iTunes asking for iPhone backup password I have never set

thanks again panchososa694. But none of your above comment applies, all of us in this thread have the same issue as we have not set up encyrption or passwords and have not have others do it for us, there is clearly a bug in the system. I'm signing out of this conversation with you now as you seem only able to recycle the answers that apple have given us already.

Thanks for your time.

Finn

I do say so, and i don't appreciate your condensation, i have been using macs since 1985, i am, as i have already said, totally aware when i have set a password or asked for encryption. No one else has access to my computer to set anything either. When speaking to an apple care representative we went through a lot of options, including going back through my keychain items, nothing was there at all. This confirms part of the problem, as i use keychain on all lot of my less important passwords, i'm always prompted, if i enter a password for the first time, as to whether i want to save them in my keychain or not. This prompting did not happen on my last two back up's, which fyi, where only two days apart, again confirming that there never was a password entered. I'm not really sure why you feel the need to keep telling us that this problem must be down to something we have done ourselves? There are several very experienced mac users stating having a similar experience in this thread. No one is accusing you of having caused this issue or questioning your knowledge or ability to control the tools you use, so please don't come back with another curt or condescending reply as i am being civil and respectful to you. Thanks, Finn.

I don't believe the iOS device backup password is stored in the Keychain. All the indications are that it is stored within the device itself. Once the option is in force subsequent backups are encrypted without further prompting, even if you switch which computer you use to manage the device. The only time you're likely to notice that the backup is encrypted is if you want to restore it, or you wonder what the padlock symbol means when looking in Preferences > Devices.

tt2

I can verify, saving iOS device encryption passwords in Keychain is never an option within the setup in iTunes (as happens with other password dialogs).

I have always had to save it manually to create a keychain entry, iTunes also does not reference that keychain item, I normally have to copy over the value manually.

I am in the exact same boat. I believe you because this just happened to me. I recently switched to windows 10 from mac and I created a backup of phone (on fresh windows install) before trying iOS11 public beta. Decided to go back and now it ask for password. Like you, I NEVER set a backup password. In fact, I remember hitting "backup" and thinking that it was strange that it didn't have me enter a backup code. Now I am stuck in the beta with no lifeline.

Same problem, iPhone 7 developed a screen glitch, backed up without encryption set. Replacement phone restore prompts for password. On recommendation of apple support older backup on different windows pc was attempted to be restored. Failed in same way. This also did not have encryption selected. Apple support adamant we selected encryption. This is not the case. Decades of IT experience allows me to recognize a ticked box next to encryption. Apple support communication ongoing.

Not really relevant.

1. Encrypt iPhone backup was not selected

2. Restore requests password

Can any reply please take those two notes as facts without question.

Fluffy unicorns eating stardust are not relevant so I won't post an image of them.

While I have given up hope of working out what happened I will provide the following info in case miracles happen.

Sept 2016. 2 iPhone 6s (black and white for identification) are upgraded to iphone 7s (black and white again).

Both backup up WITHOUT ENCRYPTION SELECTED. Using different home computers to which no one has access both running windows 10. The computer used for white is dual boot Linux mint.

Both successful restore to 7s WITHOUT ENCRYPTION SELECTED.

Feb 2016. White 7 backed up to dual boot pc WITHOUT ENCRYPTION SET.

June 2017. White 7 develops screen glitch and is backed up to 3rd pc running win 10. you guessed it. WITHOUT ENCRYPTION SET. Phone handed in for replacement / repair.

5 days later phone replaced with new white 7.

All backups of white iPhone prompt for password even the one from feb 2016 when trying to restore to new white 7.

The black 7 has been backed to dual boot pc and does not prompt for password.

The black 7 has also been backed up to a different laptop and does not prompt for password.

ENCRYPTION WAS NEVER SELECTED.

NO ONE ELSE USES COMPUTERS.

No one seems willing to accept that basic fact when dealing with apple staff.

Same computer, same settings, two different IPhones. Two different results. White is encrypted. Black is not.

???

UPDATE: I got it to work. As some people have pointed out, the password to the backup is stored on the iOS device itself, not the computer. If you move to a new machine (like I did), and encryption is checked, it will encrypt with the previously established password; even if you only performed your initial encrypted backup a LONG time ago. Also, if you password is more than 6-8 characters long (with numbers, CAPS, and special characters), and is the least bit random, don't waste your time and money with a brute-force decryption tool, it will take years (or centuries) to crack.

That would partly match our experience. However we have never set encryption to on, for that phone, on any computer when backed up.

The new iPhone 7 on the same computer when backed up with the identical settings does not prompt for a password. Sadly never having set an encryption for the phone this is a confusing and vexing issue. I agree after running a brute force attack for 3 days and seeing what little progress has been made it's a lost cause. It's dead Jim.

Have to agree with @Finnk22 there - your comments recycling the thread are unhelpful.

I've exactly the same issue with the passwords being randomly chosen by apple. No way I have ever bothered encrypting an iPhone backup.

Managed to get the password working after cycling through all my passwords - eventually one that I used around 18 months ago for iTunes was accepted.

There is NO possible way that I would have chosen to use this password recently (even if I had been prompted for it) as its my habit to change passwords fairly routinely. Maybe this is a keychain integration issue?

I realise its unhelpful after the fact, but I will be selecting encrypted backups from now on so at least I get to choose which password to use - not Apple.

Flipper was cool wrote:

There is NO possible way that I would have chosen to use this password recently (even if I had been prompted for it) as its my habit to change passwords fairly routinely.

But if it matches the one you actively used for iTunes 18 months ago that would suggest it was enabled 18 months ago. You may well have responded to a pop-up in iTunes with your iTunes password on auto-pilot as it were. Once encrypted backups are enabled you are only asked for a password again if you want to restore or turn off encryption.

tt2

thats the thing that fascinates me about our situation, we have never set a password, while most stories from the forums have an older password that has been recycled.

in addition the fact that a backup dated sept 2016 which was successfully used to restore an iphone 6 to a new iphone 7 without a password, now prompts for one.

go figure.

I had this problem too.

I remembered that I had never ticked the "Encrypt Password" box either but yet when I tried to restore it, it asked for a password. I used all the passwords I have ever used for everything and nothing worked.

When I researched, people were saying they had to use their original password, their very FIRST password when their account was created. But that didn't work for me.

Then I unplugged my iphone. I gave it a shot and just logged in to the Itunes store on my laptop (Asus laptop, not Mac). Putting in my Apple ID and the present password, I managed to log in. Then I plugged in my iphone and then it didn't ask for a Backup Password anymore.

Lo and behold, it shows that I had never ticked the "Encrypt Password" box.

So:

1) try all your previous appleID passwords, use your VERY FIRST password if you remember it

if that doesn't work,

2) unplug your iphone, log out of your itunes account. Then log in to the itunes store and then plug in your iphone again.

Hopefully it doesn't ask for your password anymore. Goodluck.

I'm glad that you were able to restore your iPhone after all, but just wanted to mention that the iTunes account that's signed into the computer you're working on is irrelevant. The encryption if enabled is stored in the device, and is not explicitly linked to the Apple ID in use in the device or the computer.