. You apparently don't remember doing it, but you did. You entered it into the dialog that is posted at the top of this page.

Fortunately, if you have iOS 11 on the 6s, there is now a way to bypass it:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/ht205220

Scroll down to the section on "If you forgot..."

If you are like most people it is a password that you reused. I posted a long list of passwords that people had discovered worked a while ago. Here it is again:

First iTunes account password (40 different users)

Old iTunes account password, but not the oldest one

Password used for almost all accounts (3 different users)

All digit Password created a long time ago

Computer/laptop login password (4 users)

Laptop password (2 users)

Computer password (4 users)

Email password (3 users)

iTunes with no capital letters

Password not used anywhere else

All numeric used in the past

Password for old gaming site

PC password (5 users)

“iphonelogin”

work computer password

Current app store password (2 users)

Paypal account password

iPad unlock passcode

Strongest variation of the base password I have ever used

Old password

Old work password

Macbook password (2 users)

Restriction passcode

Gmail password (2 users)

Current Apple ID password (2 users)

Apple MobileMe password

Apple ID password, but all lower case (8 users)

Apple ID password, first one ever used, but all lower case (2 users)

iPhone passcode when corporate profile was installed

Passcode for a website

iPhone screen unlock passcode (9 users)

iPhone unlock passcode at the time the first backup was made (3 users)

First password for work computer

Old password used over 2 years ago (2 users)

Previous owner’s iTunes password

Current laptop password

Wireless network password

Electric bill and Skype password

icloud password, all lower case

Windows login for very old laptop

iMac password (3 users)

First iPhone 4 digit passcode

iTunes password from last year

4 year old password

iTunes password (current) (3 users)

Old PC password

Password for “Good” application

Password used for everything+1234

1234 (4 users)

12345 (2 users)

0000

Password I use for everything else (2 users)

One of my husband’s passwords

Some old non-Apple product password

Screen passcode of the first iPhone that was backed up (2 users)

Old password with different case on first letter

“password”

Windows Administrator password (2 users)

Original Windows Administrator password

Mackbook administrator password

“iphone”+4 digit unlock code

Voicemail password

asd

“herpderp”

“darwin” (first name from credit card account)

First name, all lower case

Ms Exchange account password

Facebook password

Browser password

Network admin password

61 page thread p 14 https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3091672?start=195&tstart=0

brandon_taylorr wrote:

It is almost 2018 and this problem has still not been solved. I have no idea why Apple has not come up with a "forgot your password?" option or for their advisers to have the ability to reset the password. Just as most of you, I have never set up an encryption with a password at all. I have had two previous phones before my Iphone 8 and I never had this problem before. At this point, I have lost over 2000 photos and business content that was saved in this back up.

OK, let's talk about real life.

1. Advisors don't have the ability to reset your password, because they don't have access to it. The only place it exists is on your computer and on your phone. Would you prefer that Apple be able to log in to your computer any time they want to?

2. You set up encryption and entered a password - twice. That is the only way encrypted backups get created. Perhaps you don't remember doing it, but you did. Really.

3. There is no way to reset the password, because it is the encryption key for the backup. It isn't like a website password that is stored on the site. There's a good reason for this; it means that someone who steals your computer (or a law enforcement agency) can't reset your password either.

4. Most programs that claim to hack a password are scams. They don't work unless your password is as simple as "password". There is one exception; it is used by law enforcement, and is priced accordingly. And even it can't break a strong password.

At the ends of the day, I can speak for most people and say there has to be a solution. This thread started in 2011 and people are still facing this problem.

Well, first, there are hundreds of millions of people who are NOT facing this problem because they understand the importance of password management.

With iOS 11 there is a workaround; it lets you create a new unencrypted backup (not reset the password). See: About encrypted backups in iTunes - Apple Support

afifa15 wrote:

I have the same problem too. As i recall my memories, I never set any password for backup. Apple, please fix this problem.

1. Apple does not read these forums

2. Your memory is faulty. The ONLY way that a backup passcode can be set is if someone entered it. Twice. The 2nd time for confirmation.

3. If your phone has iOS 11 Apple now provides a way to create a new backup password that hopefully you will write down. See: About encrypted backups in iTunes - Apple Support and click "Get help with a forgotten password"

Sorry, but no one can help you with that. Read the thread. There have been tons and tons of suggestions about how to determine what that password might be. If you can't remember it, you can't use the backup.

Do you have a backup to iCloud? If so, use that:

Transfer content from your previous iOS device to your new iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

GB

Here is a list of passwords that other users have discovered that worked to unlock an encrypted backup. This list was compiled just by reading this thread and another thread on the subject:

• First iTunes account password (40 different users)
• Old iTunes account password, but not the oldest one
• Password used for almost all accounts (3 different users)
• All digit password created a long time ago
• Computer/laptop login password (4 users)
• Laptop password (2 users)
• Computer password (4 users)
• Email password (3 users)
• iTunes password with no capital letters
• Password not used anywhere else
• All numeric used in the past
• Password for old gaming site
• PC password (5 users)
• “iphonelogin”
• work computer password
• Current app store password (2 users)
• Paypal account password
• iPad unlock passcode
• Strongest variation of the base password I have ever used
• Old password
• Old work password
• Macbook password (2 users)
• Restriction passcode
• Gmail password (2 users)
• Current Apple ID password (2 users)
• Apple MobileMe password
• Apple ID password, but all lower case (8 users)
• Apple ID password, first one ever used, but all lower case (2 users)
• iPhone passcode when corporate profile was installed
• Passcode for a website
• iPhone screen unlock passcode (9 users)
• iPhone unlock passcode at the time the first backup was made (3 users)
• First password for work computer
• Old password used over 2 years ago (2 users)
• Previous owner’s iTunes password
• Current laptop password
• Wireless network password
• Electric bill and Skype password
• icloud password, all lower case
• Windows login for very old laptop
• iMac password (3 users)
• First iPhone 4 digit passcode
• iTunes password from last year
• 4 year old password
• iTunes password (current) (3 users)
• Old PC password
• Password for “Good” application
• Password used for everything+1234
• 1234 (4 users)
• 12345 (2 users)
• 0000
• Password I use for everything else (2 users)
• One of my husband’s passwords
• Some old non-Apple product password
• Screen passcode of the first iPhone that was backed up (2 users)
• Old password with different case on first letter
• “password”
• Windows Administrator password (2 users)
• Original Windows Administrator password
• Mackbook administrator password
• “iphone”+4 digit unlock code
• Voicemail password
• asd
• “herpderp”
• “darwin” (first name from credit card account)
• First name, all lower case
• Ms Exchange account password
• Facebook password
• Browser password
• Network admin password

mvyiu88 wrote:

to anyone whos using windows, its actually asking for the password for your MS id/windows password

No it is not, unless that is the password that you entered when you created the first encrypted backup. Here is a list of the passwords that different users in this thread have reported to be the "correct" password:

• First iTunes account password (40 different users)
• Old iTunes account password, but not the oldest one
• Password used for almost all accounts (3 different users)
• All digit Password created a long time ago
• Computer/laptop login password (4 users)
• Laptop password (2 users)
• Computer password (4 users)
• Email password (3 users)
• iTunes with no capital letters
• Password not used anywhere else
• All numeric used in the past
• Password for old gaming site
• PC password (5 users)
• “iphonelogin”
• work computer password
• Current app store password (2 users)
• Paypal account password
• iPad unlock passcode
• Strongest variation of the base password I have ever used
• Old password
• Old work password
• Macbook password (2 users)
• Restriction passcode
• Gmail password (2 users)
• Current Apple ID password (2 users)
• Apple MobileMe password
• Apple ID password, but all lower case (8 users)
• Apple ID password, first one ever used, but all lower case (2 users)
• iPhone passcode when corporate profile was installed
• Passcode for a website
• iPhone screen unlock passcode (9 users)
• iPhone unlock passcode at the time the first backup was made (3 users)
• First password for work computer
• Old password used over 2 years ago (2 users)
• Previous owner’s iTunes password
• Current laptop password
• Wireless network password
• Electric bill and Skype password
• icloud password, all lower case
• Windows login for very old laptop
• iMac password (3 users)
• First iPhone 4 digit passcode
• iTunes password from last year
• 4 year old password
• iTunes password (current) (3 users)
• Old PC password
• Password for “Good” application
• Password used for everything+1234
• 1234 (4 users)
• 12345 (2 users)
• 0000
• Password I use for everything else (2 users)
• One of my husband’s passwords
• Some old non-Apple product password
• Screen passcode of the first iPhone that was backed up (2 users)
• Old password with different case on first letter
• “password”
• Windows Administrator password (2 users)
• Original Windows Administrator password
• Mackbook administrator password
• “iphone”+4 digit unlock code
• Voicemail password
• asd
• “herpderp”
• “darwin” (first name from credit card account)
• First name, all lower case
• Ms Exchange account password
• Facebook password
• Browser password
• Network admin password

Omom127 wrote:

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!

Because it isn't an Apple issue. If you don't remember or record your passwords that is not Apple's fault. And any way to bypass it would defeat the purpose of encrypting the backup in the first place. There were three solutions until recently.

1. Keep guessing until you get it; you get unlimited guesses.
2. Stop using iTunes to back up, and instead use iCloud backups, which are encrypted, but don't require you to remember the passcode.
3. Restore the phone as a New phone. You can then create an unencrypted backup, unless you have a company email account on the phone, and your IT department requires encrypted backups.

If you have iOS 11 on your phone there is now a way to create a new unencrypted backup, or a backup with a different passcode. See this Apple tip, and click the button "Get help with a forgotten password". It requires resetting all of your settings (including your screen layout), but doesn't result in any other lost data.

<Edited by Host>

1. Yes, the passcode can be saved in your keychain (it's even an option when you first enter the passcode). However, if it is, then iTunes will use it and fill it in automatically and you will not get the password prompt.

bjtitus wrote:

Looking through most of these comments it seems fairly likely that something like #3/#2 is or was happening with these backups. iTunes is probably using the logged in account password as a default for encrypted backups to save a step for users, assuming that they use one password across their Apple devices.

Absolutely not happening. If it was everyone's backup password would be the account password. But that is not the case. There are dozens of different backup passwords that users have discovered will unlock the backup. Are you suggesting that iTunes RANDOMLY chooses a password from all of the passwords in the user's keychain? That is a truly bizarre suggestion. The list of passwords reported in this thread is on the previous page, but I will repeat it here for your convenience. Note that some of these do not exist anywhere on any computer, such as the iPhone unlock passcode:

• First iTunes account password (40 different users)
• Old iTunes account password, but not the oldest one
• Password used for almost all accounts (3 different users)
• All digit Password created a long time ago
• Computer/laptop login password (4 users)
• Laptop password (2 users)
• Computer password (4 users)
• Email password (3 users)
• iTunes with no capital letters
• Password not used anywhere else
• All numeric used in the past
• Password for old gaming site
• PC password (5 users)
• “iphonelogin”
• work computer password
• Current app store password (2 users)
• Paypal account password
• iPad unlock passcode
• Strongest variation of the base password I have ever used
• Old password
• Old work password
• Macbook password (2 users)
• Restriction passcode
• Gmail password (2 users)
• Current Apple ID password (2 users)
• Apple MobileMe password
• Apple ID password, but all lower case (8 users)
• Apple ID password, first one ever used, but all lower case (2 users)
• iPhone passcode when corporate profile was installed
• Passcode for a website
• iPhone screen unlock passcode (9 users)
• iPhone unlock passcode at the time the first backup was made (3 users)
• First password for work computer
• Old password used over 2 years ago (2 users)
• Previous owner’s iTunes password
• Current laptop password
• Wireless network password
• Electric bill and Skype password
• icloud password, all lower case
• Windows login for very old laptop
• iMac password (3 users)
• First iPhone 4 digit passcode
• iTunes password from last year
• 4 year old password
• iTunes password (current) (3 users)
• Old PC password
• Password for “Good” application
• Password used for everything+1234
• 1234 (4 users)
• 12345 (2 users)
• 0000
• Password I use for everything else (2 users)
• One of my husband’s passwords
• Some old non-Apple product password
• Screen passcode of the first iPhone that was backed up (2 users)
• Old password with different case on first letter
• “password”
• Windows Administrator password (2 users)
• Original Windows Administrator password
• Mackbook administrator password
• “iphone”+4 digit unlock code
• Voicemail password
• asd
• “herpderp”
• “darwin” (first name from credit card account)
• First name, all lower case
• Ms Exchange account password
• Facebook password
• Browser password
• Network admin password

annikabj wrote:

password is the password it seems

It was for you, because that is what you entered when you were prompted for a backup password the first time you created an encrypted backup. I've compiled a list of passwords that users have reported turned out to be THEIR backup password. It is on the previous page of this thread, but I'll repeat it here for your edification (I note that "password" was only reported once before):

• First iTunes account password (40 different users)
• Old iTunes account password, but not the oldest one
• Password used for almost all accounts (3 different users)
• All digit Password created a long time ago
• Computer/laptop login password (4 users)
• Laptop password (2 users)
• Computer password (4 users)
• Email password (3 users)
• iTunes with no capital letters
• Password not used anywhere else
• All numeric used in the past
• Password for old gaming site
• PC password (5 users)
• “iphonelogin”
• work computer password
• Current app store password (2 users)
• Paypal account password
• iPad unlock passcode
• Strongest variation of the base password I have ever used
• Old password
• Old work password
• Macbook password (2 users)
• Restriction passcode
• Gmail password (2 users)
• Current Apple ID password (2 users)
• Apple MobileMe password
• Apple ID password, but all lower case (8 users)
• Apple ID password, first one ever used, but all lower case (2 users)
• iPhone passcode when corporate profile was installed
• Passcode for a website
• iPhone screen unlock passcode (9 users)
• iPhone unlock passcode at the time the first backup was made (3 users)
• First password for work computer
• Old password used over 2 years ago (2 users)
• Previous owner’s iTunes password
• Current laptop password
• Wireless network password
• Electric bill and Skype password
• icloud password, all lower case
• Windows login for very old laptop
• iMac password (3 users)
• First iPhone 4 digit passcode
• iTunes password from last year
• 4 year old password
• iTunes password (current) (3 users)
• Old PC password
• Password for “Good” application
• Password used for everything+1234
• 1234 (4 users)
• 12345 (2 users)
• 0000
• Password I use for everything else (2 users)
• One of my husband’s passwords
• Some old non-Apple product password
• Screen passcode of the first iPhone that was backed up (2 users)
• Old password with different case on first letter
• “password”
• Windows Administrator password (2 users)
• Original Windows Administrator password
• Mackbook administrator password
• “iphone”+4 digit unlock code
• Voicemail password
• asd
• “herpderp”
• “darwin” (first name from credit card account)
• First name, all lower case
• Ms Exchange account password
• Facebook password
• Browser password
• Network admin password

1. On your Mac, go to /Applications/Utilities/ and open Keychain Access app.
2. Under the Keychains section on the left-hand side of the app, select login. You should now see a list of websites and applications that use Keychain Access to store login information. Scroll down through this list until you get to the login item named “iPhone Backup“.
3. Double-click the “iPhone Backup” login item. This will open a new window with more details about your iTunes backup account. From this screen, check the “Show password” checkbox.
4. You will be prompted to enter your Mac OS X user password to authenticate. Once entered, click the Allowbutton to continue.
5. Once that’s done, you’ll return to the previous window showing all the details including the password in plain text. Make a note of it and ensure it’s kept somewhere secure so you can remember it the next time.

1. On your Mac, go to /Applications/Utilities/ and open Keychain Access app.
2. Under the Keychains section on the left-hand side of the app, select login. You should now see a list of websites and applications that use Keychain Access to store login information. Scroll down through this list until you get to the login item named “iPhone Backup“.

3. Double-click the “iPhone Backup” login item. This will open a new window with more details about your iTunes backup account. From this screen, check the “Show password” checkbox.

4. You will be prompted to enter your Mac OS X user password to authenticate. Once entered, click the Allowbutton to continue.

5. Once that’s done, you’ll return to the previous window showing all the details including the password in plain text. Make a note of it and ensure it’s kept somewhere secure so you can remember it the next time.

m-zreik wrote:

I lost backup password. But I dont remember that i put any password . is their any solution to get back my backup??

Start guessing. You entered it, twice, possibly years ago. It never changes. You get unlimited guesses. to speed up the process uncheck "Encrypt Backup" and you will be prompted immediately. If you are like most people you reused a password, probably related to your iPhone or your Apple ID. If you have a company MS Exchange account on your phone it might have been a company email or domain password, and on rare occasion, it was actually entered by your system administrator.

To jog your memory, I have created a list of passwords that users in this thread have discovered when they guessed the right one:

• First iTunes account password (40 different users)
• Old iTunes account password, but not the oldest one
• Password used for almost all accounts (3 different users)
• All digit Password created a long time ago
• Computer/laptop login password (4 users)
• Laptop password (2 users)
• Computer password (4 users)
• Email password (3 users)
• iTunes with no capital letters
• Password not used anywhere else
• All numeric used in the past
• Password for old gaming site
• PC password (5 users)
• “iphonelogin”
• work computer password
• Current app store password (2 users)
• Paypal account password
• iPad unlock passcode
• Strongest variation of the base password I have ever used
• Old password
• Old work password
• Macbook password (2 users)
• Restriction passcode
• Gmail password (2 users)
• Current Apple ID password (2 users)
• Apple MobileMe password
• Apple ID password, but all lower case (8 users)
• Apple ID password, first one ever used, but all lower case (2 users)
• iPhone passcode when corporate profile was installed
• Passcode for a website
• iPhone screen unlock passcode (9 users)
• iPhone unlock passcode at the time the first backup was made (3 users)
• First password for work computer
• Old password used over 2 years ago (2 users)
• Previous owner’s iTunes password
• Current laptop password
• Wireless network password
• Electric bill and Skype password
• icloud password, all lower case
• Windows login for very old laptop
• iMac password (3 users)
• First iPhone 4 digit passcode
• iTunes password from last year
• 4 year old password
• iTunes password (current) (3 users)
• Old PC password
• Password for “Good” application
• Password used for everything+1234
• 1234 (4 users)
• 12345 (2 users)
• 0000
• Password I use for everything else (2 users)
• One of my husband’s passwords
• Some old non-Apple product password
• Screen passcode of the first iPhone that was backed up (2 users)
• Old password with different case on first letter
• “password” (2 users)
• Windows Administrator password (2 users)
• Original Windows Administrator password
• Mackbook administrator password
• “iphone”+4 digit unlock code
• Voicemail password
• asd
• “herpderp”
• “darwin” (first name from credit card account)
• First name, all lower case
• Ms Exchange account password
• Facebook password
• Browser password
• Network admin password

Dear All

These are all the possible solutions i found and tried. Something worked for me and I am sure if you don't give up, I am sure something will work for you too.

• Your Apple ID password
• Your system password
• Your iphone/ipad/ipod password
• Please try all of your Apple ID/Mac/System/device passwords you have ever kept (this worked for me)
• 1234/0000