If you have entered the wrong Screen Time passcode several times, the good news is that you usually don’t need to erase your iPhone or buy any software. Apple lets you reset a forgotten Screen Time passcode with the Apple Account used to set it up, and a parent or Family Sharing organiser can reset a child’s passcode from their own device. This guide explains what is known about repeated wrong attempts, and the official ways to reset the passcode.
Reviewed October 2026. Steps are based on Apple’s support pages, linked under Sources below. Menu names can vary slightly between iOS and iPadOS versions.
What Is Screen Time Passcode?
The Screen Time feature, accessible through the Settings app, monitors your iPhone’s use and displays data like the amount of time spent in various app categories and individual applications and the number of times you’ve picked up the iPhone each day or even hour. Users may also restrict their time spent on certain content or applications. If you’re a parent, you may use Screen Time to set up various parental controls, such as app time limits and content restrictions.
The Screen Time passcode protects those settings. Without it, limits and restrictions can’t be changed or switched off, which is why parents use it on a child’s device. It is separate from the passcode you use to unlock the iPhone itself.
Also Read – How To Remove Activation Lock Without Previous Owner
What Happens After 10 Failed Screen Time Passcode Attempts?
Apple does not publish what happens after a particular number of wrong Screen Time passcode attempts, or any waiting-time schedule. Some users report having to wait before they can try again, but because Apple doesn’t document this, treat any specific timings you see online with caution. Repeatedly guessing is rarely worth it: if you have forgotten the passcode, resetting it with your Apple Account is quicker and doesn’t delete anything.
Wrong Screen Time passcodes are different from wrong device passcodes. If you have forgotten the passcode that unlocks the iPhone itself, follow Apple’s separate guidance for resetting your iPhone and its passcode, listed under Sources.
How to Reset Screen Time Passcode After 10 Failed Passcode Attempts
On your own iPhone or iPad
- Open Settings and tap Screen Time.
- Tap Manage Screen Time if you see it, then choose the option to change the Screen Time passcode, and confirm.
- When you are asked for the passcode, choose the forgotten-passcode option and sign in with the Apple Account email and password you used when you set up the Screen Time passcode.
- Enter a new Screen Time passcode and enter it again to confirm.
This works when Screen Time Passcode Recovery was set up, which Apple recommends doing when you create the passcode. If you have more than one Apple Account, use the one you entered for recovery.
On a child’s device (Family Sharing)
A child’s Screen Time passcode is reset by the Family Sharing organiser or a parent or guardian, on their own device, not on the child’s:
- On the parent’s or organiser’s iPhone or iPad, open Settings and tap Screen Time.
- Under Family, tap the child’s name.
- Tap Manage Screen Time if you see it, then choose the option to change the Screen Time passcode, and confirm.
- Enter a new passcode and confirm it.
If the reset doesn’t work
Apple advises using the Apple Account email and password that were used when the Screen Time passcode was set up. That may be a different account from the one currently signed in on the device, for example a family member’s account or the child’s own account.
Last resort: erase the device
Erasing an iPhone or iPad deletes everything on it, so only consider it if the options above have failed, and back up first. Apple’s path is Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. You may be asked for your device passcode, a Restrictions or Screen Time passcode, or your Apple Account password, because Find My stays linked to your account. If you can’t unlock the device at all, Apple explains how to reset it using a Mac (Finder) or a Windows PC (the Apple Devices app) in recovery mode.
Also Read – How to Block Sites on Safari for iPhone and iPad
Conclusion
Apple doesn’t document a lockout schedule for wrong Screen Time passcodes, so the reliable fix is a reset rather than more guesses. Use the Apple Account that set up the passcode on your own device; for a child’s device, reset it from the parent’s or organiser’s device. Keep erasing as a last resort, after a backup. Third-party unlocking tools are not needed for any of these steps, and Tecuy has not tested or verified any of them.
