I never set up Restrictions passcode on my IPhone Ever. Now it is on and I do not know the code!! I will not use 3rd Party software or erase my iPhone because of all the Business contacts. After 24 attempts I am about to switch to Samsung! SoFedUp!

Something that helped me when I faced this issue:

I, too, was trying to do something on my iPhone, and couldn’t due to a restrictions passcode I was SURE I had never set up. I tried all the passwords I could think of, with no luck. I even found a trick that if I turned my clock setting off automatic and manually moved the time up, it would give me more guesses (I think this has been corrected in future iOS updates, but you can try it). I could NOT figure out how a restrictions passcode had gotten set up. Finally, I remembered that my iPhone passcode was different on my first iPhone I ever owned. I realized that, even though I truely had not ever set up a restrictions passcode on this iPhone, I thought, just maybe, that I set one up a long, long time ago on my first ever iPhone. After some soul searching and several wrong guesses, I finally remembered my first iPhone passcode, which was what I had also used for my restrictions passcode (luckily). Although my iPhone passcode had changed over the years, my restrictions passcode stayed the same. I still don’t remember setting up a restrictions passcode, or why I would have wanted to, but this method worked for me.

Try to think back to your first ever iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc., and ask yourself, “If I, in a moment of idiocy, decided to set up a restrictions passcode, what would my 10-year younger self have used as a four-digit passcode?” For me, it was the month/year I bought the phone, which I was able to find out by looking at old emails and records.

Absolutely no one knows your restrictions passcode except you and your iPhone. Apple doesn't know it. The FBI doesn't know it. Other users in this user-to-user technical support forum don't know it. If you don't remember it your only option is to restore iOS on your phone and set it up as a new phone. You cannot restore a backup, as the restrictions passcode is included in the backup. See: If you forgot the passcode for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or your device is disabled - Apple Support

I know it says "if you forgot the passcode", but that includes the Restrictions passcode.

Sorry, you are wrong. The following was compiled by a fine gentleman on this forum.

Please explain how every user that successfully guessed their password had a different one, some of them passwords that Apple's software could not possibly have known? Here are some from from this and other threads on the subject:

·       First iTunes account password (40 different users)

·       Old iTunes account password, but not the oldest one

·       Password used for almost all accounts (3 different users)

·       All digit Password created a long time ago

·       Computer/laptop login password (4 users)

·       Laptop password (2 users)

·       Computer password (4 users)

·       Email password (3 users)

·       iTunes with no capital letters

·       Password not used anywhere else

·       All numeric used in the past

·       Password for old gaming site

·       PC password (5 users)

·       “iphonelogin”

·       work computer password

·       Current app store password (2 users)

·       Paypal account password

·       iPad unlock passcode

·       Strongest variation of the base password I have ever used

·       Old password

·       Old work password

·       Macbook password (2 users)

·       Restriction passcode

·       Gmail password (2 users)

·       Current Apple ID password (2 users)

·       Apple MobileMe password

·       Apple ID password, but all lower case (8 users)

·       Apple ID password, first one ever used, but all lower case (2 users)

·       iPhone passcode when corporate profile was installed

·       Passcode for a website

·       iPhone screen unlock passcode (9 users)

·       iPhone unlock passcode at the time the first backup was made (3 users)

·       First password for work computer

·       Old password used over 2 years ago (2 users)

·       Previous owner’s iTunes password

·       Current laptop password

·       Wireless network password

·       Electric bill and Skype password

·       icloud password, all lower case

·       Windows login for very old laptop

·       iMac password (3 users)

·       First iPhone 4 digit passcode

·       iTunes password from last year

·       4 year old password

·       iTunes password (current) (3 users)

·       Old PC password

·       Password for “Good” application

·       Password used for everything+1234

·       1234 (4 users)

·       12345 (2 users)

·       123456 (one user)

·       0000

·       Password I use for everything else (2 users)

·       One of my husband’s passwords

·       Some old non-Apple product password

·       Screen passcode of the first iPhone that was backed up (2 users)

·       Old password with different case on first letter

·       “password” (2 users)

·       Windows Administrator password (2 users)

·       Original Windows Administrator password

·       Mackbook administrator password

·       “iphone”+4 digit unlock code

·       Voicemail password

·       asd

·       “herpderp”

·       “darwin” (first name from credit card account)

·       First name, all lower case

·       Ms Exchange account password

·       Facebook password

·       Browser password

·       Network admin password

PS - Thanks, Lawrence

Good news in iOS 12!

"Settings" / "Screen Time" offers "Turn On Screen Time" (if you didn't turn it on when upgrading).

If you "Continue" and respond "This is My iPhone," you might now have the option to "Use Screen Time Passcode."

I set it up with "Use Screen Time passcode," then got rid of the passcode and turned off Screen Time again.

iOS even barked "13 failed attempts" (which were for the never-set restrictions passcode EVER of iOS 11 and before), when I went to delete the password. But, like a better trained canine, iOS 12 went ahead and let me clean up the mess it had left behind.

FYI to all ... Whoever said "someone had to put it on there" ... I am throwing out the "BS" card... it was not set and after a recent update it was set on my device. Found a site somewhere that said try 1234 as the pin. Did it and it worked. I am going to reiterate one more time. It was NOT intentionally set by anyone. Somehow the update applied the PIN and set Restrictions to "on"... with the default pin as 1234 ... anyone having the issue, its at least worth a try if you did not set the restrictions to "on" by yourself.

AltCAG.

3karen wrote:

I too am just now having this same issue. I did not ever set up restriction passcode, and yet I have one now. Of course I won’t be able to remember restriction passcode since I didn’t put it there. Such Bs really. Controlling

I guess you didn't read any of the rest the thread. So I will state what should be obvious: RESTRICTIONS PASSCODES NEVER, EVER SET THEMSELVES. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE PHONE TO DO THIS. That means that a human being went to Settings/General/Restrictions, turn the switch to ON, and entered a 4 digit passcode when prompted. And entered the same 4 digit passcode a second time for confirmation. If you didn't do it, someone who had possession of your phone did it. Or, if this was a replacement phone and the previous phone had a restrictions passcode set that code was transferred from the previous phone when its backup was restored to the new phone.

But it doesn't matter how it was set; the only official way to remove it is this: If you forgot the passcode for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or your device is disabled - Apple Support

After following those steps, set up the phone as NEW, not from a backup, as the backup will just restore the same forgotten passcode.

There are other ways, but I can't post any here. Be creative with a web search.

lauraannterp wrote:

I can guarantee that I never set up a restrictions code and there were no restrictions set up before the ones that I established tonight. I hope others are able to get through but it seems like some glitch is causing codes to be set up unintentionally.

I can guarantee that SOMEONE added a restrictions passcode, either accidentally or intentionally. Restrictions passcodes are never created automatically. If you have a company-issued phone it may have been added by the IT department. If you have a company email account the IT department can add restrictions settings. But those are the only two cases other than a human being going to Settings/General/Restrictions, enabling it, and adding a 4 digit code. You must enter the code twice, so it is hard to do accidentally.

The only way to bypass it is to restore the phone using Recovery mode, and setting it up as a new phone without restoring a backup (backups contain the Restrictions settings).

xxxxx1 wrote:

then what is the default PW? how do you reset it?

There is no default password.

To remove the restrictions password, follow the directions in this article:

Use parental controls on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support

I never set up a restrictions password code either.

Be that as it may... there is one there now and your solution is the same.

Remove it by following these instructions: If you forgot the passcode for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or your device is disabled - Apple Support

Good morning,

I also had the restrictions passcode appear without my input.

I backed up my broken iPhone X for setting up my new replacement. I restored from backup and then had the restriction.

It occurred to me after I entered my passcode to my iPad that I should try that. It was the code that unlocked my restriction.

So you have a brand new phone, and you did NOT restore a backup of a previous phone to it, you set it up as a completely new phone, so the Restrictions passcode saved in the backup of the previous phone could not have been restore to the new phone? If that is the case the phone is not brand new.

neither are they stored by Apple, which is why they cannot be “recovered” if forgotten, like account passwords can.

To be fair and clear... restrictions passcodes are stored in iTunes and iCloud backups.

Apple has no access to the contents of those backups, so in effect, they are stored by Apple (iCloud backup only), but not accessible by Apple.

Doesn't change the reality of this conversation. If a passcode is present, it was placed there by someone with access to the device.

No I am not wrong. There is not glitch at Apple. If there is a Restrictions password, someone created it. It is impossible for one to be created any other way.

However, Restrictions are not involved at all in restoring a phone to Factory Settings. You can do it whether you have a restrictions passcode or not. In fact, to REMOVE a restrictions passcode you restore the phone to Factory Settings. What you cannot do is restore a phone that has Activation Lock enabled, without the passcode that was used to set up Find my iPhone. So I suspect that is where your problem is.

How to use parental controls on your child's iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support explains that to remove a Restrictions passcode you restore the phone and set it up as new.

ltlmagoo wrote:

I also had the restrictions passcode appear without my input.

I backed up my broken iPhone X for setting up my new replacement. I restored from backup and then had the restriction.

It occurred to me after I entered my passcode to my iPad that I should try that. It was the code that unlocked my restriction.

Then it was someone else's input. Apple has no way of knowing what the passcode is for any of your devices. So, your iPhone couldn't have a passcode that's on your iPad unless someone put it there.

I'm glad you remembered what it was.

Yes you can if you change the time General>date&time>set time automatically to off and then change the date&time...you can keep trying. Googled with the other people who also don’t “remember” setting a restriction pw. It doesn’t stop you or wipe you at 10 tries. Just increases the time. Tried all pws I have ever used and other simple combos. I vaguely remember this pw being set after a OS upgrade and trying to log in. Thought I was putting in my open phone pw. When trying to get in restrictions it would not let me. I have no idea what it was set to. I now have the hassle to fix it. Not everyone has a computer to back up to or wants iCloud.