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"Forgot" Screen time Passcode not working

I have forgotten my phone's screentime passcode and when I hit forgot passcode, it asks for the old screen time passcode and counts it as a failed attempt. How do i reset it?

iPhone 12 Pro Max, iOS 14

Posted on Jun 24, 2021 9:41 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jun 24, 2021 9:50 AM

I chatted with Apple and two people suggested i completely wipe my phone and set it up as "new" because any backup i use will reinstate the passcode. WRONG. Then a third apple support team rescued me:

  1. Back up your device
  2. Enter recovery mode to factory reset the phone (if you do it on your phone, it will prompt for the 'forgotten' screen time passcode, also, you can't sign in/out of icloud as well without this passcode)

a. turn off phone

b. plug into your laptop

c. let it install software update

d. hit restore

3. The device will boot from scratch (screen says hello), set it up using the back-up from first step.


Your back-up is stored on a different segment of the drive, so entering recovery and wiping your phone through your laptop will not erase the back (in case you had that question). That's it, problem solved, my screen time passcode was gone but my sister's was in place as needed.


Thank you!


2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jun 24, 2021 9:50 AM in response to srishtimohan

I chatted with Apple and two people suggested i completely wipe my phone and set it up as "new" because any backup i use will reinstate the passcode. WRONG. Then a third apple support team rescued me:

  1. Back up your device
  2. Enter recovery mode to factory reset the phone (if you do it on your phone, it will prompt for the 'forgotten' screen time passcode, also, you can't sign in/out of icloud as well without this passcode)

a. turn off phone

b. plug into your laptop

c. let it install software update

d. hit restore

3. The device will boot from scratch (screen says hello), set it up using the back-up from first step.


Your back-up is stored on a different segment of the drive, so entering recovery and wiping your phone through your laptop will not erase the back (in case you had that question). That's it, problem solved, my screen time passcode was gone but my sister's was in place as needed.


Thank you!


"Forgot" Screen time Passcode not working

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