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

You set a Screen Time passcode months ago, probably in a burst of good intentions. Now you want to change a limit and the four digits are gone. Or your kid's iPhone is asking for a code nobody in the house remembers.

Good news first: for your own iPhone you don't need the old passcode, and you don't need to erase anything. You need the right Apple Account. iOS 27 also moved the setting, so older guides that send you to "Manage Screen Time" won't match what you see.

Which case are you in?

First, make sure it's the right passcode. The Screen Time passcode is a separate four-digit code that only guards Screen Time settings. The code you type to unlock your iPhone is a different one. Forgetting the unlock code is a different problem with a different fix.

Not sure which iOS you have? Look in Settings → General → About.

Reset it on your own iPhone (iOS 27)

These are Apple's steps for iOS 27 and iPadOS 27:

1. Open Settings and tap Screen Time.
2. Tap Passcode & Management.
3. Tap Change Screen Time Passcode, then tap Change Screen Time Passcode again.
4. Confirm with Face ID or the passcode you use to unlock the iPhone. If asked, enter the Apple Account email and password you used when you set up the Screen Time passcode.
5. Enter a new four-digit passcode, then enter it again to confirm.

If you have Share Across Devices turned on, the new passcode updates on your other devices signed in to the same account. You don't have to repeat this on your iPad.

Reset it on iOS 26 or earlier

Before iOS 27 there was no Passcode & Management screen. The button lived on the main Screen Time page, or inside Manage Screen Time, depending on your version.

1. Open Settings, tap Screen Time, and scroll down.
2. Tap Change Screen Time Passcode. If you don't see it, tap Manage Screen Time first.
3. Tap Change Screen Time Passcode again.
4. If asked, enter the Apple Account email and password you used to set up the passcode.
5. Enter a new passcode and confirm it.

Reset your child's Screen Time passcode

The rule that trips up most parents: if you manage your child's Apple Account through Family Sharing, you reset the passcode on your device, not theirs. Typing on the child's iPhone won't get you anywhere.

On iOS 27, from the parent's or family organizer's device:

1. Open Settings, tap Family, then tap your child's name.
2. Tap Passcode & Management.
3. Tap Change Screen Time Passcode, then tap it again.
4. Enter the old Screen Time passcode, then the new one twice.

Apple's iOS 27 steps ask for the old passcode at that point. If nobody in the family remembers it, Apple's article doesn't describe another route, so contact Apple Support before trying anything drastic.

On iOS 26 or earlier, from the parent's device:

1. Open Settings, tap Screen Time, scroll down and tap your child's name under Family.
2. Tap Manage Screen Time, then Change Screen Time Passcode, then Change Screen Time Passcode again.
3. Enter the passcode for your own iPhone, then the new Screen Time passcode twice.

If your child's name doesn't show up under Family, check that you're each signed in with your own Apple Account and that your child's account is actually in your Family Sharing group.

When the reset won't take your Apple Account

This is where most people get stuck. The reset asks for the Apple Account that was used to set up Screen Time Passcode Recovery, and Apple points out that it might not be the account you're signed in with on that phone. It could be:

• An older Apple Account of yours, or a work account.
• A family member's Apple Account, if they set the passcode up for you.
• Your child's Apple Account, if the passcode was set on their device.
• A friend's or partner's account, if you had someone else lock your phone so you'd stop changing your own limits.

That last one is common among people using Screen Time to cut back. Handing the passcode to someone else is a good way to make limits stick (I recommend it in my guide to blocking TikTok on iPhone). But if they also typed their account into Passcode Recovery, they're the only one who can reset it. Ask them first.

If you skipped Passcode Recovery entirely, Apple is blunt: without that account you won't be able to remove or reset the Screen Time passcode, and Apple can't tell you what it is. Your options at that point are talking to Apple Support or living with your current settings.

Set it up so this doesn't happen again

1. Turn on Passcode Recovery, on purpose. When you create a passcode for yourself, iOS offers Screen Time Passcode Recovery. Apple recommends not skipping it. Write down which Apple Account you used, because that's the one the reset will ask for.
2. Decide who holds the recovery. If the passcode is there to stop you from changing your own limits, recovery on your own account means you can always reset it yourself. That might be fine. Just choose it rather than discover it later.
3. For kids, check who's been using it. On iOS 27, the child's Passcode & Management screen shows when the passcode was last used. Parents also get a notification when a child's passcode is entered on their device (iOS 18.5 or later on both sides).
4. If your child learns the code, change it the same day. Apple's own tip: change the passcode, then turn on Downtime for the rest of the day. And skip birthdays, phone numbers, or 1234.

Frequently asked questions