About encrypted backups on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support (2024)

To protect backups of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch on your computer, you can use password protection and encryption.

Encrypt your backups

Check if your backups are encrypted

Turn off backup encryption

Reset your encrypted backup password

When you encrypt the backup for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

The Encrypt local backup option in the Finder, the Apple Devices app, or iTunes locks and encodes your information. Encrypted backups can include information that unencrypted backups don't:

Encrypted backups don't include Face ID, Touch ID, or device passcode data.

Your backup isn't encrypted by default. To encrypt a backup in the Finder, the Apple Devices app, or iTunes for the first time, turn on the password-protected Encrypt local backup option. Backups for your device will automatically be encrypted from then on. You can also make a backup in iCloud, which automatically encrypts your information every time.

Encrypt your backups

  1. Open the Finder on your Mac, or open the Apple Devices app on your PC. If your PC doesn't have the Apple Devices app, or your Mac is using macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes instead. Find out what macOS your Mac is using.

  2. Connect your device to your computer with the included USB cable. Then locate your device on your computer.

  3. From the General tab or the Summary tab, select Encrypt local backup under the Backups section.

    About encrypted backups on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support (1)
  4. When asked, make a password. Create one that you'll remember or write it down and store it safely, because there's no way to use your backup without this password. If you forgot your password, learn what to do.

After you confirm your password, your backup will start and immediately overwrite and encrypt your previous backups. When the process completes, make sure that your encrypted backup finished successfully.

Check to see if your backups are encrypted

If you've set up the Finder, the Apple Devices app, or iTunes to encrypt your backups, the "Encrypt local backup" checkbox in the General or Summary tab is checked.

  1. Connect your device.

  2. Open the Finder or the Apple Devices app on Windows. Open iTunes on Windows without the Apple Devices app or macOS Mojave or earlier.

  3. In Finder or Apple Devices app, click the General tab and then the Manage Backups button. In iTunes, use Edit > Preferences on Windows or iTunes > Preferences, then click the Devices tab.

  4. Look for the lockAbout encrypted backups on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support (2) next to your device's name. If you see a lockAbout encrypted backups on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support (3), then the backup is encrypted. You should also see the date and time that the backup was created.

  5. Click OK to close the backup window.

About encrypted backups on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support (4)

Turn off backup encryption

To turn off backup encryption, uncheck the Encrypt local backup checkbox in the Finder, the Apple Devices app, or iTunes and enter the password. If you can't remember your password, you have two options:

Reset your backup password

You won't be able to use previous encrypted backups, but you can use the Finder or iTunes to back up your current data and set a new backup password.

If you can’t remember the password for your encrypted backup

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About encrypted backups on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support (2024)

FAQs

Should I encrypt backups on my iPhone? ›

Encrypting backups gives you personal control over your personal information. It's a level of protection that goes way beyond an email password, for example. If your iPhone gets stolen or you leave your computer or iPad on an airplane, your information is locked securely with the password only you know.

How do I get past an encrypted iPhone backup? ›

You can't restore an encrypted backup without its password. With iOS 11 or later or iPadOS, you can make a new encrypted backup of your device by resetting the password. On your device, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset [Device], then tap Reset.

How do I turn off encrypted backup on my iPhone? ›

To turn off backup encryption, uncheck the Encrypt local backup checkbox in the Finder, the Apple Devices app, or iTunes and enter the password. If you can't remember your password, you have two options: Use iCloud to back up and restore. Reset your backup password.

How do I enable encrypted backups on my iPhone? ›

To encrypt a backup in the Finder, the Apple Devices app or iTunes for the first time, turn on the password-protected “Encrypt local backup” option. Backups for your device will be encrypted automatically from then on. You can also make a backup in iCloud, which will encrypt your information automatically every time.

What is the most secure way to backup your iPhone? ›

Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup. Turn on iCloud Backup. iCloud automatically backs up your iPhone daily when iPhone is connected to power, locked, and connected to Wi-Fi. Note: On models that support 5G, your carrier may give you the option to back up iPhone using your cellular network.

How do I know if my iPhone backup is encrypted? ›

Check if your backups are encrypted
  1. Connect your device.
  2. Open the Finder or the Apple Devices app on Windows. ...
  3. In Finder or the Apple Devices app, click the General tab and then the Manage Backups button. ...
  4. Look for the lock next to your device's name. ...
  5. Click OK to close the backup window.
Feb 16, 2024

What is the default password for encrypted iPhone backup? ›

There's no such thing as a default password for an iOS backup. Perhaps you used one of the following: Your iTunes, Apple ID or iPhone password. Your email password.

Where are encrypted iPhone backups stored? ›

On both Windows and macOS, iOS backups are stored in a MobileSync folder. On macOS, iTunes will store backups in /Users/[USERNAME]/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup . (macOS 10.15 creates backups using Finder rather than iTunes, but these backups are stored in the same place.)

What does Encrypt backup mean? ›

Encrypting backups adds an additional layer of security by converting sensitive information into an unreadable format. Even if threat actors manage to intercept the data while in transit, they will not be able to access or read it without the decryption key.

Why is my iPhone encrypted? ›

Understanding Data Protection and iPhone Encryption

iPhone data is encrypted by default when a user creates an Apple ID and passcode. With those in place, information is decrypted only when the device is unlocked. It is also decrypted when shared using some applications or sometimes when stored in iCloud.

What happens if I reset encrypted data? ›

Resetting encrypted data will not remove the device passcode itself. However, it will delete all data stored on the device, including any encrypted files protected by the passcode.

Does iPhone encrypt deleted data? ›

Within an iPhone or iPad, files are stored via file based encryption, meaning that there are unique encryption keys for each file. When a file is deleted, the encryption key is removed, preventing the recovery of the encrypted file.

How do I unlock my iPhone encrypted backup without password? ›

You can't restore an encrypted backup without its password. With iOS 11 or later or iPadOS, you can make a new encrypted backup of your device by resetting the password.

How do I enable encryption on my iPhone? ›

For devices running iOS 12 or later
  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Face ID & Passcode.
  3. Tap Turn Passcode On.
  4. Follow the prompts to create a 6 digit passcode or alternatively tap Passcode Options to switch to a custom numeric code or a custom alphanumeric code.

Does iCloud always encrypt backups? ›

Standard data protection is the default setting for your account. Your iCloud data is encrypted in transit and stored in an encrypted format at rest.

Should backup data be encrypted? ›

To ensure recoverability after a disruption, data backup encryption is vital. The key to data integrity is reliability and trust at all times. Backups are a vital part of data and application recoverability and must always be secure. Encryption is essential to data protection, and backups are no exception.

Do I want my iPhone to be encrypted? ›

An unencrypted device is an open book, and while iPhone encryption cannot be considered 100 percent safe, its protection is extremely difficult to break.

Is it safe to use iCloud encryption? ›

No one else can access your end-to-end encrypted data — not even Apple — and this data remains secure even in the case of a data breach in the cloud. If you lose access to your account, only you can recover this data, using your device passcode or password, recovery contact, or recovery key.

What happens if you encrypt your phone? ›

Encrypting your phone makes your data unreadable without a password. On a mobile phone, the "password" could be a literal password or thumbprint. Until that password is entered, all the data on your phone—including your text messages, emails, documents, and photos—is unreadable.

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