Screen Time Passcode Forgot? How to Reset It (2026)

You open Settings to adjust your child’s app limits — and Screen Time asks for a passcode you do not remember setting. You try your phone unlock code. Your birthday. 1234. Nothing works. You are locked out of the parental controls on your own device.

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Screen time passcode forgot is one of the most common Apple support searches among parents. The good news: in most cases, you can reset it in under two minutes without losing any data. This guide walks you through every scenario — your own device, your child’s device, and what to do when the standard reset does not work.

How to Reset Screen Time Passcode Using Apple ID

If you are running iOS 13.4 or later (released March 2020), Apple added a built-in way to reset a forgot screen time passcode situation using your Apple ID. This is the fastest and safest method. No data is erased. No factory reset required.

Step-by-step instructions (iPhone and iPad)

1. Open Settings and tap Screen Time.
2. Tap Change Screen Time Passcode.
3. Tap Change Screen Time Passcode again in the confirmation dialog (or tap “Turn Off Screen Time Passcode” if you want to remove it entirely).
4. When the passcode entry screen appears, tap Forgot Passcode? in the bottom-left corner.
5. Enter your Apple ID and password — the one associated with the device.
6. Set a new passcode. Done.

The entire process takes about 60 seconds. All your existing Screen Time settings — app limits, downtime schedules, communication limits — remain exactly as they were. Only the passcode changes.

What if you do not see “Forgot Passcode?”

On older iOS versions or devices where the Apple ID recovery was never configured, the “Forgot Passcode?” link will not appear. In that case, you have two options:

• Update iOS first. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install the latest version. After updating, try the steps above again — the “Forgot Passcode?” option should now appear.
• Erase and restore from backup. If updating does not help, you can erase the device through iTunes or Finder and restore from an iCloud backup made before the passcode was set. This is a last resort and will roll back any changes made after that backup. Apple’s official support page covers this process in detail: Apple Support — If you forgot your Screen Time passcode.

“I Never Set a Passcode” — Why This Happens

One of the most frustrating variations of the screen time password forgot problem is when you are certain you never created a passcode in the first place — but Screen Time is asking for one anyway. This is more common than you might think, and there are three main reasons it happens.

Reason 1: Inherited from an old Restrictions passcode

Before iOS 12 introduced Screen Time, Apple had a separate feature called “Restrictions” buried inside General settings. If you (or someone who previously owned the device) had set a Restrictions passcode, iOS automatically migrated that passcode to Screen Time during the iOS 12 update. Many parents set Restrictions years ago, forgot about it, and are now encountering a passcode they set in 2016 on a device they updated in 2024.

Reason 2: Restored from an old backup

When you restore an iPhone or iPad from an iCloud or iTunes backup, Screen Time settings — including the passcode — come along for the ride. If you set up a new device using a backup from an old device that had a Restrictions or Screen Time passcode, the new device inherits it. This is why a brand-new iPhone can ask for a passcode “you never set.”

Reason 3: Shared Apple ID or Family Sharing confusion

If a child’s device is signed in with a parent’s Apple ID (rather than a separate child Apple ID), Screen Time settings can sync between devices through iCloud. The parent sets a passcode on their own phone, and it silently appears on the child’s device. This is especially common in families that share a single Apple ID across multiple devices.

Resetting Screen Time Passcode on Your Child’s Device

If you are managing your child’s screen time through Apple’s parental controls and Family Sharing, the reset process is slightly different — and in some ways easier.

If the child has their own Apple ID (Family Sharing)

When your child is part of your Family Sharing group with their own child Apple ID, you can reset the Screen Time passcode directly from your own device:

1. On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Screen Time.
2. Scroll down and tap your child’s name under the Family section.
3. Tap Change Screen Time Passcode.
4. Authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode.
5. Set a new Screen Time passcode for the child’s device.

You do not need physical access to the child’s device. The new passcode syncs automatically through iCloud.

If the child uses your Apple ID

This is the trickier scenario. When a child’s device shares the parent’s Apple ID, Screen Time treats both devices as belonging to the same person. Any passcode change you make on your phone will also apply to the child’s device — and vice versa.

The long-term fix is to create a separate Apple ID for the child and add them to your Family Sharing group. Apple allows child accounts for kids under 13, and this gives you proper parental controls without the confusion of a shared account. It also prevents your child from accidentally bypassing Screen Time settings by changing them on another device signed into the same Apple ID.

Screen Time Passcode Not Working: Troubleshooting

Sometimes the standard reset process does not go smoothly. Here are the most common problems parents run into when dealing with a screen time passcode not working situation, and how to solve each one.

Problem: “Forgot Passcode?” link is missing

This happens on devices running iOS versions older than 13.4. The fix: update your device to the latest iOS version. Go to Settings > General > Software Update. If the device cannot be updated (very old hardware), you will need to use the erase-and-restore method through iTunes or Finder.

Problem: Apple ID is rejected

The Apple ID used to reset the Screen Time passcode must be the same one that was associated with the device when Screen Time was enabled. If you have changed your Apple ID since then, or if the passcode was inherited from a different Apple ID (such as a previous owner), the current Apple ID will not work. Contact Apple Support for account recovery assistance.

Problem: Too many failed attempts

After several incorrect passcode entries, Screen Time will lock you out with increasing wait times — 1 minute, 5 minutes, 15 minutes, up to 1 hour. There is no way to bypass this lockout. You simply have to wait. Do not attempt to change the device’s date and time to skip the timer, as this can cause additional issues with app functionality and iCloud syncing.

Problem: Passcode changed itself after an update

Some parents report that a screen time passcode reset is needed after an iOS update because the passcode they knew stopped working. This is a known issue — Apple has acknowledged bugs in certain iOS releases where Screen Time passcodes behave unpredictably after an update. The Apple ID reset method resolves this in virtually every case.

Google Family Link PIN Reset (Android)

Not everyone uses Apple. If you are on Android and dealing with a forgotten parental controls PIN, Google Family Link handles things differently — and in some ways more simply.

Resetting your Family Link parent PIN

1. Open the Family Link app on your (parent) device.
2. Tap your child’s profile.
3. Go to Controls > Parent access code.
4. The app generates a temporary access code that refreshes automatically.

Unlike Apple’s system, Google does not use a static PIN that you have to remember. The parent access code rotates and is available in the Family Link app anytime you need it. This design eliminates the “forgot passcode” problem entirely for most Android families.

If you lost access to Family Link itself

If you cannot open the Family Link app (lost phone, locked out of your Google account), you will need to recover your Google account first through Google’s standard account recovery process. Once you regain access to your Google account, Family Link and all its settings are restored automatically.

A Simpler Alternative to Screen Time Passcodes

If you have landed on this article because you are frustrated with Screen Time’s passcode system, it is worth stepping back and asking a bigger question: is a hidden PIN really the best way to manage your child’s screen time?

The problem with passcode-based control

Screen Time’s entire enforcement model depends on a four-digit code. That creates several issues:

• Parents forget it — which is why you are reading this article.
• Kids figure it out — shoulder surfing, guessing common combinations, or simply watching a parent enter it. Once a child knows the passcode, every limit becomes optional.
• It creates an adversarial dynamic — the parent guards a secret code, the child tries to crack it. Screen time becomes a power struggle instead of a learning opportunity.
• It fails silently — if a child resets the passcode (possible in certain Apple ID configurations), the parent may not notice for days or weeks.

A different approach: earning instead of restricting

Rather than locking screen time behind a passcode and policing it through restrictions, some families find it more effective to let children earn their screen time through positive behaviors — completing homework, doing chores, or finishing a focus session.

This model flips the dynamic. Instead of a parent guarding a code and a child trying to break through, the child earns minutes through effort and the system tracks the balance automatically. There is no passcode to forget, no code to crack, and no daily battles over limits.

Timily uses this earn-based approach. Children complete tasks and focus sessions to earn screen time credits. The balance is visible to both parent and child. When the credits run out, screen time ends — not because a parent said so, but because the child used what they earned. It replaces the passcode model with a system that teaches self-regulation rather than enforcing restrictions.

When you still need Screen Time

To be clear, Apple’s Screen Time and Google’s Family Link are still useful for hard boundaries — content restrictions, communication limits, and bedtime enforcement. The passcode model works well for settings you set once and rarely change. But for daily screen time management — the part that causes the most friction — an earn-based approach often creates a better experience for both parent and child.

If you are constantly resetting passcodes, fighting over limits, or dealing with a child who has learned to bypass Screen Time entirely, the problem may not be the passcode. It may be the approach.