Forgot your Screen Time passcode? How to reset it

Why you need your Apple Account

When you set a Screen Time passcode, iPhone asks for an Apple Account to use for recovery. If you entered one, you can reset the passcode with that account's email and password, which is the Forgot Passcode option. If you skipped that step, there is no Apple-provided way to reset it short of erasing the device. For a child in Family Sharing, the parent's Apple Account controls the passcode instead.

Reset a forgotten passcode on your own iPhone

1. Make sure the iPhone runs iOS 13.4 or later. Check Settings › General › Software Update.
2. Open Settings › Screen Time.
3. Scroll down and tap Change Screen Time Passcode, then tap Change Screen Time Passcode again in the menu.
4. Tap Forgot Passcode? above the keypad.
5. Enter the Apple Account email and password you used when you set up the passcode.
6. Enter a new four digit passcode, then enter it again to confirm.

The Apple Account here is the one you entered when setting up Screen Time, which may differ from the one signed in on the phone. If one does not work, try other Apple Accounts you own.

Reset a child's Screen Time passcode as a parent

1. On the organizer's or a parent's iPhone, open Settings › Screen Time.
2. Under Family, tap the child's name.
3. Tap Change Screen Time Passcode or Change Passcode.
4. Authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID or your device passcode.
5. Enter a new four digit code twice.

The change syncs to the child's device over the internet. If it does not appear, make sure both devices are online and signed in to iCloud. Our guide to setting up an iPhone for a child explains Family Sharing roles.

Forgot Passcode is missing

• Update iOS. Older versions do not show the option.
• The passcode was set without an Apple Account for recovery. You cannot reset it without erasing.
• The device is managed by a school or company through mobile device management. Ask the IT team.
• You are on a child account in Family Sharing. Ask the parent to change it from their device.

Too many wrong attempts

After several wrong tries, iPhone makes you wait before trying again, and the delay grows with each failure. It does not erase your phone for wrong Screen Time codes, unlike the main device passcode setting Erase Data. Use Forgot Passcode instead of guessing.

Turn Screen Time off completely

Once you know the passcode, or after resetting it, go to Settings › Screen Time and tap Turn Off App & Website Activity (on older iOS versions, Turn Off Screen Time). Enter the passcode to confirm. All limits, downtime and content restrictions turn off. See how to turn off Screen Time for more.

Reset the passcode on iPad and Mac

On an iPad, the steps match the iPhone exactly. On a Mac, open System Settings › Screen Time, click Lock Screen Time Settings or Change Passcode, then click Forgot Passcode? and enter the Apple Account details. If Share across devices is on, a change on one device applies to the others signed in to the same account.

Last resort: erase the iPhone

If you cannot use Forgot Passcode, the only way to remove an unknown Screen Time passcode is to erase the iPhone and set it up as a new device. Restoring from a backup made after the passcode was set brings the passcode back, so either use an older backup or set up as new and sync data through iCloud. Back up photos and messages first; see how to back up an iPhone and factory reset an iPhone.

For parents: kids who find workarounds

Children sometimes get around Screen Time by changing the date and time, deleting and redownloading apps, or watching someone type the code. Turn on Settings › Screen Time › Content & Privacy Restrictions and set Account Changes and Passcode Changes to Don't Allow. Use a code your child does not know, and do not reuse the iPhone's unlock code. If limits seem to have no effect, read Screen Time not working.

Pick a passcode you will remember

Choose four digits that are not your birthday or the phone's unlock code, and store them in a password manager or in Notes with a lock. Make sure the recovery Apple Account email and password are current too, so Forgot Passcode works the next time you need it. If you also forgot your Apple Account password, reset that first; see reset your Apple Account password.

Android has a similar feature

Android uses Digital Wellbeing and Google Family Link instead of Screen Time. Family Link parents can manage a child's limits from their own phone. See parental controls on Android if your family uses both.

Screen Time passcode vs iPhone passcode

These are two different codes. The iPhone passcode unlocks the phone and protects your data. The Screen Time passcode only protects Screen Time settings and limits. Forgetting the Screen Time code does not lock you out of the phone. If you forgot the main unlock code instead, the steps are different; see reset an iPhone without the passcode.

Change a passcode you still know

If you remember the current code and just want a new one, go to Settings › Screen Time › Change Screen Time Passcode › Change Screen Time Passcode, enter the old code and then the new one twice. You can also turn the passcode off from the same menu, which removes the lock on Screen Time settings while keeping your limits.

Common mistakes

• Using the Apple Account signed in on the phone when a different one was used for Screen Time.
• Trying on an old iOS version where Forgot Passcode does not exist.
• Restoring a recent backup after erasing, which brings the old passcode back.
• Choosing the same code as the lock screen, which kids can see you type.

Fix the first two and most people reset the code in under two minutes.

How long does the reset take?

Forgot Passcode works right away. As soon as you sign in with the right Apple Account and enter the new code twice, the new passcode is active on that iPhone. For a child's device, the change usually reaches it within a minute or two, as long as both devices are online. If the old code still works on the child's iPhone after a few minutes, restart it and check that it is connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data.

For most people, Forgot Passcode with the right Apple Account solves this in a minute. Keep that account's password current, write the new code somewhere safe, and you will not need to erase anything if you forget the code again.

Store the new passcode safely

Once you set a new Screen Time passcode, save it somewhere you will find it. A password manager or the Passwords app works well. Make it different from the iPhone unlock code, especially if your child knows that one, or the limits are easy to bypass.

Write it down somewhere safe today, and you will not need this guide again.