screen time, explained
Screen Time passcode: how to change it, reset it if you forgot it, or turn it off
The Screen Time passcode is the code that protects your Screen Time settings. It isn't the passcode you unlock your iPhone with. You can change it in a few taps, reset it with your Apple Account if you forgot it, or turn it off. Below are Apple's routes on iOS 26, plus the family case and what to do when the reset fails.
What the Screen Time passcode is#
You need the Screen Time passcode to change Screen Time settings, limits or restrictions, on your own iPhone or on a child's. Parents set one so a child can't lift their own limits. Some adults set one on their own phone too, because Block at Downtime, the option that keeps restricted apps closed during Downtime, needs a passcode. Without one, limits are easy to wave away.
When you set a passcode, iPhone offers Screen Time Passcode Recovery: you enter an Apple Account that can reset the passcode later. Apple recommends not skipping it. It's how you get back in if you forget the code.
How to change your Screen Time passcode#
- Open Settings and tap Screen Time.
- Tap Manage Screen Time.
- Tap Change Screen Time Passcode, then Change Screen Time Passcode again.
- Enter your current passcode, then the new one twice.
Menus moved between iOS versions. If you don't see Manage Screen Time, look for Change Screen Time Passcode further down the main Screen Time page.
Forgot your Screen Time passcode? Reset it#
- Open Settings, tap Screen Time, then Manage Screen Time.
- Tap Change Screen Time Passcode, then Change Screen Time Passcode again.
- When iPhone asks for the old passcode, tap Forgot Passcode?
- Enter the Apple Account email address and password you used to set up Screen Time Passcode Recovery.
- Enter a new passcode, then enter it again to confirm.
With Share Across Devices turned on, the new passcode also updates on your other devices.
Resetting a child's Screen Time passcode#
If you manage a child's Apple Account with Family Sharing, the reset happens on your device, not the child's. The family organizer or a parent or guardian opens Settings, taps Screen Time, scrolls down to the child's name under Family, then taps Manage Screen Time and Change Screen Time Passcode twice, and enters the new passcode twice.
If the reset doesn't work#
Apple's advice is to check the account first. The reset only accepts the Apple Account that was entered when the passcode was set up, and that can be a different one from the account your iPhone is signed in to. In a Family Sharing group it might be a family member's account, or the child's.
Without that account, the passcode can't be reset or removed, and Apple can't tell you what it is. The last resort is Erase All Content and Settings, which wipes the whole iPhone, Screen Time history included. Ask Apple Support before you go that far.
This page sticks to Apple's own routes. If the passcode on your phone belongs to a parent, the route is to ask them.
How to turn off the Screen Time passcode#
Same path: open Settings, tap Screen Time, then Manage Screen Time and Change Screen Time Passcode, and this time choose Turn Off Screen Time Passcode. Enter the passcode to confirm. Your limits and schedules stay, but anyone holding the unlocked phone can change them.
What the passcode does to your history#
Changing or resetting the passcode leaves your usage history alone. The switch that deletes it is a different one: turning off App & Website Activity. In our own test on iOS 26, that erased the iPhone's usage history, and turning it back on started from zero. If you're in these settings to get rid of Screen Time altogether, read how to turn off Screen Time first.
This is the part we build, so judge accordingly. iPhone keeps about four weeks of Screen Time detail. finit keeps your history for years, on your iPhone and in your own private iCloud, so turning Screen Time off, moving to a new phone or erasing this one doesn't take the record with it.
The short answers#
What is a Screen Time passcode?
A separate code that protects your Screen Time settings, limits and restrictions. It isn't the passcode you unlock your iPhone with, and you need it to change Screen Time settings on your device or a child's.
How do I change my Screen Time passcode?
Open Settings, tap Screen Time, then Manage Screen Time, and tap Change Screen Time Passcode twice. Enter the old passcode, then the new one twice.
What do I do if I forgot my Screen Time passcode?
Open Settings, tap Screen Time, then Manage Screen Time, and tap Change Screen Time Passcode twice. When asked for the old passcode, tap Forgot Passcode? and enter the Apple Account email and password you used for Screen Time Passcode Recovery, then set a new one.
Does resetting the Screen Time passcode delete my Screen Time data?
No. Changing or resetting the passcode leaves your usage history alone. Turning off App and Website Activity is what erases it.
If the history matters more to you than the settings, this is why we built finit.
