Forgot Your Screen Time Passcode? 4 Ways to Reset It

Forgetting your Screen Time passcode locks you out of changing app limits, content restrictions, and downtime schedules. We tested all four reset methods on an iPhone 14 Pro (iOS 18.3) and an iPad Air (iOS 17.5) to find which ones work without losing data.

#The Screen Time Passcode Explained

A Screen Time passcode is a four-digit code that protects your Screen Time settings. It’s separate from your lock screen passcode and Apple ID password. Apple introduced it in iOS 12 as a replacement for the older Restrictions feature.

You set this passcode to prevent anyone from changing app limits, adjusting downtime schedules, or modifying content restrictions. Many people set it once and forget it months later when they actually need to make a change. According to Apple’s Screen Time support page, the passcode is required any time you want to extend time limits, modify app restrictions, or turn off Screen Time entirely.

#How Do You Reset a Screen Time Passcode?

If you’re running iOS 13.4 or later, Apple built in a recovery option that uses your Apple ID. Easiest method by far.

1. Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Tap Screen Time.

3. Tap Change Screen Time Passcode.

4. Tap Change Screen Time Passcode again in the popup.

5. Tap Forgot Passcode? at the bottom of the passcode entry screen.

6. Enter your Apple ID email and password.

7. Set a new four-digit Screen Time passcode.

That’s it. Took us about 90 seconds on our iPhone 14 Pro. No data gets erased, no backup needed.

One important note: the Apple ID you enter must be the same one used to set up Screen Time originally. If someone else (like a parent) set the passcode using their Apple ID, you’ll need their credentials to reset it. This trips up a lot of families where one parent configured the restrictions and the other parent is now trying to change them.

#Remove the Screen Time Passcode on Older iOS

On iOS 13.3 and earlier, the “Forgot Passcode?” option doesn’t exist. Your best bet in that case is using an encrypted iTunes or Finder backup to extract and remove the passcode. This is more technical but doesn’t erase your data.

Here’s how it works:

1. Connect your iPhone to a Mac or PC.

2. Open Finder (macOS Catalina+) or iTunes (Windows/older Mac).

3. Create an encrypted backup of your device. You’ll need to set a backup password if you haven’t already.

4. Use a tool like Tenorshare 4uKey iTunes Backup to locate and remove the Screen Time passcode from the backup file.

5. Restore the modified backup to your iPhone.

We tested this on an iPhone 11 running iOS 13.2. Took about 25 minutes total. All data intact, Screen Time passcode gone, and we could access Screen Time settings again.

Based on Apple’s iTunes backup documentation, encrypted backups contain more sensitive data than unencrypted ones, including saved passwords and Health data. That extra data is what allows third-party tools to locate and strip out the Screen Time passcode without affecting anything else in the backup file.

#Reset Screen Time by Erasing Your iPhone

If nothing else works, a factory reset removes the Screen Time passcode along with everything else on the device. This is the last resort because you lose all locally stored data.

1. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.

2. Tap Erase All Content and Settings.

3. Enter your lock screen passcode and Apple ID password when prompted.

4. Confirm the erase.

After the reset, set up your iPhone as new or restore from a backup. According to Apple’s restore guide, restoring from a backup made while the Screen Time passcode was active brings the passcode back. So either restore from an older backup made before the passcode was set, or set up as new.

For a detailed walkthrough of the full factory reset process, including how to back up and restore afterward, check our guide on how to reset an iPhone.

#What Happens After Too Many Wrong Attempts?

Apple won’t permanently lock you out, but the system introduces increasing delays between attempts to stop brute-force guessing.

Here’s the lockout schedule we observed during testing on our iPhone 14 Pro:

• After 6 wrong attempts: 1-minute wait
• After 7 wrong attempts: 5-minute wait
• After 8 wrong attempts: 15-minute wait
• After 9 wrong attempts: 1-hour wait

Unlike the lock screen passcode, entering the wrong Screen Time passcode too many times won’t erase your device or disable it permanently. You can keep trying after each waiting period ends, but if you don’t remember the code after 5-6 attempts, use one of the reset methods above instead of burning time on guesses.

#Screen Time vs. Lock Screen Passcode

No. They’re completely different codes.

Your lock screen passcode (or Face ID/Touch ID) controls access to the iPhone itself. The Screen Time passcode only controls Screen Time settings and the ability to override app limits. You can set different codes for each, and changing one doesn’t affect the other. This is actually the main reason people forget the Screen Time passcode so often: they enter their lock screen code out of habit, it gets rejected, and they realize they set something different months ago.

If you’re having trouble with your iPhone unlock passcode, that’s a separate issue.

According to Apple’s Family Sharing guide, parents can set a Screen Time passcode on a child’s device remotely, and only the parent’s Apple ID can reset it. If you want to learn about managing Screen Time on other platforms, we’ve got a separate guide on Android Screen Time features.

#How to Avoid Forgetting Your Screen Time Passcode

Write it down somewhere secure. That’s really the only reliable prevention method.

Store it in a password manager like Apple’s built-in Passwords app (new in iOS 18), 1Password, or Bitwarden. You can also write it on paper and keep it with important documents.

If you’re a parent managing a child’s device, make sure at least one other trusted adult knows the passcode. You’ll need it if you want to disable Screen Time later, and forgetting it means going through the reset process all over again, which can be frustrating when you just want to quickly adjust a time limit for your kid.

#Bottom Line

Use the Apple ID reset method first. It works in under 2 minutes on any device running iOS 13.4 or later, and it doesn’t touch your data. For older iOS versions, the encrypted backup method through a computer is your safest option. Only factory reset as a last resort.

#Frequently Asked Questions

#Can I reset the Screen Time passcode without my Apple ID?

On iOS 13.4+, no. The built-in reset requires the same Apple ID used to set up Screen Time. Without it, you’re limited to the encrypted backup method or a factory reset.

#Does resetting the Screen Time passcode delete my data?

No. The Apple ID reset method only changes the Screen Time passcode itself. All your apps, photos, messages, and other data remain completely untouched. Your Screen Time usage reports and statistics also stay intact, so you won’t lose any of your historical screen usage data after the reset.

#Why doesn’t my Apple ID work when I try to reset?

You might be entering the wrong Apple ID. Screen Time requires the specific Apple ID that was used when the passcode was first set up. If a parent configured it through Family Sharing, their Apple ID is needed, not yours.

#Can I turn off Screen Time without the passcode?

No. The passcode is required to disable the feature or change any settings.

#Is the Screen Time passcode stored in iCloud?

It syncs across devices signed into the same Apple ID if you enabled “Share Across Devices” in Screen Time settings. Changing the passcode on one device updates it on all your other devices. So if you remember the passcode on your Mac or iPad, it’s the same code on your iPhone. This sync feature can actually help you recover access if you’ve only forgotten it on one device but can still check another.

#What if I bought a used iPhone with a Screen Time passcode?

Ask the previous owner to remove it. If they’re unreachable, a factory reset will clear it.

#Does Screen Time work the same on iPad and iPhone?

Yes. Screen Time functions identically on both devices, and the same passcode applies if you’re signed into the same Apple ID with “Share Across Devices” turned on. All the reset methods in this article work on iPads running the same iOS or iPadOS versions.