Forgot the Screen Time passcode you set for yourself? Apple's official steps (iPhone, 2026)
If you forgot the Screen Time passcode on your own iPhone, Apple's steps are: open Settings, tap Screen Time, tap Manage Screen Time, then tap Change Screen Time Passcode twice. If asked, enter the Apple Account email address and password you used when you set up the passcode, then enter a new passcode twice. This works because of Screen Time Passcode Recovery, which Apple recommends not skipping. If it fails, Apple says to check that you are using the same Apple Account you used at setup, which may not be the one signed in on the iPhone.
Written by Ayumu Kitabayashi, the developer of minulo. Facts about Screen Time come from Apple Support, listed below and checked on 2026-10-25. Menu names can change with iOS updates.
| Situation | What Apple says to do | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Your own iPhone or iPad | Settings › Screen Time › Manage Screen Time › Change Screen Time Passcode (tap it twice), then sign in with the Apple Account used at setup. | This uses Screen Time Passcode Recovery. |
| A child in Family Sharing | On the organizer's or parent's device: Settings › Screen Time › the child's name › Manage Screen Time › Change Screen Time Passcode. | Reset it on the parent's device, not the child's. |
| The reset does not work | Use the same Apple Account email and password you used when you set up the passcode. | It may be a different account from the one on the device, or a family member's. |
| Share Across Devices is on | Reset the passcode once. | The new passcode updates on those devices automatically. |
Reset the Screen Time passcode on your own iPhone
- Open the Settings app and tap Screen Time.
- Tap Manage Screen Time.
- Tap Change Screen Time Passcode, then tap Change Screen Time Passcode again.
- If asked, enter the Apple Account email address and password that you used to set up the Screen Time passcode.
- Enter a new Screen Time passcode, then enter it again to confirm.
Apple notes that a Screen Time passcode is not the passcode you use to unlock your iPhone. You need it to change the settings, limits or restrictions on the device, which is why forgetting it locks you out of your own limits.
Why the Apple Account matters
Apple recommends that you don't skip adding Screen Time Passcode Recovery, because it is what lets you reset a forgotten passcode with your Apple Account. If you have more than one Apple Account, you must use the same one you entered when you set up Screen Time Passcode Recovery.
Apple's page doesn't describe another way to reset the passcode on your own device. If the steps above don't work for you, the page ends with a Get suggestions link to Apple Support.
If it still won't reset
Apple says to make sure you are using the same Apple Account email address and password you used when you set up the Screen Time passcode. That may be a different Apple Account from the one you are signed in to on the iPhone. If you are part of a Family Sharing group, it might be a family member's or your child's Apple Account.
If a parent manages your Apple Account with Family Sharing, the organizer or a parent needs to reset the passcode on their own device. Apple's steps for that: Settings › Screen Time, scroll down and tap your name under Family, tap Manage Screen Time, then Change Screen Time Passcode twice, and enter the new passcode twice.
What minulo does and doesn't do
minulo can't see, store or reset your Screen Time passcode. Only Apple's steps above can do that.
minulo is an iPhone app that opens Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and other services inside the app with Reels, Shorts and For You hidden, while DMs keep working. Hiding is free. It can also lock the official apps with Screen Time, free for up to 2 hours per block, and you turn that block off inside minulo. While an official app is locked, its notifications don't arrive, and minulo sends none of its own. minulo Pro adds schedules by day and time, longer blocks, Hard Mode, which makes your block hard to undo on impulse, and multiple block lists. The official apps themselves do not change. There is no Android version. minulo is made by the author of this page.
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. If asked, enter the Apple Account email and password you used to set up the passcode, then enter a new passcode twice.
Can I reset my Screen Time passcode without my Apple Account?
Apple's page only describes resetting it with the Apple Account you entered for Screen Time Passcode Recovery. It doesn't give another way for your own device. For other cases, the page links to Apple Support.
Why does my Apple Account not work for the Screen Time passcode reset?
You need the same Apple Account you used when you set up the Screen Time passcode. Apple says it may be different from the account signed in on your iPhone, or a family member's account if you are in Family Sharing.
Is the Screen Time passcode the same as my iPhone passcode?
No. Apple says the Screen Time passcode isn't the passcode you use to unlock your device. It is only for changing Screen Time settings, limits and restrictions.
Can minulo reset my Screen Time passcode?
No. minulo can't see or reset it. Use Apple's steps in Settings, Screen Time, Manage Screen Time, Change Screen Time Passcode.
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