Prevent Screen Time’s “Forgot Passcode” Loophole
Screen Time can be enforced using a passcode, but parents and accountability partners should be aware of a common loophole and how to work around it.
Chances are, if you use Screen Time to restrict an iPhone, you use a passcode to prevent changes on the iPhone and enforce restrictions. However, adults (and accountability partners helping an adult) should know that Screen Time is not reliable because you can easily remove this passcode using the normal “Forgot Passcode” function on Screen Time’s menu. This is one of the most common loopholes we get asked about when it comes to Screen Time on all kinds of iOS and Mac devices.
It makes sense that Apple would need to have some way to change your passcode. You might need to take drastic measures, such as factory resetting your iPhone to clear Screen Time settings. Apple does a fairly good job of ensuring that it’s not immediately obvious that your Screen Time passcode can be reset easily when you first create it, but that’s basically all they can do unless you take additional steps to enforce it.
Note for adults managing their own iPhone or accountability partners helping an adult: Screen Time is generally not the best approach we recommend to adults, since it can be somewhat tedious to set up and make changes to later. We strongly recommend supervised mode as an alternative to Screen Time that is better suited in cases where whoever is using the iPhone has full control of that device.
Prevent “Forgot Passcode” as a Parent managing a Child’s iOS Device
If you’re a parent setting up a child’s iPhone, then we strongly recommend also setting up Apple Family Sharing so you can create a child’s profile for the iPhone instead of a standard Apple account. Parents can remotely manage restrictions for their child without needing to borrow their child’s iOS device each time.
Your child won’t even see an option to change or remove the Screen Time passcode; here’s what this looks like on their device:
Prevent “Forgot Passcode” as an Adult or Accountability Partner
For adults, there are generally two approaches we recommend to enforce Screen Time:
- Create and use a secondary Apple account to restrict Screen Time on your main Apple account
- Recruit the help of an accountability partner
We strongly recommend the 2nd option, if at all possible; this often makes sense for couples working together for accountability, for example. Both options use the same mechanism behind the scenes.
Even if you can achieve a good setup with Screen Time, we strongly recommend that adults consider alternatives to Screen Time that expand upon Screen Time. Screen Time is prone to change in future iOS updates, and it has a relatively limited list of options that can be considered. The most effective alternative for adults is called Supervised Mode, and it unlocks deeper restrictions on an iPhone with the help of Config Files .
For example, you can create an app allowlist to specify the apps you want to allow on your iPhone while blocking all other apps by default, or enforce your iPhone's connection to a Content Filter in such a way that it’s not possible to factory reset the device. This is not possible to do with Screen Time in most cases.
For both options, you generally need to follow these steps:
You should see a screen like the one below:
Here, you’re asked to provide credentials for an Apple account. This doesn’t need to be the same as your primary Apple account, so you can use a secondary Apple account or have your accountability partner use their own account.
If you’re managing your own device (without an accountability partner), see our guide on how to self-manage accounts . You can create a secondary Apple account that you enter on the screen above, and make it more difficult to log into that secondary account later.
The important thing to remember is that the Apple account you enter here must be used later if you do need to reset your Screen Time passcode. This doesn't need to be the same as your current Apple account.
Going Further to Promote Accountability on an iPhone
Even if you follow these instructions to enforce Screen Time, it’s not a perfect system. Screen Time is mainly designed to set loose limits on your device for the kinds of apps you can download or use, but when it comes to blocking adult content, Screen Time is often easy to disable if the motivation is there.
That’s why we strongly recommend two better options, depending on your goals:
- Consider Supervised Mode as a reliable alternative to Screen Time that makes it much easier to block adult or sensitive content on iPhones.
- Monitor activity on an iPhone using apps like LivingRoom for Families.
If better accountability is your goal, then it’s worth considering apps that can reliably monitor an iPhone. Some apps, like LivingRoom for Families , use a very comprehensive approach called screenshot monitoring on iPhones that captures all app activity, and even includes automatic nudity detection.
The LivingRoom for Families app can be used by both parents and accountability partners for adults.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if the child doesn't know their apple account passcode? Can they recover it and disable the Screen Time passcode?
If your child is below the age of 13 and is added to your Apple Family Group , then no, they cannot change the Screen Time passcode.
However, if your child is older than 13 years old (more likely, if they age out of a normal child’s account), then you need to take additional steps to restrict Screen Time. Use the instructions above; you will need to set up your child’s account in the same way as an adult’s Apple account.
Perhaps future updates to iOS will change how this works, but this is the process as of iOS 26.5.
If an app that requires Screen Time permissions is used on a child's device set up with apple family, can they disable the app?
If your child’s account is properly added to your Apple Family Group , then they will need a parent’s Apple credentials to revoke those permissions. See our dedicated guide about how to protect apps with Screen Time Access to learn more.