Q: How can we reset Backup password

mallenbrand wrote:

 

i not to mention the time involved to backup and restore.  If you've ever restored a 64GB device from iCloud you know the hours involved in that process.

Sorry, but not really.... I erase and restore my iPhone 5s and iPhone 4 on a regular basis from iCloud to test stuff. The other night I erased it and restored it 3 times in a time span of 4 hours. The initial restore takes, maybe 20 minutes. It then takes an hour or so to re-download all of the apps. There is no reason why this should take days....

Cheers,

GB

Lawrence Finch wrote:

 

Michael Black wrote:

 

elcpu wrote:

 

gail from maine wrote:

So, back it up to iCloud. Then erase it. Then back it up to iTunes as an un-encrypted backup. Then restore from the iCloud backup. Then back up to iTunes again.

That should work, space permitting. Your workaround shows that requiring all future iTunes backups to be encrypted is not needed for security reasons. I am going to bookmark your workaround as others may benefit.  

The iCloud backup and all subsequent backups will no longer contain the secure data included in the encrypted backup (app passwords, secure notes, etc). An iCloud backup simply does not contain some of the data of an encrypted iTunes backup.

That is not correct. An iCloud backup IS encrypted, using a different encryption key than the one in an iTunes backup. An iCloud backup contains the same information that an encrypted iTunes backup contains. See this for what is included in each backup type: About backups in iCloud and iTunes - Apple Support

Actually, I am correct.  I never said an iCloud backup was not encrypted (all iCloud content and traffic is encrypted).  An encrypted iTunes backup includes content that no other method of iOS backup includes. Please see About encrypted backups in iTunes - Apple Support

Gail's solution is viable, just very time consuming.  Once I reset my device I must restore, then re-sync my 5000+ song library and reconfigure all my apps (I've had to do this before).  It's not unlike having to reformat and re-install my PC.  It's a viable solution, I just don't want to have to resort to it.  And I already know that the data on my device will NOT fit within the initial free 5GB iCloud offering, so again going the iCloud route will cost me $ unless I want to start deleting.

As to the ridiculous FBI scenario, again I have the device.  It's mine.  I have full access to it and all of the data on it.  It's my choice whether or not to make an encrypted backup.  If someone can make an UN-encrypted backup without my device password and iTunes password then the security hole is not with forced, locked in encryption but with access to the device and iTunes.  I'm not trying to defeat security here.  I just want to be able to make a usable backup of my device.  This is not a security issue, it's a usability issue.  Playing the security card just doesn't fly here.

No, it pretty much backs up a lot more than app data - like all of my Settings and Home screen layouts. I have very little app data. But between an iCloud backup and signing in to iCloud to get Contact, Photo Stream, Camera Roll, Notes, Messages, Mail, etc. my restore results in a mirror image of what I had on the phone before I erased it with the one exception of the apps that have to re-download. Once those download, everything looks exactly like it did before I erased it - including all of my music and playlists. I will have to check the music download next time I do this to see how long that takes. I always notice the apps taking awhile, but I've never checked my music - so good point!

GB

Well, I don't have 3000 songs on my device, so I can see why it would take some time for you! But not sure why you would have to reconfigure all of your apps?

Cheers,

GB

First, if you have music and apps in iTunes you can restore from an iCloud backup, but still sync your music and apps from your computer. (In fact, you have to if you have music from sources other than the iTunes store.) I have 8500 tracks of music and 270 apps on my iPhone 6. My last restore took about 2 hours, ran unattended, and restored everything to exactly the state it was in before I did the restore.

Michael Black wrote:

 

Lawrence Finch wrote:

 

Actually, I am correct.  I never said an iCloud backup was not encrypted (all iCloud content and traffic is encrypted).  An encrypted iTunes backup includes content that no other method of iOS backup includes. Please see About encrypted backups in iTunes - Apple Support

Than you for quoting my link back to me. Here is the list of what is not in an iCloud backup (from that link):

iCloud backups include nearly all data and settings stored on your device. iCloud backups don't include:

• Data that's already stored in the cloud, like contacts, calendars, notes, My Photo Stream, and iCloud Photo Library
• Data stored in other cloud services, like Gmail and Exchange mail
• Apple Pay information and settings
• Touch ID settings
• Content you didn't get directly from iTunes, App, or iBooks Stores, like imported MP3s, videos, or CDs
• iTunes in the Cloud and App Store content (If it's still available in the iTunes, App, or iBooks Store, you can tap to re-download your already purchased content.)

And here is the list of what is excluded from an iTunes backup (from that link):

• Content from the iTunes and App Stores, or PDFs downloaded directly to iBooks (You can back up this content using Transfer Purchases in iTunes.)
• Content synced from iTunes, like imported MP3s or CDs, videos, books, and photos
• Photos already stored in the cloud, like My Photo Stream, and iCloud Photo Library
• Touch ID settings
• Apple Pay information and settings
• Activity, Health, and Keychain data (To back up this content, you'll need to use Encrypted Backup in iTunes.)

Where is the "missing" data from the iCloud backup?

The link I posted doesn't  go to any of that?  The link I posted has, at the very top of its page:

The Encrypt Backup feature in iTunes locks and encodes your data. An encrypted iTunes backup includes certain information that other backups don't:

• Your saved passwords
• Wi-Fi settings
• Website history
• Health data

The link I used is marked as last updated March 26,2016, and it refers to information that to my knowledge has always applied in terms of iTunes encrypted backups.

Sorry, check the link that I provided. Last Modified: Apr 5, 2016

The link that you used is ambiguous; it refers to other iTunes backups and is correct from that perspective.

Fine but both links point out that there are types of data that is only included in an iTunes encrypted backup.  I don't see anything at all ambiguous about it. There is certain data that is not part of either a regular iCloud nor a regular iTunes backup. Those four discrete types of data in the link I posted (and in the final point of items backed up in your posted link) are only included in an iTunes encrypted backup. So people can make a backup to iCloud, but it will not contain all of the data that was in their encrypted iTunes backup. If they wish to recover all of the data in their encrypted iTunes backup, their going to have to remember the encryption password (or look it up in their password managment software).

otherwise, they need to at least recognize that they will not recover saved passwords, health data, wifi settings and website data.

Michael Black wrote:

 

Fine but both links point out that there are types of data that is only included in an iTunes encrypted backup.  I don't see anything at all ambiguous about it. There is certain data that is not part of either a regular iCloud nor a regular iTunes backup. Those four discrete types of data in the link I posted (and in the final point of items backed up in your posted link) are only included in an iTunes encrypted backup. So people can make a backup to iCloud, but it will not contain all of the data that was in their encrypted iTunes backup. If they wish to recover all of the data in their encrypted iTunes backup, their going to have to remember the encryption password (or look it up in their password managment software).

 

otherwise, they need to at least recognize that they will not recover saved passwords, health data, wifi settings and website data.

Having restored iCloud backups, I can assure you that all of those items are recovered from an iCloud backup. Which the link that I posted says, by NOT including those items in the list of what is excluded.

Let's play this out. I have your device and I use it regularly. I want to backup all of your precious data to my computer, but oh darn it all, there is an encryption on the backup so I can't do that even though I possess your phone and I'm not using your computer to do this?! Ludicrous! It backs up, but if I were to attempt to use the backup, it would ask me for YOUR encryption password. "ridiculous"

Solution:

If you would like to get rid of the unknown encryption password that is now tethered to your phone and its present contents, you will need to erase your phone to do so.

HT205220 - If you forgot your password, the only way to turn off backup encryption on your device is to erase your device and set up as new. Erasing removes all data from your device.

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Separately, you can look to HT203037 and find that things like your health data, website passwords, etc are in fact backed up in iCloud. Reference HT204136 to see that iCloud, itself, is an encrypted backup which is why it backs these things up.

[Please Notes: I realize some of what I have stated here has already be said by others as I am now scrolling up, but posted in response to an email notification, not in response to the general thread.]

Okay, thanks Lawrence. Clearly iCloud backups have changed a lot since I last had to restore from one. Hopefully then Apple will also make a note and remove that link I posted. If it no longer applies, it should come down.