In the fall of 2014, with an update to its iOS software, Apple switched off its ability to retrieve data from its phones and tablets. By doing this, Apple tried to take itself out of the equation when law enforcement is looking for access to a phone. In essence, the company could no longer fulfill a request if it was technically unable to do so.

ICloud is a different story. Apple encrypts that data on its servers and holds on to the key, which it uses to gain access to the data when it is required to do so by a court order.

There are practical reasons for managing security in the cloud differently from on an iPhone. ICloud exists, in part, to save backups in the event that, say, you drop your phone in a swimming pool. Apple needs to have that key to get your data back for you.

It is not so easy for a company to take away its ability to gain access to your information when that company’s ability to retrieve your information is the reason you are using its service.

“They’re a consumer-focused company, not a defense contractor,” said Steven M. Bellovin, a professor of computer science at Columbia University. “If someone loses their phone or forgets their password, they still want to be able to get their data back.”

That could soon change. Just as Apple has updated encryption practices for devices — like FileVault, which protects a Mac’s start-up disk, for example — the company plans to strengthen encryption on other products, said two senior Apple executives, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plans are not public.

That could include iCloud, if Apple can figure out a consumer-friendly way to keep the data under lock and key — a key Apple wouldn’t be able to use — without making it inconvenient for people who need to retrieve backups.