jjkboswell

Q: How to reset forgotten Restrictions password with iPhone restore?

Hi,

I set restrictions on my iphone to disable in-app purchases so that my children don't rack up a bill on my account. Unfortunately I've forgotten the password and now I need an in-app purchase for CoPilot navigation app.

Can I reset my iPhone and then restore from a backup to clear the restrictions password? If so, is there a step by step guide to do this? Much appreciate any help.

Boz

iPhone 3GS, iOS 4, Windows 7 (rocks)

Posted on Nov 30, 2010 9:49 AM

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Q: How to reset forgotten Restrictions password with iPhone restore?

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  • by helderdm,

    helderdm helderdm Oct 18, 2011 2:51 PM in response to danielefromquarrata
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    Oct 18, 2011 2:51 PM in response to danielefromquarrata

    how did you get it to work?

  • by helderdm,

    helderdm helderdm Oct 18, 2011 2:57 PM in response to danielefromquarrata
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 18, 2011 2:57 PM in response to danielefromquarrata

    did it work?

  • by ssc73,

    ssc73 ssc73 Oct 28, 2011 1:02 AM in response to Marcin2011
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 28, 2011 1:02 AM in response to Marcin2011

    I had my phone4 with restriction code locked up for over a year until now.

    My 2year somehow managed to lock it back then and now it is back to normal. Thanks for this info.

  • by AK_Jersey9,

    AK_Jersey9 AK_Jersey9 Oct 28, 2011 8:36 AM in response to Marcin2011
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 28, 2011 8:36 AM in response to Marcin2011

    Marcin2011,

     

    Thank you!! I had set the restrictions code to prevent my 5 yr old from messing up my ipod. I had forgotten the code and after 15 failed attempts I found your answer and it saved me further frustration.

     

    I downloaded BackupExtractor and with the free version there is a limit of 2 files. The version I used has a slightly different UI and in the Expert mode, you can see the directory structure and under Library - Preferences folder, I checked "com.apple.springboard.plist" file to be restored. Then I used the built-in plist viewer to view the extracted file and I was able to see the value for the pin under the key <SBParentalControlsPin>. It worked like a charm! Thanks again!

     

    Moderator, I do not see the option to mark the response from Marcin2011 as correct/helpful. Can you give the answer the credit it deserves?

     

    Message was edited by: AK_Jersey9

  • by qbarnes,

    qbarnes qbarnes Nov 1, 2011 6:42 AM in response to krisvs
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 1, 2011 6:42 AM in response to krisvs

    For those of you still having problems reading the file, if it looks like complete random garbage, you might have backup encryption turned on.  To get around this, connect your iPhone, go into iTunes, and on your iPhone's summary page under "Options", uncheck "Encrypt iPhone backup".  Then, backup your iPhone to generate an unencrypted backup.  Once I figured this out, I was able to successfully follow Marcin2011's directions!  Woohoo!

     

    BTW, this was with iOS 4.3.1 and iTunes 10.5 (141).

  • by brian.issues,

    brian.issues brian.issues Nov 1, 2011 8:32 AM in response to Marcin2011
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 1, 2011 8:32 AM in response to Marcin2011

    after opening the com.apple.springboard.plist file i don't see any SBParentalControl tags, I just see this:

     

    <key>calendaralert-sound-identifier</key>

      <string>texttone:Calendar Alert</string>

      <key>newmail-sound-identifier</key>

      <string>texttone:New Mail</string>

      <key>reminderalert-sound-identifier</key>

      <string>texttone:Reminder Alert</string>

      <key>ringtone</key>

      <string>&lt;default&gt;</string>

      <key>sentmail-sound-identifier</key>

      <string>texttone:Sent Mail</string>

      <key>senttweet-sound-identifier</key>

      <string>texttone:Sent Tweet</string>

      <key>sms-sound-identifier</key>

      <string>texttone:Tri-tone</string>

      <key>voicemail-sound-identifier</key>

      <string>texttone:Tri-tone</string>

     

    Why am I not seeing the Parental Control?

  • by DualiCah,

    DualiCah DualiCah Nov 2, 2011 2:36 AM in response to brian.issues
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 2, 2011 2:36 AM in response to brian.issues

    @Brian.issues: Tried this?

     

     

    • For those of you still having problems reading the file, if it looks like complete random garbage, you might have backup encryption turned on.  To get around this, connect your iPhone, go into iTunes, and on your iPhone's summary page under "Options", uncheck "Encrypt iPhone backup".  Then, backup your iPhone to generate an unencrypted backup.

     

     

    (haven't figured out yet how to quote from earlier posts, option is only from previous post...)

  • by brian.issues,

    brian.issues brian.issues Nov 2, 2011 8:02 AM in response to brian.issues
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 2, 2011 8:02 AM in response to brian.issues

    @DualiCah

     

    Yes, I ran an unencrypted backup and read the files through TextWrangler. The above listed text is what was in the springboard.plist, nothing with any parentalcontrol tags, nor any number sequence.

  • by avsfreak22,

    avsfreak22 avsfreak22 Nov 2, 2011 11:00 AM in response to DualiCah
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    Nov 2, 2011 11:00 AM in response to DualiCah

    I am having the same problem as brain.issues, and yes, my encryption is turned off as well.

  • by fewezee,

    fewezee fewezee Nov 3, 2011 9:00 AM in response to seng huat
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 3, 2011 9:00 AM in response to seng huat

    hello seung huat, have you been able to fix this. I also have ios5 installed and cant find the 4 digit code anywhere.

  • by seng huat,

    seng huat seng huat Nov 3, 2011 10:44 PM in response to fewezee
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 3, 2011 10:44 PM in response to fewezee

    After many tried I gave up, just restore it back to factory dafult and it work.  This is the long process but it work for me.

  • by brian.issues,

    brian.issues brian.issues Nov 5, 2011 6:32 PM in response to fewezee
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 5, 2011 6:32 PM in response to fewezee

    I wonder if with iOS5 that the codes are now on some other plist file. Really don't want to do the whole factory restore thing, but I guess that's what it has to be.

  • by skyhaus,

    skyhaus skyhaus Nov 12, 2011 11:12 AM in response to brian.issues
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 12, 2011 11:12 AM in response to brian.issues

    Same concern, and issue. I just setup the restrictions on my kids iPad and iPhone. Same code on both. One I've used before. I know it. I didn't forget it.  Somehow, the code defaulted to 9999 - I know because I was able to see it using the process listed above - but only on the iPad.

     

    I am having the same issue as shown above by you, on the iPhone. So this fix worked will on the iPad. But, the iPhone shows the same file content as you list above. Weird. I may have to restore. But will look a bit further.

  • by amelia need help 243,

    amelia need help 243 amelia need help 243 Nov 14, 2011 5:04 PM in response to jjkboswell
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 14, 2011 5:04 PM in response to jjkboswell

    i lost my mine too but mine is a ipod any help please thxs

  • by CraigFromNSW,

    CraigFromNSW CraigFromNSW Nov 15, 2011 9:47 PM in response to Marcin2011
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 15, 2011 9:47 PM in response to Marcin2011

    If there's no SBParentalControlsPin, but com.apple.springboard.plist shows that SBParentalControlsEnabled is actually set to TRUE, then is there any way to recover from this without resetting to factory defaults?

     

    I recently upgraded from an iPhone 3, with iOS 4.2 (I believe this was the last iOS the phone supported), to an iPhone 4S, obviously on iOS 5, and the Restrictions passcode appears to have been miraculously enabled, but not have a valid PIN (so obviously can't be used).

     

    <key>SBParentalControlsBlockTimeIntervalSinceReferenceDate</key> <real>340710270.535712</real> <key>SBParentalControlsEnabled</key> <true/> <key>SBParentalControlsFailedAttempts</key> <integer>9</integer> <key>SBParentalControlsMCContentRestrictions</key> <dict>   <key>countryCode</key>   <string>au</string> </dict>

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