password to unlock your iphone backup file

You get unlimited guesses. To speed up the process uncheck Encrypt Backup and you will be prompted immediately

Thank you SO much - your mention of mobile me made me think of my original, very first password associated with my Mac account - typed it in, and BINGO. Lifesaver, and thank you again!

These are all great suggestions. But is there any reason why Apply can't just offer us a password reset option???

Well said Pancho.

In order to do that Apple would have to put a backdoor in their encryption so that they would be able to do that. It would defeat any security for encryption.

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.

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.

seanj.com wrote:

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.

No, it's not necessarily that. It's whatever password you set up when you encrypted the back up. It can be the same as the one you use on your phone but only if you explicitly chose to do that. The password to my encrypted back up is not the same as my phone's lock code or the passcode to my Apple ID.

This worked for me. It wasn't my numeric PIN to unlock my phone, nor was it my Apple ID. Scary that iTunes doesn't mention that a password will be required when restoring from the backup when you make it.

mike_conley wrote:

This worked for me. It wasn't my numeric PIN to unlock my phone, nor was it my Apple ID. Scary that iTunes doesn't mention that a password will be required when restoring from the backup when you make it.

In order to make an encrypted iTunes passcode, you have to chose a passcode. iTunes doesn't do it automatically. I believe there is also a notice that the passcode can't be recovered. If you started encrypting your back ups a long time ago, you may have forgotten this happened.

If you sync your iPhone with iTunes on your computer or your iPad you just go to iTunes and open your iPhone app and go to password reset and recovery. Plug your iPhone into either your iMac or iPad and when iTunes opens and you see reset your phone or password, you will see the cable and your phone on both your iPad or computer as well as your locked phone. You

Will be instructed to force your iPhone to start by holding the home button and you should suddenly see the screen to enter your new or existing password. Just follow the instructions from the site Find My Phone or Reset My a Password and it works great without loosing everything if you have backed up or synced with iTunes or icloud. If I did it right anyone can do this! Good luck! Princess Bichon Texas

I'm really unclear what these are instructions for. Mostly, they sound like the instructions to reset your Apple ID password which is not the same thing as the password to an encrypted back up. You cannot reset the password for an encrypted back up.

I don't understand this part at all:

open your iPhone app and go to password reset and recovery.

Do you mean the Phone app on the iPhone? Where, in that app, is "password reset and recovery"? Can you post a screenshot?

You have to use the original password of your iTunes account (the one you had back when you purchased the iPhone i guess). That worked for me. In any case, this is STUPID.

Which means you used the password you created when you encrypted the backup. Exactly as designed.

Step 1 - Make a password to encrypt/lock your iTunes backup.

Step 2 - Use the same password to decrypt/unlock the iTunes backup.

Sorry, but how is that stupid?