Lost Password to iPhone Backup

*late summer 2016

I think this must be displayed only once, the first time a user performs a backup?

Same exact issue just happened to my wife - she got a new phone in the mail. Performed a backup of her old phone - on a computer on which it had never before been backed up. She was not asked to choose a password for the backup, or given any sort of prompt or warning about the encryption etc.

She performed the backup. And now she can't restore this backup - which she JUST MADE - because it's asking her for a passcode. She has no recollection of ever entering a passcode for her backups. Perhaps she did create one - several years ago. Who knows. Point being: the user should be told when creating a backup that the backup will be locked with a special encryption passcode that they entered previously. The user should be given the option to create a new encryption passcode at this time. The user should also be given the option to disable the encryption.

I'm sure there is some legal CYA thing at work here. But the user experience is terrible and beyond frustrating.

And the Apple-is-always-right-and-can-do-no-wrong-it's-just-that-you're-too-stupid-to-u nderstand-anything type replies are typical, condescending, and profoundly unhelpful.

My teen son just just backed up his 5c at 10:30am since he is switching to a 6. He backed up and clicked on create password to encrypt. He happened to use the code to unlock phone as the password. I had him restore the 5c to the 10:30a restore. He proceeded. He was prompted to enter password to UNLOCK phone. It was not "enter password that was used to encrypt the backup". I say type in code to unlock phone. Try that.

When it says to enter a password to unlock the phone, that means enter the regular screen unlock passcode on the phone. You need to do that before you get the prompt to enter the backup password, which will be in iTunes.

anything type replies are typical, condescending, and profoundly unhelpful.

And yet truthful and accurate.

I have never said anyone was stupid, so stop putting words in my mouth. I have also never said Apple can do no wrong. Show me where I have done that. I have said that Apple clearly explains the consequences, and I stand by that.

This warning is impossible to misunderstand. The statement alone should explain how important it is to keep the password you have enabled for your encrypted backup documented somewhere safe and that Apple, or anyone else will not be able to recover it for you. That would be what "no way" means. The password is stored only on the computer where it was created and is not transmitted to Apple.

The ONLY Reason, and this is explained clearly at the time of enabling, to encrypt a local backup is to protect health data, passwords and Homekit data. Selecting encryption is an overt, deliberate action, as the default is for an unencrypted backup as seen in the screenshot.

That many people don't recall doing this changes nothing. It was done by someone at some point who blew past the warnings.

All iCloud activity is encrypted, so this step in not needed when making iCloud backups of essentially the same data. To play the logic out, if you lost control of your Apple ID and were no longer able to sign in to iCloud or reset your Apple ID's password, you would lose your iCloud backups as well.

i for got my password thank you edmund k.

<Personal Information Edited by Host>

Consider that a lesson learned. When you replace your iPhone, tape the password to the back of the phone.

True enough. It will be terrible when I start getting Alzheimer's. biometrics not too far off for ALL password access. Unless someone cuts all my fingers off.

Yes I forgot it

Ciro. I have had this issue last week. There is hope and a way. Chairez. Biometrics will resolve this some day. @. Update your iTunes.

This is the one thing that worked for me. I was connecting the iphone to the work computer, and it picked up my WORK computer's password, one that I would NEVER EVER use for my iphone's backup (very convoluted 16 character password that follows my company's guidelines) so I am 100% sure it's not like I set it once then forgot it. Apple should be ashamed of themselves. Maybe they can sell a password-removing dongle since it seems that's how they solve their design issues.

iTunes cannot possibly "pick up" any password, especially a Microsoft domain password, which usually isn't even stored on your computer; it's on the domain server, and regardless of where, is stored in an irreversible hash. So the only way it could be that password is if it was manually entered. Some companies force backups to be encrypted through the security profile that gets installed, and the administrator might have set the password. But there is no possible way that iTunes could have chosen it.

Apple should be ashamed of themselves.

For what?

For designing a secure process that works? Almost every one of these threads that begins with "...I NEVER set a password" ends with "...turns out it was my first dog's birthdate backwards..."

If one gets tired of reading about evil Apple's conspiracy plan to render your iTunes backup unusable, move on to their work with 2 Factor Authentication or FileVault. Other choices one can make to protect their data that have possibly dire consequences when you lose control of them.

There are numerous solutions available today to store passwords securely for the inevitable day when you need them.

Idk

If apple could code iTunes to make a user enter creation of password twice as most other software programs do. SunShare. I I have been there. Engine.