Recommend pymobiledevice3 for iOS acquisition

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Janik Besendorf
2026-09-11 11:14:53 +02:00
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# Backup with libimobiledevice
If you have correctly [installed libimobiledevice](../install.md) you can easily generate an iTunes backup using the `idevicebackup2` tool included in the suite. First, you might want to ensure that backup encryption is enabled (**note: encrypted backup contain more data than unencrypted backups**):
```bash
idevicebackup2 -i encryption on
```
Note that if a backup password was previously set on this device, you might need to use the same or change it. You can try changing password using `idevicebackup2 -i changepw`, or by turning off encryption (`idevicebackup2 -i encryption off`) and turning it back on again.
If you are not able to recover or change the password, you should try to disable encryption and obtain an unencrypted backup.
If all else fails, as a *last resort* you can try resetting the password by [resetting all the settings through the iPhone's Settings app](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205220), via `Settings » General » Reset » Reset All Settings`. Note that resetting the settings through the iPhone's Settings app will wipe some of the files that contain useful forensic traces, so try the options explained above first.
Once ready, you can proceed performing the backup:
```bash
idevicebackup2 backup --full /path/to/backup/
```
We now recommend pymobiledevice3 for iOS backups. See [Backup with pymobiledevice3](pymobiledevice3.md) for the current instructions.
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# Backup with pymobiledevice3
After [installing pymobiledevice3](../install.md) and pairing your device, you can generate an iTunes-compatible backup using its `backup2` commands.
## Enable backup encryption
We recommend encrypted backups because they contain more data than unencrypted backups. If encryption is not already enabled, enable it with:
```bash
pymobiledevice3 backup2 encryption on 'YOUR_BACKUP_PASSWORD'
```
Replace `YOUR_BACKUP_PASSWORD` with a strong password and keep it safe: you will need it to decrypt the backup for analysis. Passwords supplied on the command line may be saved in shell history or visible to other processes.
If a backup password was previously set, use that password. To change a known password:
```bash
pymobiledevice3 backup2 change-password 'CURRENT_PASSWORD' 'NEW_PASSWORD'
```
You can also disable encryption with `pymobiledevice3 backup2 encryption off 'CURRENT_PASSWORD'` and then enable it again. Disabling encryption requires the current password; it is not a way to bypass an unknown password.
!!! warning
If you cannot recover the password, resetting it through [Reset All Settings in the iPhone's Settings app](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205220) should be a last resort. Resetting settings can remove files containing useful forensic traces.
## Create a backup
Choose a new destination directory to avoid overwriting an earlier acquisition:
```bash
mkdir -p /path/to/backup/
pymobiledevice3 backup2 backup --full /path/to/backup/
```
The backup is saved in a subdirectory named after the device's UDID, such as `/path/to/backup/udid/`. Follow [Check a Backup with mvt-ios](check.md) to decrypt and analyze that directory.
For additional options, see the [pymobiledevice3 backup2 reference](https://doronz88.github.io/pymobiledevice3/cli/backup2/).