diff --git a/docs/ios/backup/check.md b/docs/ios/backup/check.md
index 551205c..b51e074 100644
--- a/docs/ios/backup/check.md
+++ b/docs/ios/backup/check.md
@@ -41,9 +41,10 @@ In case you have an encrypted backup, you will need to decrypt it first. This ca
       -d, --destination TEXT  Path to the folder where to store the decrypted
                               backup  [required]
 
-      -p, --password TEXT     Password to use to decrypt the backup NOTE: This
-                              argument is mutually exclusive with arguments:
-                              [key_file].
+      -p, --password TEXT     Password to use to decrypt the backup (or, set
+                              MVT_IOS_BACKUP_PASSWORD environment variable)
+                              NOTE: This argument is mutually exclusive with
+                              arguments: [key_file].
 
       -k, --key-file PATH     File containing raw encryption key to use to decrypt
                               the backup NOTE: This argument is mutually exclusive
@@ -51,10 +52,10 @@ In case you have an encrypted backup, you will need to decrypt it first. This ca
 
       --help                  Show this message and exit.
 
-You can specify either a password via command-line or pass a key file, and you need to specify a destination path where the decrypted backup will be stored. If `-p` is omitted, MVT will ask for a password. Following is an example usage of `decrypt-backup`:
+You can specify the password in the environment variable `MVT_IOS_BACKUP_PASSWORD`, or via command-line argument, or you can pass a key file.  You need to specify a destination path where the decrypted backup will be stored. If a password cannot be found and no key file is specified, MVT will ask for a password. Following is an example usage of `decrypt-backup` sending the password via an environment variable:
 
 ```bash
-mvt-ios decrypt-backup -p password -d /path/to/decrypted /path/to/backup
+MVT_IOS_BACKUP_PASSWORD="mypassword" mvt-ios decrypt-backup -d /path/to/decrypted /path/to/backup
 ```
 
 ## Run `mvt-ios` on a Backup
diff --git a/mvt/ios/cli.py b/mvt/ios/cli.py
index 78b1793..c8897c2 100644
--- a/mvt/ios/cli.py
+++ b/mvt/ios/cli.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #   https://github.com/mvt-project/mvt/blob/main/LICENSE
 
 import errno
+import getpass
 import logging
 import os
 import sys
@@ -28,6 +29,8 @@ log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 # Help messages of repeating options.
 OUTPUT_HELP_MESSAGE = "Specify a path to a folder where you want to store JSON results"
 
+# set this environment variable to a password if needed
+PASSWD_ENV = 'MVT_IOS_BACKUP_PASSWORD'
 
 #==============================================================================
 # Main
@@ -44,8 +47,7 @@ def cli():
 @click.option("--destination", "-d", required=True,
               help="Path to the folder where to store the decrypted backup")
 @click.option("--password", "-p", cls=MutuallyExclusiveOption,
-              help="Password to use to decrypt the backup",
-              prompt="Enter backup password", hide_input=True, prompt_required=False,
+              help=f"Password to use to decrypt the backup (or, set {PASSWD_ENV} environment variable)",
               mutually_exclusive=["key_file"])
 @click.option("--key-file", "-k", cls=MutuallyExclusiveOption,
               type=click.Path(exists=True),
@@ -55,13 +57,21 @@ def cli():
 def decrypt_backup(destination, password, key_file, backup_path):
     backup = DecryptBackup(backup_path, destination)
 
-    if password:
-        backup.decrypt_with_password(password)
-    elif key_file:
+    if key_file:
+        if PASSWD_ENV in os.environ:
+            log.warning(f"Ignoring {PASSWD_ENV} environment variable, using --key-file '{key_file}' instead")
         backup.decrypt_with_key_file(key_file)
+    elif password:
+        log.warning("Your password may be visible in the process table because it was supplied on the command line!")
+        if PASSWD_ENV in os.environ:
+            log.warning(f"Ignoring {PASSWD_ENV} environment variable, using --password argument instead")
+        backup.decrypt_with_password(password)
+    elif PASSWD_ENV in os.environ:
+        log.info(f"Using password from {PASSWD_ENV} environment variable")
+        backup.decrypt_with_password(os.environ[PASSWD_ENV])
     else:
-        raise click.ClickException("Missing required option. Specify either "
-                                   "--password or --key-file.")
+        sekrit = getpass.getpass(prompt='Enter iOS backup password: ')
+        backup.decrypt_with_password(sekrit)
 
     backup.process_backup()
 
@@ -71,9 +81,7 @@ def decrypt_backup(destination, password, key_file, backup_path):
 #==============================================================================
 @cli.command("extract-key", help="Extract decryption key from an iTunes backup")
 @click.option("--password", "-p",
-              help="Password to use to decrypt the backup",
-              prompt="Enter backup password",
-              hide_input=True, prompt_required=False, required=True)
+              help=f"Password to use to decrypt the backup (or, set {PASSWD_ENV} environment variable)")
 @click.option("--key-file", "-k",
               help="Key file to be written (if unset, will print to STDOUT)",
               required=False,
@@ -81,6 +89,17 @@ def decrypt_backup(destination, password, key_file, backup_path):
 @click.argument("BACKUP_PATH", type=click.Path(exists=True))
 def extract_key(password, backup_path, key_file):
     backup = DecryptBackup(backup_path)
+
+    if password:
+        log.warning("Your password may be visible in the process table because it was supplied on the command line!")
+        if PASSWD_ENV in os.environ:
+            log.warning(f"Ignoring {PASSWD_ENV} environment variable, using --password argument instead")
+    elif PASSWD_ENV in os.environ:
+        log.info(f"Using password from {PASSWD_ENV} environment variable")
+        password = os.environ[PASSWD_ENV]
+    else:
+        password = getpass.getpass(prompt='Enter iOS backup password: ')
+
     backup.decrypt_with_password(password)
     backup.get_key()