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Password incorrect to restore backup

I am trying to restore my phone from a backup I did a couple of days ago.

I input my password and a pop-up appears saying that my phone cannot be restored as my password is incorrect.

I know my password is correct but I have also tried every password I have ever used with iTunes.

What am I doing wrong?

iPhone 8, iOS 14

Posted on Jan 1, 2021 2:15 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 1, 2021 2:19 PM

It is asking for the password on your backup that you entered the first time you created an encrypted backup some time in the past. IT is not asking for your Apple ID password; if they are the same it is only because you made them the same. Either you checked Encrypt Backup, or, if you have a company email account on your phone, your Exchange administrator required it. But either way you were prompted to enter a password - twice. However, that could have been years ago; you are only prompted the first time you made an encrypted backup, you will never be prompted again until you go to restore a backup.


When you entered the backup password if you have a Mac and have Keychain enabled you were given the option of saving the password in Keychain (this is the default). So check Keychain for it.


If you haven’t erased the phone yet you can create a new backup with a new password—>About encrypted backups on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support


If neither of those work you get unlimited guesses, so try to guess what password you might have entered back when. If you are like most people it will be a password that you reused. And to speed up the process click to change the password and you will be prompted immediately.


1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 1, 2021 2:19 PM in response to Psycho-Jen-ic

It is asking for the password on your backup that you entered the first time you created an encrypted backup some time in the past. IT is not asking for your Apple ID password; if they are the same it is only because you made them the same. Either you checked Encrypt Backup, or, if you have a company email account on your phone, your Exchange administrator required it. But either way you were prompted to enter a password - twice. However, that could have been years ago; you are only prompted the first time you made an encrypted backup, you will never be prompted again until you go to restore a backup.


When you entered the backup password if you have a Mac and have Keychain enabled you were given the option of saving the password in Keychain (this is the default). So check Keychain for it.


If you haven’t erased the phone yet you can create a new backup with a new password—>About encrypted backups on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support


If neither of those work you get unlimited guesses, so try to guess what password you might have entered back when. If you are like most people it will be a password that you reused. And to speed up the process click to change the password and you will be prompted immediately.


Password incorrect to restore backup

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