If you can’t remember the password for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch encrypted backup

[Rod]

The simple instructions from Apple Support for anyone running iOS 11 or after are to "Reset All Settings" on your iPhone. Apple go on to say;
"Follow the steps to reset your settings. This won't affect your user data or passwords, but it will reset settings like display brightness, Home Screen layout, and wallpaper. It also removes your encrypted backup password." This in itself is bad enough but not to overwhelming.
What Apple doesn't mention is it also deletes all Privacy Settings, all Network and Bluetooth Settings, your PIN number and Face ID, Apple Pay cards, Notification Settings and Keyboard Dictionary.

Some of these above settings not mentioned by Apple can be particularly troublesome if you are overseas, like Apple Pay cards and Photo ID.
I use an Australian Bank for Apple Pay and have no way to reinstall it whilst overseas as it requires local (SMS) contact with my bank. Photo ID is also an issue if you use it to open secure applications because you will have to reset your individual app's permissions to accept the new Photo ID.
I also use gBoard (keyboard) and an optional Indonesian Dictionary.

So apart from recreating all my app folders, resetting my Wallpaper and resetting all my privacy settings I will have to do without some services until I return home and spend time re entering WiFi network passwords and pairing Bluetooth devices (as I recall this includes Apple Watch) not to mention downloading and reinstalling some utilities. Not a simple task at all and all because I have lost/not saved my iPhone Encrypted Backup Password.

Luckily, I still have my iCloud Encrypted Backup, another very good reason to backup to iCloud should I need to restore all y data to this iPhone or a new one. I just would have preferred to have a local encrypted backup on my MBP which, of course I do have, I just can't access it.

 

[IWT]

Gosh! That sounds terrible, Rod. Very important info for anyone else who attempts a Reset.

What prompted you to use the Reset option, if it's not too personal?

What I'm really asking is under what circumstances would this be necessary?

Ian

 

[Rod]

Ian, I actually mentioned this in another post about Keychain Access. I somehow lost or maybe didn't save my iPhone Encrypted Backup Password on my MBP. Recent problems with "White Screen of Death" prompted me to try a restore from backup only to find, or rather not be able to find my password. It was not until some time after repair that I could confirm I actually didn't have it in Keychain, that is I did have a password but it didn't work. Perhaps an old one.

Anyway, no harm done, the restore I did from iCloud backup was slow but worked even including my eSIM for Australia which is another thing that Reset All Settings may remove although I can't find anything to support that. If it did it's another thing I cannot replace overseas. So, you can see how valuable an Encrypted backup is as compared to a regular one.