Reset a Forgotten Screen Time Passcode on iPad

If you can unlock the iPad but do not remember the separate Screen Time passcode, reset it in Settings with the Apple Account credentials associated with Screen Time passcode recovery. This normally preserves your apps, photos, files, and other data. The process differs when the iPad belongs to a child in Family Sharing or when you cannot access the recovery Apple Account.

Are you entering the Screen Time code or the iPad unlock code?

The iPad uses two separate codes. The device passcode unlocks the iPad after it restarts or when Touch ID or Face ID is unavailable. The Screen Time passcode controls restrictions, Downtime, app limits, content settings, and changes to Screen Time itself.

If your usual unlock code opens the iPad but is rejected when you change Screen Time settings, you have forgotten the Screen Time passcode. You might see a request for a Screen Time passcode or find that a setting is blocked after you select a Screen Time option.

Screen Time asks for a passcode you do not remember

Do not change the iPad unlock passcode. That will not reset Screen Time. Avoid repeated guesses as well; they can cause delays and make it harder to identify the Apple Account used for recovery.

Can this iPad’s Screen Time passcode be reset?

Apple’s built-in reset normally applies to iPadOS 13.4 and later. You need the Apple Account credentials entered when the Screen Time passcode was created or when Screen Time passcode recovery was configured. That account might differ from the account currently signed in for App Store purchases, iCloud, or a parent’s usual account.

This is a Settings-based fix. It does not require Administrator or sudo privileges, a restart, or an erase. Before you begin:

• Confirm that the iPad can connect to the internet.
• Check whether the iPad can install an available update. Open Settings > General > Software Update.
• Confirm that you know the Apple Account email address and password used for Screen Time recovery.
• If the iPad contains valuable data, make a current iCloud or computer backup before changing settings. Resetting the passcode does not normally erase data, but a backup protects you if later troubleshooting requires more drastic action.
• Do not sign out of an Apple Account to make the reset option appear. Signing out of the wrong account can remove synced data from the device and will not change the Screen Time recovery account.

For a child’s iPad managed through Family Sharing, the family organizer or parent/guardian who manages that child’s Screen Time generally must reset the passcode from the organizer’s own Apple device. The child’s device might not accept the child’s Apple Account password for this purpose.

Reset the forgotten Screen Time passcode from Settings

Use the iPad itself when resetting its own Screen Time passcode. No Administrator or sudo privileges, restart, or erase is required.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Screen Time.
3. Tap Change Screen Time Passcode.
4. Tap Change Screen Time Passcode again.
5. Tap Forgot Passcode?.

Settings > Screen Time > Change Screen Time Passcode > Change Screen Time Passcode > Forgot Passcode?

6. Enter the Apple Account email address and password associated with Screen Time passcode recovery.
7. When iPadOS accepts the credentials, enter a new Screen Time passcode.
8. Enter the new passcode again to confirm it.

The new code should replace the forgotten code immediately while leaving local data intact. If Forgot Passcode? is missing or the account is rejected, stop guessing and use the checks in the next section.

What to do if “Forgot Passcode?” does not work

A missing reset option usually points to an older iPadOS version, a Screen Time passcode created before recovery was available, or Screen Time managed through Family Sharing. Open Settings > General > Software Update and install an available update. If the iPad cannot update to a supported version, the built-in recovery path might not be available on that device.

If Apple rejects the credentials, verify the exact Apple Account used for Screen Time recovery. It is not necessarily the account displayed at the top of Settings. Do not keep trying unrelated Apple Accounts, and do not sign out of iCloud or Family Sharing to force a match. A different account cannot substitute for the recovery account merely because it owns the iPad. If you cannot sign in to the correct account, recover it through Apple’s official account-recovery process first.

For a child’s iPad in Family Sharing, use the family organizer’s device rather than the child’s iPad. On the organizer’s iPhone or iPad, open the family member’s Screen Time controls and follow the option to change that child’s Screen Time passcode. Labels vary slightly by iOS or iPadOS version, but the organizer must be signed in to the Apple Account that manages the child’s Screen Time.

If the reset still fails after updating and confirming the account, record the exact message and contact Apple Support. Third-party Screen Time bypass tools are not a safe solution: they cannot legitimately replace Apple’s account verification, may expose your passcode or data, and can leave the iPad in an unreliable state. Repeated guessing will not identify the correct account or bypass verification. Erasing the device is not a shortcut around Activation Lock or Family Sharing.

Confirm the new code and avoid an unnecessary erase

Test the new code immediately. Open Settings > Screen Time, select a setting that requires authorization—such as Change Screen Time Passcode or a restriction setting—and enter the new code when prompted. The setting should open or allow the requested change. Then lock and unlock the iPad separately to confirm that the device passcode still works; the two codes remain independent.

Store the Screen Time code and the recovery Apple Account details in a password manager or another secure place. Do not leave them where a child subject to the limits can easily find them.

Erasing the iPad is a last resort. It removes local photos, files, messages, app data, and settings that are not backed up, and it does not bypass Activation Lock.

If you eventually erase the iPad, you will need the Apple Account password associated with Activation Lock to activate it again after setup. Restore only from a backup you trust, and expect to configure Screen Time again rather than recover the forgotten passcode through the erase. Erase the iPad only when you accept the data-loss risk and have confirmed that you can complete Activation Lock and setup afterward.

Conclusion

Start with Settings > Screen Time and the Apple Account used for Screen Time recovery. If the reset option is missing, update iPadOS and check whether Family Sharing makes the organizer responsible. Recover the correct Apple Account before considering an erase, and do not use third-party bypass tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will resetting the Screen Time passcode delete my data?

No. Resetting it through Settings normally changes only the Screen Time passcode and leaves apps, photos, files, and other iPad data in place. Make a current iCloud or computer backup before troubleshooting further.

Can I use the iPad unlock passcode to reset Screen Time?

No. The device passcode and Screen Time passcode are separate. You need the Apple Account credentials associated with Screen Time passcode recovery.

What if I forgot the Apple Account password used for Screen Time recovery?

Recover that Apple Account through Apple’s official account-recovery process. A different Apple Account, repeated guesses, or signing out of iCloud will not substitute for the recovery account.

Can I bypass the Screen Time passcode by erasing the iPad?

No. Erasing removes local data and settings but does not bypass Activation Lock. You still need the Apple Account associated with the iPad to activate it afterward, and you will have to set up Screen Time again.