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Restriction passcode

Is there a way to reset the restriction passcode if forgotten?

iPad, iOS 10

Posted on Oct 22, 2022 4:34 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 22, 2022 5:01 AM

If you have forgotten the ScreenTime passcode, one of the two procedures outlined within this link should resolve the problem:

If you forgot your Screen Time passcode - Apple Support


If your iPad is capable of supporting iPadOS 13.x or later, you should update to the most current version before attempting to resolve a forgotten ScreenTime passcode. The most recent iPadOS updates have introduced a new mechanism whereby a forgotten ScreenTime passcode can be reset without wiping the iPad.


To reset a forgotten ScreenTime passcode on older versions of iOS/iPadOS (such as an iPad4 with iOS10 - as suggested by the tags appended to your post), the iPad must be reset “as new”, losing all locally stored data. In this situation, you’ll not be able to restore your data from an iCloud or iTunes backup - as the forgotten passcode is integral to the backup. Restoring from a backup will also restore the unknown Restrictions passcode.


In such circumstances, you’ll need to manually export files and data to alternative storage before resetting the iPad - and set-up the iPad from scratch.


I hope this information is helpful to you in successfully resetting your forgotten passcode.

1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Oct 22, 2022 5:01 AM in response to noelstephenkw

If you have forgotten the ScreenTime passcode, one of the two procedures outlined within this link should resolve the problem:

If you forgot your Screen Time passcode - Apple Support


If your iPad is capable of supporting iPadOS 13.x or later, you should update to the most current version before attempting to resolve a forgotten ScreenTime passcode. The most recent iPadOS updates have introduced a new mechanism whereby a forgotten ScreenTime passcode can be reset without wiping the iPad.


To reset a forgotten ScreenTime passcode on older versions of iOS/iPadOS (such as an iPad4 with iOS10 - as suggested by the tags appended to your post), the iPad must be reset “as new”, losing all locally stored data. In this situation, you’ll not be able to restore your data from an iCloud or iTunes backup - as the forgotten passcode is integral to the backup. Restoring from a backup will also restore the unknown Restrictions passcode.


In such circumstances, you’ll need to manually export files and data to alternative storage before resetting the iPad - and set-up the iPad from scratch.


I hope this information is helpful to you in successfully resetting your forgotten passcode.

Restriction passcode

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