password to unlock your iphone backup file

The password to unlock your backup doesn't have any specific requirements. It can definitely be the same as your passcode, or your Apple ID password if you choose to sign it as that. If it was simply your Apple ID password, then you could simply reset it, but then that would kind of defeat the purpose of encrypted backups in the first place wouldn't it? From: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205220

Yet you guys have your fingers in your ears

There has to be a glitch to where it encrypts a backup and picks your original itunes account password.

Tell you what... I'll take my fingers out of my ears long enough to hear you explain how your orginal iTunes password can be picked and entered into this dialog.

Twice. Against your will or without your knowledge. And then click the Set Password button after it becomes active.

Hello people, I don't know if you guys already had the answer for this situation, I just got the same issue and found that the password iTunes ask for when you connect the iPhone after the factory reset is the password you use when you start that computer

Funny thing is that i never created the encrypted backup, it was a regular backup as i do every time my phone is getting slow or something isn't working properly.. this last time was the first time i was asked for a password like that, maybe because is a new iMac or maybe the new iTunes... anyways, i just checked and verify that is selected and i can't even change it

wilberts wrote:

Which demonstrates that this is a design problem other than human error. It says "Enter the password to unlock your iphone backup". The first thing I asked myself was "Which password are you talking about? Phone, computer, iCloud or iTunes password? The list goes on because of lack of specificity with even no pw recovery option for such important task like fetching a backup. I was lucky to try with a couple 'till I nailed it, but in terms of User Experience and Design Thinking: poor!

If you feel it could be improved, let Apple know here:

http://www.apple.com/feedback

That worked because it is the password that you typed twice the first time you were prompted for a backup password. I posted a list of passwords that other users had discovered was their backup password. It is near the top of this page, at this link: Re: password to unlock your iphone backup file

panchososa694 wrote:

According to this, you may now be able to turn off encryption and create a new unencrypted backup if your device supports iOS 11.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205220

That's pretty nifty. Good catch!

You try every password that you can remember you've ever used until you get it right. Or update to iOS 11, then you can reset all settings, and then that will turn off encryption for you.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205220

SparkyGirl1012 wrote:

None of my passwords worked; not my computer password, not my wifi password, not any of my old or current iTunes passwords, arghhhh!! I'm stuck with a $1200 brick right now.

How is your phone a brick because you don't have the password to the encrypted back up? That doesn't make sense.

Have you review this article:

About encrypted backups in iTunes - Apple Support

It explains what to do if you forgot the passcode.

Woodruffellle wrote:

Brute force is possible to crack the password unless:

1. The password is week. According to my test, it took 8 hours to break a password with 6 pure digits.
2. The Computer should have a high profile especially for GPU.
3. The backup made by lower version of iTunes has more possibilities for breaking.

If it's that easy, why did it cost the FBI nearly a million dollars to get into a phone with an older, less secure version of iOS? Also, of course, the OP wasn't asking how to get past the passcode on a phone but how use a backup file that had been encrypted for which they'd lost the passcode. So, you've given the wrong answer to the wrong question.

dianafromherndon wrote:

how to do i find the password to unlock your iphone backup file

Going back to the original question, you guess. You get unlimited guesses. To speed up the process uncheck Encrypt Backup or Change Passcode and you will be prompted immediately. Here is a list gleaned from this thread of passcodes that have worked for users. You will note that, while there is some repetition, most of the correctly guessed passcodes are different for each user.

• First iTunes account password (37 different users)
• Old iTunes account password, but not the oldest one
• Password used for almost all accounts (2 different users)
• All digit Password created a long time ago
• Computer/laptop login password (4 users)
• Laptop password (2 users)
• Computer password (3 users)
• Email password
• iTunes password with no capital letters
• 1234 (2 users)
• 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 (5 users)
• iPhone passcode when corporate profile was installed
• Passcode for a website
• iPhone unlock passcode (5 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) (2 users)
• Old PC password
• Password for “Good” application
• Password used for everything+1234
• 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

Commentary on the list:

• The most common was the first iTunes password ever used, even if it was 10 years ago (as one user mentioned). This makes perfect sense: If you created an encrypted backup when you first got a device, when iTunes prompted you for a password you would naturally enter your iTunes password. As the backup password never changes (unless you make an effort to change it) that will be your encryption password going forward.
• Similar comment for old iTunes password, but not the oldest.
• Computer/laptop password (also computer password, laptop password work computer password, Mac password, Macbook password, etc): Also makes sense - how often does your computer prompt you for a password? If you don't read carefully you may not realize it is the backup password that you are entering. My computer prompts for my password pretty regularly, for installations, updates, etc.
• Work computer password is a special case. If you have a work MS Exchange account on your computer your administrator may require a backup password, and may even supply one.
• Old work computer password: Like the first in this list, a backup password never changes.
• iPhone 4 digit passcode (several variations): Also something that would be logical to enter when you are backing up your iPhone.
• "iphonelogin": this is similar to people who enter "password" when seeing a prompt "enter password". And it's actually pretty common.

The most important observation is that there are over 50 DIFFERENT password types in this list, and over 100 different passwords. It is a real stretch to believe that iTunes could choose one at random, when most of them do not exist in plaintext on the computer hosting iTunes. Even the iTunes and Apple ID password do not exist anywhere on the computer: iTunes sends these to Apple's servers for validation, and does not store them, even in enciphered form, anywhere on the computer.

Well, that will only work if that is the password that you entered when prompted for a backup password. Many users have discovered that it is a different password. I while ago I compiled and posted a list of passwords that have been reported by users in this thread and another thread.

Here is a list gleaned from the threads of passcodes that have worked for users. You will note that, while there is some repetition, most of the correctly guessed passcodes are different for each user.

• First iTunes account password (37 different users)
• Old iTunes account password, but not the oldest one
• Password used for almost all accounts (2 different users)
• All digit Password created a long time ago
• Computer/laptop login password (4 users)
• Laptop password (2 users)
• Computer password (3 users)
• Email password
• iTunes password with no capital letters
• 1234 (2 users)
• 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 (5 users)
• iPhone passcode when corporate profile was installed
• Passcode for a website
• iPhone unlock passcode (5 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) (2 users)
• Old PC password
• Password for “Good” application
• Password used for everything+1234
• 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

Just chiming in like the 14,000 other people this has happened to. Like most of you I didn't remember doing this at all and thought it was some crazy Apple shenanigans. Quite frankly in the end, I just got lucky. Here was my adventure...

1. Backup old iPhone 6 to iTunes in preparation for new iPhone 7.

2. Get new iPhone (yay!) and try to restore from old backup.

3. Get an error regarding iOS versions...no biggie, update both phones to same iOS.

4. Restore from backup, easy right? Nope, get that lovely password error...poo.

5. Spend the next hour throwing every password ever at it (even tried my old MySpace one) - no dice.

6. Call Apple. Rep professionally holds back laughter telling me I'm screwed.

7. Start iCloud backup with old phone so I can restore via iCloud...says it will ONLY take 12 hours...lovely.

8. Save the 10GB iPhone backup folder to a hard drive and try to use a PC program to crack that turd.

9. Brute force cracker runs for hours...this is going to take weeks.

10. Since the other options are going to take weeks let's try throwing more passwords at iTunes hoping for a miracle.

11. Miracle happens, phone restored...whew!

Password ended up being my original password for my Apple ID...I think. I'm not sure honestly because I've had to change that password 3 or 4 times. I'm sure I chose encryption in the past even though I don't remember doing it. The reason being is that little window others have shared. The whole, "If you don't encrypt your backup you won't get all your crap restored because we're worried Putin is going to steal your iPhone data" screen. So like I said before, I just got lucky. Thankfully it doesn't appear there's a limit on how many times you can guess your password so keep trying, and good luck!

That brute force cracker is still running as we speak. I'm going to let it finish just to see how long it takes, lol!

I had this issue. It seems like it is the password of the phone you backed up. So whatever back up you are trying to restore from, it is the password from that device.

You also need to have the most current software on the device. So you have to download it from settings.