To avoid spending too much time on the phone, some Apple users may leverage the screen time passcode feature to increase productivity. Perhaps you’ve already set up various options to block the usage of social media apps or limit the time on engaging with streaming videos. But it could happen that you forgot the screen time passcode on iPhone or iPad.
As you need to create a new passcode to enable the feature, the numbers can somehow be easily mixed up. Regardless of what situation you meet with, this article can help tackle the screen time passcode forgotten issue. It contains three different methods to reset the screen time passcode easily.
What is Screen Time Passcode?
Before moving forward to the detailed guide, you may have a quick overview of the Screen Time feature.
Apple's Screen Time feature was first available in iOS 12. It’s mainly designed for letting you know the time you interact with certain apps. Besides, Apple will generate a daily or weekly report providing more information and insights on the time you use your device.
The Screen Time feature include four settings for adjustment, namely, Downtime, App Limits, Communication Limits, and Always Allowed. It also allows you to set up a passcode for limiting screen times, apps, and restricting content. If you’ve enabled family sharing, the screen time feature can also serve as a useful parental control feature.
Once you've set up the screen time passcode, it can be used to secure the Content & Privacy Restrictions or to allow time extensions on App Limits and therefore prevent excessive gaming or social media usage.
To perform all these functions, you will need to set and use the Screen Time passcode, which is different from the passcode you use to unlock your device. But once you mix your passcodes or even forget the Screen Time passcode, it may be a trouble to restore or remove it. So, is there any way to restore or remove Screen Time passcode if you forgot it? The answer is yes.
How to Remove Screen Time Passcode Without Apple ID
If you are bothered by finding back the Screen Time passcode and have no idea how to remove it, this method works well, and it requires you to download a third-party tool. If you don't have a particular preference for using Apple’s official tool, here we pick the most recommended third-party unlocking software for you to remove screen time passcode efficiently.
Passvers iPhone Unlocker is a reliable choice. As its name implies, it’s a handy tool to help you easily unlock your iPhone or iPad device, including the Screen Time passcode. Therefore, it is helpful for removing Screen Time passcode, and it supports iPhone running iOS 16 and earlier versions and it's fully compatible with the latest iPhone 14.
The reason why we introduce Passvers iPhone Unlocker to you in the first part is that compared to the official way, this tool can remove your Screen Time passcode without deleting other data, and won’t require your Apple ID and the password to change the Screen Time passcode. If you don’t carry your Apple ID and the password all the time, the official way may not be effective for you, but Passvers can help you remove the Screen Time passcode immediately.
Apart from removing the Screen Time passcode, Passvers iPhone Unlocker also support handling the following locks:
- Unlock passcode, Touch ID, and Face ID
- Delete Apple ID
- Remove iCloud activation lock
Once you download and try it, you have no need to worry about your iOS devices being locked anymore.
So for those who cannot remember the screen time passcode, the simple and intuitive program will easily regain control of your device. And here's how to get started.
Step 1. Download Passvers iPhone Unlocker
Download and install the suitable version of Passvers iPhone Unlocker on your computer.
Step 2. Connect the Device That You Forgot the Screen Time Passcode
Launch Passvers iPhone Unlocker and choose Screen Time from the three options. And then, connect your phone to the computer via a USB cable.
Step 3. Retrieve or Reset Screen Time Passcode
Once the device is detected, click Start to begin. And then the program will scan and detect the issue.
? On Device Running iOS 12 or Higher Versions:
You should pay attention to the following settings:
- Find My iPhone must be disabled or it may cause failure in the removing passcode process. You can follow the prompt to turn it off.
- Go to Settings and tap your name on the top > iCloud > Find My iPhone. Enter your iCloud password and turn off the Find My iPhone feature.
- After unlocking, you will need to tweak these settings.
- To avoid data loss, remember to choose "Don't Transfer Apps & Data" in the Apps & Data settings.
- To make sure the screen time passcode is completely removed, select "Set Up Later" in Settings when you reset the Screen Time.
- The Apple ID is not necessary required in the process. But if your device is running iOS 13 or later, you can choose to add Apple ID to retrieve the Screen Time passcode. However, once Apple ID is added, removing Screen Time passcode may fail.
The most used method to remove screen time passcode is setting your iDevice as new to remove the forgotten passcode, which is troublesome. Luckily, since iOS 13, a new screen time reset feature is introduced to easily change your Screen Time password. Therefore, you should check your iOS version first and follow the instructions below to reset your Screen Time passcode.
? On Device Running iOS 11 or Earlier Versions:
Your data will not be erased during the Restrictions Passcode recovery process.
If you haven't encrypted your iTunes backup, you can directly view and retrieve the Restrictions Passcode without wiping your data.
Wait till the process finishes and when it is succeeded your device will restart. Now you need to reset your phone and enter a new passcode for the Screen Time.
? In Addition to the Solutions Above, We Also Collect Some Tips from Other Users:
- Try entering the common four digits like 0-0-0-0, 1-1-1-1, or 1-2-3-4. Usually, it is used as the default password. But don't try it too many times.
- Sign out of the Apple ID to disable Screen Time. In this way, you can turn off Screen Time on iPhone without the passcode.
- Sign out of the Apple ID and sign back in, then you can reset your Screen TIme passcode without too much hassle.
How to Reset Screen Time Passcode on iPhone/Mac (The Official Way)
If you can access the Apple ID, you can directly change the Screen Time Passcode on your iPhone or iPad & Mac. this method is also simple and viable. First, let’s see how to reset in on your iPhone & iPad.
Reset Screen Time Passcode on iPhone
- Go to settings > Screen Time > Change Screen Time Passcode then tap it again.
- Hit Forgot Passcode, and enter the Apple ID and your password.
- Enter a new passcode for your Screen Time.
Reset Screen Time Passcode on Mac
Apart from resetting the Screen Time passcode on iPhone directly, you can also reset it on your Mac if you are a Mac user. It’s also easy, and you can check the following steps.
- Choose Apple menu > System Settings or System Preferences, and click Screen Time.
- Select Change Passcode, and choose Forgot Passcode.
- Then, enter the Apple ID and password for changing the passcode.
- Enter a new Screen Time passcode twice to confirm. Now, you can use the new Screen Time passcode.
How to Reset Screen Time Passcode by Restoring
If you don't mind deleting all existing data or you’ve already had a backup, reset your iPhone or iPad can also handle the issue. Normally, you can reset your iPhone/iPad directly or via iTunes. You can keep reading to know about the two methods.
Reset iPhone/iPad Directly to Remove Screen Time Passcode
You can erase the Screen Time Passcode on your iPhone or iPad by going to Settings > Reset > Reset All Settings.
Just keep in mind that this method will erase all your preferences, settings, and restore your phone to a completely new state. After wiping all settings on your device, you can reset the Screen Time passcode.
Restore iPhone or iPad via iTunes to Remove Screen Time Passcode
Much similar to the former solution, you can restore your iPhone or iPad with iTunes to reset the screen time passcode. And this solution will reset your device to factory reset mode, which means it will also delete all your information and settings. Thus, you'd better back up your data in advance.
Note that this method requires your passcode of iOS devices, and you have ever backed up your iDevices via iTunes. Otherwise, you have to turn to recovery mode for help.
Step 1. Open iTunes while connecting your iDevice to the computer via USB cable and confirm the connection.
Step 2. Click Restore iPhone in iTunes. When a pop-up window appears and asks if you want to back up settings before restoring, remember to click Back Up.
Step 3. When the firmware update completes, you will be asked to set up as a new iPhone or restore the device from a backup. Select Set up as a new iPhone.
Step 4. When it finishes, you can reset your Screen Time passcode.
FAQs About Screen Time & Screen Time Passcode
You may encounter some other problems when using iPhone Screen Time. Here we will offer you 2 frequently asked questions and their answers, you can have a look at them.
Q1. How many Screen Time passcode failed attempts can I try?
Actually, there’s no official answer for this question. But one thing is for sure that failing to enter the right Screen Time passcode will not result in the same situation that you enter iPhone screen code too many times. Therefore, don’t worry about your iPhone will be disabled after failed attempts of Screen Time passcode.
Q2. I don’t want to use Screen Time anymore. How to turn off it?
If you still remember your Screen Time passcode, just go to Settings >Screen Time >Turn off screen time to disable the feature. If you still cannot get the original passcode, you can try either way introduced in the post above to remove & reset your Screen Time passcode, and then turn off it.
Final Thoughts
Above are all feasible solutions to reset the screen time passcode on your iPhone or iPad. Things will be much easier if you know the Apple ID of the locked Apple device.
If you prefer keeping data and not restoring your device, then third-party tool such as Passvers iPhone Unlocker can be a suitable choice.
And if you opt to official method, remember to back up your data first to avoid any unexpected error when trying to reset the screen time passcode on your device.