How to Reset Screen Time Passcode on iPhone
You can set a 4-digit PIN or passcode to lock your Screen Time settings on your iPhone. This Screen Time passcode is not the same as the iPhone passcode (yes, it’s confusing). That’s why it’s easy to forget. And, the only way to regain access is to reset the Screen Time passcode on iPhone.
So, if you are struggling after forgetting your Screen Time passcode and looking for a method to reset it, you are at the right place. In this tutorial, we are going to explain 3 methods to reset the Screen Time passcode on your iPhone or iPad.
INFO: If your device is running iOS 13.4 or iPadOS 13.4 or newer, you can reset Screen Time passcode from Change Screen Time passcode screen. So, if you are running latest iOS 14 or iPadOS 14, you can simply click on “Forgot Passcode?” link.
SEE ALSO: How to Disable Camera Access on iPhone Lock Screen?
Reset Screen Time Passcode on iOS and iPadOS
You can use this tutorial on both iOS and iPadOS devices. The easiest way to reset the Screen Time passcode is to restore your device from an encrypted backup. However, if you don’t have any encrypted backups available, you will have to reset and set it up as new.
And, if you don’t want to reset your iPhone or iPad and lose all your data, you can try the “iPhone Backup Extractor” to recover the passcode. But the “iPhone Backup Extractor” is quite expensive. Let’s check all 3 methods one by one.
Method 1: Restore Your iPhone or iPad from an Encrypted Backup
In this method, we will use the existing encrypted backup to restore your iPhone or iPad. Remember, restoring the backup will wipe out all your existing data from your iPhone or iPad.
And before proceeding, make sure to disable “Find My iPhone/iPad“. Go to Settings > Profiles > Find My > Find My iPhone/iPad and turn off the switch. Let’s start with the steps.
Step 1: Open Finder on Mac
First of all, connect your iPhone or iPad to a Mac or PC. After that, open iTunes or Finder on your computer.
Please note that if you are running macOS Catalina, you won’t find iTunes. You can now use Finder to sync your iPhone or iPad and back up or restore from a backup.
Step 2: Connect your iPhone and Select Restore
In Finder, select your device from the left pane under the Locations section. If you are using iTunes, you will find your device in the top left corner. After that, click on the Restore iPhone/iPad button to restore your device and reset the Screen Time passcode.
Step 3: Create a Backup of your iPhone
Now, you will see a popup asking you to create a backup of your device. Click on the “Back Up” button.
The firmware update is going to take some time. After it’s done, you will see the options to restore a backup. Now choose the backup that you had created before you lost the Screen Time passcode. The backup you are selecting must be encrypted.
SEE ALSO: How to Reset your Windows 10 PC using Recovery?
Method 2: Reset your iPhone or iPad
Another method to reset your Screen Time passcode is to reset your device and set it up again as new. However, this process takes a lot of time but you can use it if you don’t have any other way. But before you proceed with resetting your device, make sure to back up your device first. Let’s begin with steps.
Step 1: Open Reset iPhone Settings
As mentioned above, make sure to take a backup before proceeding. You will lose all data stored on your device.
So, when you are ready, go to Settings > General. Here, scroll down and tap on Reset.
Step 2: Reset your iPhone
Next, tap on Erase All Content and Settings. You will be asked to confirm with your iPhone passcode (it’s different from the Screen Time passcode). Enter your passcode to confirm the action.
After your iPhone or iPad has been reset successfully, you can set it up as new.
SEE ALSO: How to Factory Reset your Android device?
Method 3: Use the iPhone Backup Extractor to Reset the Screen Time Passcode
We will be using the iPhone Backup Extractor to reset the Screen Time passcode. However, you will need to purchase the premium version of the software (which is $59.95).
Step 1: Launch the iPhone Backup Extractor and Connect your iPhone
Download and install the iPhone Backup Extractor premium version on your PC. Launch the iPhone Backup Extractor and connect your device to your computer. You will see your iPhone in the left sidebar, click on it.
Step 2: Start Recovering the Passcode
Next, click on the Utilities tab and then click on Screen Time Passcode. Make sure to disable Find My iPhone/iPad before proceeding. You can do so in Settings > Profile > iCloud > Find My > Find My iPhone/iPad.
On the next screen, click on Recover to start the process.
Step 3: Screen Time Passcode Reset Successful
After the recovery process is complete, your iPhone/iPad will restart.
On the next startup, you will see the setup screen. All of your data will still be available on your device. So, just select the “Don’t transfer apps and data” option.
The setup wizard will ask you several questions during the setup. Just keep selecting Continue to finish the process quickly.
After a successful setup, you can reset your Screen Time passcode and create a new one.
SEE ALSO: Reset Windows 11 Password using Password Reset Disk?
3 Ways to Reset Screen Time Passcode on iPhone or iPad
The above tutorial explained 3 methods to reset your Screen Time passcode. In the first two methods, your device will be reset and your data will be wiped out. And in the third but most expensive method, all your data will still remain on your device. You can also this guide to lock your iPhone remotely.
In this tutorial, we have used iOS 13. Maybe with future versions, we will have a better way to recover Screen Time passcode. Hope you liked the tutorial. Feel free to share your queries and suggestions in the comment section below.
INFO: If your device is running iOS 13.4 or iPadOS 13.4 or newer, you can reset the Screen Time passcode from the Change Screen Time passcode screen. So, if you are running the latest iOS 14 or iPadOS 14, you can simply click on the “Forgot Passcode?” link.
