iTunes asking for iPhone backup password I have never set

An encrypted backup includes your saved passwords, Wi-Fi settings, website history, and health data, but the presence of the Health app doesn't make encryption mandatory.

The only way to use an encrypted backup or turn off backup encryption if currently enabled is with the password that was entered when it was set up. The setting is stored on the device itself, so persists even if you delete your current backup set or switch to a new computer. The password might be any computer, Apple ID, Wi-Fi password or device PIN that you've used in the past, working from the assumption that you might have reused a common password that you were using when you first activated encryption. See About encrypted backups in iTunes - Apple Support for details.

If you want to turn off encryption going forward you can either erase and set up as a new device, or backup the current state of the device to iCloud, then subsequently restore from it. Non-iTunes media will need reloading from your computer once the restore is complete. See How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support for details. Obviously this approach is only helpful if your device is currently functioning correctly. If you have content on your device that isn't in your library see Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device. I would also recommend you copy everything out of the camera roll if you haven't already.

tt2

totally agree with you. I quite literally JUST did this exact same thing. My phone was crapping the bad... so I backed it up (100% did NOT check the encrypted password and did NOT set a password) yet I go buy my new phone and go to restore it and it asks for a password.

Nothing I guess will work and have read quite literally thousands of others have had this SAME EXACT ISSUE dating back to the original versions of apple. Quite frankly apple is just **** software that has nonstop bugs in it like this that never get addressed and then worse, they blame the users like they are doing to you right now.

Guys - THIS IS a 100% legit problem. not user error. this is an apple terrible design problem. It automatically assigns a password. Its crap.

This post alone has 9000 people who also experienced it back in like 2012... jesus apple doesn't give two ***** about us.

Lost Password to iPhone Backup

According to this, if your device supports iOS 11, you can turn off encryption to create a new unencrypted backup.

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

Nice spot, that is a really useful new feature. 🙂

tt2

Removing an unwanted encryption password has become easier with iOS 11. See Disable iOS backup encryption for more.

tt2

See my post above.

tt2

Removing an unwanted encryption password has become easier with iOS 11. See Disable iOS backup encryption for more.

tt2

The same happens to me I backed up my phone and now is asking me for a passcode that I never set up.

The only way use an encrypted backup or turn off backup encryption for your current backup is with the password that was entered when it was set up. The setting is stored on the device itself, so persists even if you delete your current backup set or switch to a new computer. The password might be blank, or any computer, Apple ID, Wi-Fi password or device PIN that you've used in the past, working from the assumption that you might have reused a common password that you were using when you activated encryption.

If you want to turn off encryption going forward you can either erase and set up as a new device, or backup the current state of the device to iCloud, then subsequently restore from it, though this only helps if you still have access to the device, or you previously backed it up to iCloud as well as to iTunes.

tt2

M27_L wrote:

Apple itunes is a piece of **** for this there is not even an option to email or text to change password ***.

There has never been an option for resetting the encryption password via email & having that option would be a backdoor in the system.

What would you prefer? Access to your data because it is insecure or security that actually works?

I'm sorry you forgot your password, we cannot help beyond telling you to try every password you can remember. You can also find a security company to try to brute force your password but that may take years depending on the password used & how much you can remember of the password format.

Backup to iCloud if you have access to the device & then restore - I hear it wipes out the iTunes backup password but have not tested that.

I have encountered the same problem with my iPad. It started occurring after an update and some extra programmes that I have never used were stuck there - Health, HomeKit and Account Passwords. As these arrived courtesy of an update and if you look at your device via iTunes you will see that encryption is "essential" for these to be part of your local backup.

It would seem that Apple has made a decision to make this "essential" because I don't. I love Macintosh and Apple products overall because they do not take away my individual chance to screw things up! Windows on the other hand amuses me - every time I log in it suggests that my password is out of date and I have to set a new one. I set an new one, exactly the same as the old one and it is too stupid to know that I am not changing anything but is happy that I am complying with their engineers interpretation of what is and is not important. It's my computer and if I don't want to change the frigging password then that should be my prerogative {and I fully accept the risk of keeping a password the same for a long period of time}. It's a relative risk. I have nothing worth stealing but I have spent hours trying to decipher password gobbledegook of the year, time I could better spend doing something worthwhile.

My iPad has about 20 Gb of data on it and so do you suggest the only way to get the iPad de-encrypted is to firstly back up on the cloud, second get rid of the software that simply has to have encryption turned on and then restore backup on my hard drive. That exercise will take a few days to run, use up >50% of my internet allocation and maybe not even work. iTunes may still insist on applying a password to the backup files, something I am not interested in doing.

The encryption is on the backup, not on the iOS device. If I change my mind one day and want to start a fresh set of backups that do not have encryption set, what's the problem with that? Please Apple, take notice and let me make up my own mind how I want to use my own devices. i won't sue you if things go astray, it's my decision and I am taking personal responsibility.

PeterM

Sadly I am having the same situation.

I also believe iTunes bugs have caused the issue.

I pretty sure bug issues allowed me to backup with encryption without prompting for a passcode.

I was allowed to backup earlier today but not allowed to restore from that backup.

ALSO Why does unplugging and re-plugging the USB cable do a partial restore *some apps but not photos mail message

ALSO Why am I able to toggle encryption on and off with a passcode but using that same passcode to restore that backup gives me incorrect passcode error?

^^^ yes.

I never set a password - I checked it out, and the IPSW file is NOT ENCRYPTED. I can open it using 7zip, extract and read files off of it. I have a password cracking program, and that also indicated that NO PASSWORD WAS SET on the file and the data is not encrypted. It is fully readable. THERE IS LITERALLY no password on the backup file itself. iTunes just keeps asking, and you can't use a blank password to "enter through" the dialog box.

DEFINITELY infuriating. Very typical Apple behavior and assumptions.

Hi Mikee

I have exactly the same problem, i've spent hours on the phone with mac helpline trying to resolve various issues with an 8 month old iphone se, my phone appears to be working ok now, no thanks to apple, but the only two backups i can access in itunes are saying that i've encrypted them when, the same as you, i definately did not put a password on the backups, both within the last three days. Also all other backups for my se have now evaporated!! All apple can say is that i must have encrypted them. I've been using itunes to back up my phone for years now and have never encrypted them. Please let me know if you have found a way to resolve this. I've lost hours trying.

Thanks

Finn

panchososa694 have you not read the comments from several people in this thread????? We are all having the same problem, all of us DID NOT set encryption, all of us DID NOT USE a password. There is clearly a bug related to backing up in itunes that apple is not admitting to. I, like several of the other users here, have used mac's for years and am fully aware of when i do or don't set a password.

Thank you for your unhelpful comment.

Finn