How to Remove or Reset Forgotten Screen Time Password on iPhone and Mac

Screen Time is an outstanding addition to iPhone, iPad and Mac. It allows you to easily track habits, set time limits, set restrictions on various apps and services, and more. However, you must create a Screen Time passcode to secure any changes to Screen Time. This is especially important when handing over your device to others.

However, you don’t use your Screen Time passcode (compared to your device passcode) that much, which makes you prone to forgetting everything completely. And when Screen Time was first introduced in iOS 12, it was nearly impossible to change or remove Screen Time passcode if you can’t remember it by normal means.

The only ‘official’ way to get rid of a forgotten Screen Time passcode was to restore your iPhone or iPad with a passcode-free iTunes backup or set it up as a new device. Don’t be silly, I know. There was a workaround in iOS 12 that involved using encrypted iTunes backups to retrieve your Screen Time passcode. But starting with iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 it still didn’t work.

Fortunately, Apple came to mind. Now you can change or remove your forgotten Screen Time passcode pretty easily. The same is true for Mac. Let’s find out how.

Remove or Reset Forgotten Screen Time Passcode – iPhone and iPad

To reset or remove a forgotten Screen Time passcode, your iPhone or iPad must be running at least iOS 13.4 or iPadOS 13.4 respectively. You can check your current iOS/iPadOS version by going to Settings > General > About > Software Version. If your device needs updating, go to Settings > General > Software Update and then apply any pending updates.

The actual process of resetting or removing your Screen Time passcode then becomes incredibly easy. You can use your Apple ID and password instead of your current Screen Time password to change or remove it.

Stage 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, then tap Screen Time. Scroll down in the list of Screen Time settings below and then tap on the option labeled Change Screen Time Passcode.

Step 2: Depending on what you want to do, choose Change Screen Time Passcode or Turn Screen Time Passcode Off. When the device prompts you to enter your current Screen Time Passcode, tap ‘Forgot Password?’. Instead it’s the option just above the on-screen numpad (not visible in the screenshot below).

Do not forget: ‘Forgot Password?’ This option if your iPhone or iPad is not running iOS 13.4/iPadOS 13.4 or later.

Stage 3: Enter your Apple ID and password. Tap OK.

And voila! You can then reset or completely remove your Screen Time passcode.

If you’ve changed or removed your Screen Time passcode and want to apply it to the rest of your devices, turn on the switch next to Share Across Devices (if it’s not already enabled). It’s located just below the Change Screen Time Password option that you used in step 1.

Remove or Reset Forgotten Screen Time Password – Mac

Starting with macOS 10.15 Catalina, it’s possible to monitor app usage, disable program features, block websites, etc. You can also use Screen Time on Mac to do many things like But just like on iPhone and iPad, forget your Screen Time passcode and it becomes nearly impossible to make any changes to Screen Time settings.

If your Mac is running at least macOS 10.15.4 Catalina or later, you can easily change or remove a forgotten Screen Time password using your Apple ID credentials.

You can find the current macOS version by opening the Apple menu and clicking About This Mac. If your Mac needs to be updated, type Software update Select Software Update in Spotlight and then install any pending updates.

Stage 1: Open the Apple menu and then click System Preferences.

Step 2: Click the box labeled Screen Time.

Stage 3: Switch to the Options side tab.

Step 4: Depending on what you want to do, uncheck the box next to Use Screen Time Password (to remove the password) or click the button labeled Change Password.

Step 5: ‘Forgot Password?’ Click . when prompted for a valid Screen Time passcode.

Do not forget: You won’t see this option if your Mac doesn’t have macOS 10.15.4 Catalina or later.

Step 6: Enter your Apple ID and password, and then click Next.

You can then change or remove your Screen Time password. If the box next to Share Across Devices (found under Options) is enabled, your Screen Time passcode will be synced to all other devices under the same Apple ID.

A new start

The ability to quickly remove or reset the Screen Time passcode is a vital addition to any iPhone, iPad or Mac. How Apple hasn’t fixed this problem for nearly a year is anyone’s guess. This was a big problem for people who forgot their passwords and had to put their devices through dangerous backup restores or factory reset procedures. Better than nothing now, I guess.

Next: Did you know that you can block Private browsing in Safari on iPhone using Screen Time? Click the link below to learn how.