<i>&gt; iCloud backups can be secured so not even Apple can get in... I&#x27;m sure they are working on it, but it is nontrivial.</i><p>There is no way they are working on this. It is an intentional design decision that Apple offers an alternative way to recover your data if you lose your password.<p>Or if you die without telling your next-of-kin your password. Most people do not actually want all of their family photos to self-destruct when they die because they didn&#x27;t plan for their death &quot;correctly&quot;. That would be a further tragedy for the family. (Most people don&#x27;t even write wills and a court has to figure things out.)<p>Making data self-destruct upon forgetting a password (or dying) is not a good default. It&#x27;s <i>definitely</i> something people should be able to opt-in to in <i>particular</i> situations, but only when they understand the consequences. So it&#x27;s great news that in iOS 9.3 the Notes app will let you encrypt specific notes with a key that only you know. But it&#x27;s opt-in, not the default.