password to unlock your iphone backup file

It is not as simple as a password reset. The characters you enter are used to encrypt the backup.

They are part of the encryption key.

The encryption key is known only by you. That's what makes it so secure.

It's a comprehension issue. IMO

Totally agree, spent a few hours as not sure whether it was a 4 digit code etc, entered many MANY passwords and finally went back to one and entered the first letter as lower case, (as had previously entered them all with the first letter being uppercase), and thank god it worked.

So agree there must surely be an easier way of finding out exactly what is required or at least a simple way of re setting

Absolutely false. The pass-code is not the same as the password for the backup. If you want to spread false information please go elsewhere. The 4 digit pass-codes are NOT what it is asking for. It wants your Apple ID password that you used with your first backup. PERIOD. It doesn't want your current password, it doesn't want your finger print or 4 digit pass-code, it wants your original password you ever used to back up your phone. Which again, is absolutely insane. It doesn't specify or even give a hint of what you should use either. This is a typical Apple way of being extremely difficult for no reason. Like I said, my original password was over 8 years old, and that's what I had to enter to get it to unlock. It would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic.

I'm having the same issue. I'm sure I never set an encrypted password backup, have tried every possible password, deleted previous backup from years ago and still no option to uncheck encryption. Please help. Desperate to setup my new iphone 7 but can't until I successfully backup 6 with encryption.

I didn't realize I had encrypted my backup either (must have clicked it at some point) and guess passwords. It ended up that the password to unlock the phone's home screen at the time of the backup did the trick (same one you enter when you turn your phone on). Hopefully that works for you.

CoCCoC2 wrote:

It ended up that the password to unlock the phone's home screen at the time of the backup did the trick (same one you enter when you turn your phone on). Hopefully that works for you.

The password to the back up is only the same as the password to your phone if you explicitly chose the same one. It doesn't have to be. They aren't linked.

Glad you remember yours.

Horse poop!

We all have other Apple IDs of one sort or another.

There is zero reason why one or 2 of those couldn't be utilized to reset/reveal the password.

Or even security questions?

Not like they aren't used all over the world.

This is very poor customer service on Apple's part

I still love that the same old people still are defending this garbage. This is absolutely the worst customer service and process from any tech company I have ever dealt with, and this is coming from a guy that grew up with DOS and the first Windows. There is no rhyme or reason to the password that it is asking for. Literally enter in any password that you ever used with an apple product and hope for the best. Anyone else with high ratings coming in telling you otherwise is full of it. Again, I had to use my first password that I used for my iPod Classic 4th Gen from 2005 for the to unlock the backup of my 2015 iPhone 6. Moreover, this never happened with my iPhone 4 or 5s. I guarantee all of you that I have not used that password in over 8 years. Anyone that is trying to justify that we intentionally set the password for am encrypted backup with these old and obsolete passwords are just apologists for apple.

How does this make any sense? People are struggling to unlock a recent backup with their current password because their current and typical password that is tied to their apple id DOES NOT WORK. This has nothing to do with how easy a password is or "easily switched out" it is (which also makes no sense). The point is that the passwords we use with our apple id do not unlock the backups and that we never used another password for the backup. Why are you being this dense?

That is the entire point of this help thread. No one selected to "encrypt their backup". NO ONE. Did you read any of the original posts within this thread? Of course you didn't.This is why so many people are asking for help to figure out what password to use. You cannot continue to copy and paste screen shots without reading the context of the questions you are trying to "solve". You are just farming for apple help points. It's sad and doing the community a disservice.

You are a broken record aren't you? Or a bot. Regardless, you aren't helpful and the 100's of other people that have the same issues indicate you have no idea what you are talking about. Keep farming those points guy. I'm sure they help you sleep at night.

Yes, your posts are so on topic and relevant that you've helped no one. Impressive.

For anyone else reading, most likely the password you need is the original iTunes password you used to create your iTunes account. For some of you it is extremely new; for others like me it is over 10 years old. Regardless of whether you chose to encrypt or not (you didn't), don't let the negative people bring you down. iTunes account password is what you need.

Dawson14 wrote:

For anyone else reading, most likely the password you need is the original iTunes password you used to create your iTunes account. For some of you it is extremely new; for others like me it is over 10 years old. Regardless of whether you chose to encrypt or not (you didn't), don't let the negative people bring you down. iTunes account password is what you need.

There is no "most likely" about it. The encrypted back up passcode has no relationship with any other passcode you've ever had unless you compromise security by using the same passcode over and over for different things.

It doesn't make sense. I have backed up my phone previously unencrypted with no problem.

3 days ago I decided to give encryption a try.

Are you people telling me I forgot a password I made 3 days ago???

That's BS, I never made a password that I know of.

The only possibility is that I inadvertently entered a blank password, which itunes doesn't let you enter.

How am I supposed to enter a password it won't let me enter?

T19BF wrote:

3 days ago I decided to give encryption a try.

Are you people telling me I forgot a password I made 3 days ago???

That's BS, I never made a password that I know of.

Yes. You forgot the password. You had to since you can't "give encryption a try" without setting a password. You did set a password. If you hadn't, you could not have "tried encryption".