Court Copy · Guides · Privacy

Encrypted vs unencrypted iPhone backups

Both kinds include the Messages database, so Court Copy can print your texts from either. Encrypted backups hold more, and they protect the copy sitting on your computer.

What the difference is

• Apple's own description: an encrypted backup can also include saved passwords, Wi-Fi settings, website history, call history and Health data, which an unencrypted backup leaves out (Apple: About encrypted backups).
• Everything in an encrypted backup is locked with the password you choose. Anyone who copies the folder cannot read your messages without it.
• Court Copy reads both. For an encrypted one it asks for the password and unlocks the files inside your browser; that takes a few seconds on most computers.

Which to choose

If you are making a new backup to print messages from, choose encrypted. It is the safer copy to keep around, and nothing is missing.

Forgot the password?

It cannot be recovered or bypassed, by Court Copy or anyone else. Apple's route is to reset the phone's settings (Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset → Reset All Settings), which removes the backup password but not your data, and then make a new backup with a new password (Apple: If you can't remember the password for your encrypted backup).

Messages that are not in a backup

A local backup holds the messages that are on the phone. If Messages in iCloud has removed old messages from the phone to save space, those are not in the backup.

Open Court Copy: free preview of any conversation, nothing uploaded.