pyiosbackup

What it is and what it does

pyiosbackup is a utility for reading and decrypting password-protected iOS device backups. It provides both a command-line interface and a Python API to extract files from backup archives, either in bulk or by specific domain and file path. The package handles the cryptographic decryption and binary format parsing required to access backup contents.

The tool is designed for scenarios where you have a local encrypted iOS backup (typically created via iTunes or similar tools) and need programmatic access to its contents. It depends on cryptography for decryption, construct for binary parsing, click for CLI scaffolding, and bpylist2 for Apple plist format handling. The package targets developers and system administrators working with iOS device data extraction and forensics.

Use it for:

• Extract all files from an encrypted iOS backup to a local directory for archival or analysis.
• Retrieve a specific file from a backup by domain and path (e.g., com.apple.backupd.plist) for inspection.
• Programmatically iterate over backup contents in a Python script to audit or process device data.
• Recover individual files from an iOS backup without needing Apple's proprietary tools.
• Automate backup parsing in a data recovery or forensics workflow.

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

Parses and decrypts iOS device backups, extracting individual files or entire backup contents via CLI or Python API.

Yes, if you need to programmatically access iOS backup contents. The package is stable (marked Production/Stable), has no known vulnerabilities, and installs cleanly with common dependencies. The GPLv3+ license is a constraint only if you plan to incorporate it into proprietary software. The aging maintenance status (193 days since last release) is not a blocker for read-only backup parsing, but monitor the repo for iOS format changes if you rely on it long-term.

Install

pyiosbackup on PyPI

pip install pyiosbackup

uv add pyiosbackup

poetry add pyiosbackup

Installing pyiosbackup

Before you install

Low install friction with five straightforward dependencies. Marked as aging (last release 193 days ago), but repo remains active and not archived. Supports Python 3.7 through 3.14.

License in practice

GPLv3+ copyleft license requires derivative works and distributions to remain open-source under the same license. Suitable for personal use and open-source projects; proprietary software integration would require GPL compliance or separate licensing.

Quickstart

pip install pyiosbackup

from pyiosbackup import Backup

backup = Backup.from_path('BACKUP_PATH', '1234')
for file in backup.iter_files():
    print(file.filename)

Requires an encrypted iOS backup created with a numeric password; the password must be provided to decrypt.

Verify before relying

• Compatibility with specific iOS versions or backup formats beyond what the classifiers indicate.
• Performance characteristics when handling large backups (size limits, memory usage).
• Whether bpylist2 and construct dependencies are actively maintained for current iOS backup structures.

Package facts

Evidence: pyiosbackup-0.2.4-py3-none-any.whl

Keywords: ios, backup, automation

Tags

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