KarlosJ
Level 1
(2 points)
Q: Can I create a new unencrypted iPhone backup without starting from scratch (original encryption password not working)?
I have previously backed up my iPhone on iCloud and in iTunes with encryption turned on. Now either my original password is not working or I have forgotten it, either way, I cannot access the backup.
I realise I can no longer access this backup, however is it possible to create a new unencrypted backup without first having to reset my iPhone to factory settings?
At the moment it can still be restored successfully from iCloud, however I would like to have a physical backup on my Mac as well. I do not need to access the previous encrypted backup.
iPhone 5s, iOS 8.4, Backup
Michael Black
Level 7
(24,168 points)
KarlosJ wrote:
Thanks Michael. In that case, is there any way to turn off encryption from the device in that case or must the phone be entirely reset to factory settings?
Without knowing the password for the encrypted backup, the only way to remove the encryption setting from the device is to erase it and restore as new. That will wipe out the encryption setting, and yes to do that you will first need to disable find my iPhone with your iCloud passphrase. Once it is erased and restored to factory settings, you can restore your iCloud backup.
I know it is a pain if you have forgotten the password, but that is the very point of using an encrypted backup. Without the password, no can gain access to your data, neither from the backup file, nor from the device itself (I.e. you cannot just turn off the encryption setting and then extract the data with a regular backup). If it were any other way, it would be a largely pointless security feature. Note that your iCloud backup will NOT contain certain data, like app passwords, that are part of an encrypted backup. About encrypted backups in iTunes - Apple Support
