How can we unlock an iPhone backup file if we don't know the password?
I've got a rather peculiar problem. My wife's iPhone got stolen and we bought a new one from the insurance money. When trying to restore the backup file to her new phone, iTunes asks for the password:
Enter the password to unlock your iPhone backup file.
The problem is, that she removed the password a long time ago. Hence she can not remember it. All we know is that it must be a number between 1111 and 9999.
Is there any way to brute force this? Other than by hand?
Solution 1:
The password used to encrypt the backup file might have been saved to the user's keychain.
- from /Application/Utilities open the Keychain Access utility
- make sure that on the left side "All items" is selected under categories
- in the upper right search field enter "iphone" and then look for a keychain item named "iPhone Backup" of kind "application password". If there is no such item, you´re mostly out of luck
- double click on the "iPhone Backup" entry and in the new window that will open, click on the "show password" checkbox
- you will now be prompted to enter your password (the one your user has on your Mac) to show the iPhone backup password; click Allow (once). You should now see the iPhone Backup password in clear text.
I don't think windows has an equivalent store for saving the password. If not, you will have to try brute forcing it in iTunes - just me methodical - write down all sorts of passwords that may have been used - brainstorm a bit. Then try them one by one. Hopefully with the pressure off a bit you will stumble upon the pass phrase that was used.
Solution 2:
On my Mac when this happened to me unexpectedly, I simply entered the password for the machine I synced the phone with and it worked. So the password is likely to be the password for the user account you sync your phone to.
You might also try the password for your AppleID as many people will enter that thinking that iTunes wants the AppleID password when in fact they are independent.