Forgot Your Screen Time Passcode on iPhone? How to Reset It

You want to change a Screen Time setting but you’ve forgotten the Screen Time passcode (the separate four-digit code, not your iPhone unlock code).

Why: Screen Time has its own passcode so the limits can’t be changed casually. If you set it up while signed in to your Apple Account, Apple lets you reset it with that account — no need to erase the phone.

Fix 1: Reset it with your Apple Account

This works if the passcode was tied to an Apple Account when it was created:

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time.
2. Tap Change Screen Time Passcode, then tap Change Screen Time Passcode again on the next screen.
3. When asked for the old passcode, look for the option to reset it using your Apple Account, then enter the Apple Account email address and password you used to set up the Screen Time passcode.
4. Enter a new Screen Time passcode and confirm it.

That’s it — the old code is gone and your new one is active.

Fix 2: Use the right Apple Account

The most common reason this fails is using the wrong account. Apple notes:

• The recovery account may be a different Apple Account than the one you’re signed in to on the device.
• If Screen Time was set up by a parent in Family Sharing, you need that family member’s Apple Account email and password.

Try the parent’s or original account before assuming the reset is broken.

Fix 3: If recovery was never set up

If the passcode was created without an Apple Account attached, there’s no software shortcut — the only way to clear it is to erase the iPhone and set it up again (which removes all content). Before doing that, double-check Fix 2, because the recovery account is easy to mix up. Going forward, when you create a Screen Time passcode, enter your Apple Account when prompted so it can be reset next time.

FAQ

Is the Screen Time passcode the same as my unlock passcode? No. It’s a separate code specifically for Screen Time limits. If you forgot your iPhone unlock code, that’s a different recovery process.

Will I lose photos or apps? Not with Fix 1 or Fix 2 — those just reset the Screen Time code. Only the full erase in Fix 3 removes content.

I have Share Across Devices on. Your new Screen Time passcode automatically updates on your other devices after you reset it.

Sources: Apple Support — If you forgot your Screen Time passcode