Have an iphone 4 that I've updated to ios5. Ok guys, I think I've decoded this problem as I have been on my mac for hours trying to figure this out. He also didn't know anything about trying to accessing the Keychain through Utilities and trying to find 'iPhone Backup' password that route, even though it didn't work for me. While all I really lost is all of my text messages, a weeks worth of photo's and my sanity for the morning- it's still lame to tell a customer that you don't know how to work or fix the product you (customer) bought. Basically, now I have to uninstall my iTunes, backup ALL my music files up on an external hard drive, then reinstall iTunes.

He asked me if I 'accidentally' hit the 'encrypt' option in iTunes, before I dowloaded the new software, I told him 'no', it's just not possible, because you have to scroll down a bit on the iTunes page, to hit 'encrypt', and I didn't do that.

He asked a few other reps at the store, but no one had a better solution, and I wasn't the only customer to come in with this problem. I don't recall ever being asked to create one before.Long story short the Apple Genius Bar rep told me that they KNOW it's a software flaw, but unfortunately, they have no way to fix it, other than restoring my phone to factory settings.

I got the same 'enter your backup password' that everyone here seems to have as well. After waiting a couple weeks to install the new software updates, (as it generally crashes your phone unless you have the latest iPhone, and I have the 4, not the 4s), I backed up my phone this morning BEFORE downloading the new iTunes and new iPhone software. I went to the Genius bar today at my local Apple Store- with this exact problem.

Lost password to unlock iphone backup