How to Disable Backup Encryption Without The Password?

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Level 1

8 points

How to Disable Backup Encryption Without The Password?

I switched to encrypted backups right before a week's vacation and now I'm back and I don't remember my new backup password. I don't want to recover from backup, but I do want to make local backups without that unknown password. And I don't want to switch to iCloud backups permanently because it's too slow over my internet. I have some ideas, are any of these possible?

(1) Make an iCloud backup, reset and wipe my device clean, wipe iTunes from my PC, restore my device from the iCloud backup, and then reinstall iTunes. Will I be able to make unencrypted backups on my PC at this time?

(2) Switch iTunes to a different computer and start doing backups there. Will the new iTunes install know my phone was doing encrypted backups?

Again, I don't want to recover any encrypted backups. I have full passwords to unlock my iPhone and my appidId account. It's just the backups refuse to have their password reset, like if you don't want old backups and you have the iPhone and appleId unlocks, you're still possibly a hostile intruder. It's insane.

Thank you for your help,

KK

iPhone 6s Plus, iOS 10.3.3, Windows 7 Host

Posted on Sep 2, 2017 2:03 PM

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Answer 1

Stuart423

Level 6

9,264 points

Sep 2, 2017 2:42 PM in response to KKFrank

To turn off iTunes backup encryption, uncheck the Encrypted backup box in iTunes and enter the password. If you can't remember your password, you have two options:

If you have an iCloud account, you can use iCloud to backup and restore instead of using iTunes.
If you don't have an iCloud account, the only way to turn off encrypted backups is to erase your device and set it up as new.

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Answer 2

KKFrank Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 2, 2017 4:01 PM in response to KKFrank

Why would you erase your device and set it up as new? That means lose all your data, right? Why would you ever, ever want to do that? We are doing backups to prevent data loss, one of the solutions to fixing a backup shouldn't be, hey, losing all your data. Something is wrong with Apple's logic here.

I also don't want to use iCloud. My backups on my PC are 55 gigs in size, which means my first non-incremental iCloud backup is going to be that size. My internet speed can upload about 5 gigs of data a day. So I would have to leave my iPhone at home plugged in for 11 days to do the first backup? Or use 55 Gigs of data on my cellular plan doing iCloud backup with my phone in hand? What kind of solution is that?!?!!

Neither of these solutions works. I need to be able to go back to unencrypted local backups. Anyone got any solutions?

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Answer 3

Stuart423

Level 6

9,264 points

Sep 2, 2017 7:08 PM in response to KKFrank

Just because you don't like the reality doesn't make it any less true.

I promise you will not use a single gig of data while backing up your phone to iCloud. Another reality that you should probably investigate.

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Answer 4

Sep 2, 2017 7:15 PM in response to Stuart423

Stuart423 wrote:

Just because you don't like the reality doesn't make it any less true.

The poster has finally accepted reality in a different thread.

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