About encrypted backups on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

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

Encrypt your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch backup

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:

• Your saved passwords

• Wi-Fi settings

• Website history

• Health data

• Call history

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. The system encrypts backups for your device from then on. You can also make a backup in iCloud, which encrypts your information.

Encrypt your backups

1. Switch to 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.

3. Locate your device on your computer.

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

   

5. When asked, create a password. You need this password to use the backup. 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.

View your encrypted backups

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. Switch to the Finder or open the Apple Devices app. 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.

3. Click the General tab and then the Manage Backups button. In iTunes, select Edit > Preferences on Windows or iTunes > Preferences, then click the Devices tab.

4. Look for the lock next to your device's name. If you see a lock, then the system encrypted the backup. You should also see the date and time that the system created the backup.

   

5. Click OK to close the backup window.

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:

• Use iCloud to back up and restore.

• Reset your backup password.

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.

Learn how to reset your password and create a new encrypted backup

1. If a customer selected the option to "Remember this password in my keychain," Finder or iTunes auto-populates the password when the customer attempts to restore the backup.

2. If Finder, Apple Devices, or iTunes doesn't auto-populate the password, it indicates that the password wasn't stored in Keychain Access.