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Joe Sixpack Author

Level 2

183 points

What is Screen Time passcode in iOS 12?

I just upgraded to ios12. Screen Time was enabled by default. I want to turn it off. It demands a pass code. Obviously, I never set a pass code for Screen Time, since it didn't exist prior to the upgrade.

1) Restrictions, aka Parental controls, was not on when I upgraded. It's possible I messed around with it in the distant past and set a pass code at some point.

2) My screen lock pass code is 6 digits, while the Screen Time pass code is 4 digits, so the ST pc default is not the same as the screen lock pc.

3) I have tried several obvious (to me) pass codes, including 0000. Nothing works. I am now up to a 5 minute wait between tries.

[Insert nasty comments about Apple here]

[Re-Titled by Host]

Posted on Sep 17, 2018 6:09 PM

Top-ranking reply

janiemac13

Level 1

8 points

Posted on Sep 18, 2018 3:58 PM

Mine did the same thing. During the initial welcome pages of iOS 12 it just spontaneously displayed a message saying “Screen Time Passcode Set.” After 5 tries on the “Change Screen Time Passcode” screen in Settings, I got it to accept an older passcode I’d used to put restrictions on my phone back when my kid didn’t have one. Somehow it resurrected that code and supplied it for the new feature. Clearly a hiccup in iOS 12 that will break that feature for some people until Apple pushes out a fix (or until you set up your new XS!). Cuz personally, that feature (by itself) would never be worth the pain of a full restore on my 256GB phone. But I can confirm that, for me, it was indeed an old restrictions passcode that got put in there during setup without my having anything to do with it.

View in context

171 replies

Oct 7, 2018 10:15 AM in response to Backyar

A factory reset makes the phone as if it was new. How does that mess up your phone? And you could always just see the link in the Solved post at the top of every page in this thread.

Oct 7, 2018 10:55 AM in response to Joe Sixpack

Solved it, I think: I have NEVER had a passcode for anything. Read all the entries below, “chatted” for half hour with Apple.... finally tried 0000 AND IT WORKED! Good luck, all.

Oct 7, 2018 10:58 AM in response to askbarnabas

Try 0000. It worked for me.

Oct 8, 2018 8:47 PM in response to SKManns

I have never, never used a passcode, but after lots of research, I tried 0000—and it worked!!!

Please pass this on.

Oct 13, 2018 9:30 AM in response to Joe Sixpack

I used 0000 and it worked.

Oct 14, 2018 2:00 PM in response to billsbs

Perfect fix in my mind!

Oct 28, 2018 5:26 PM in response to ozfromwindsor

Apparently you didn't bother to read the thread you posted to. The Solved post at the top of every page answers your question. And it has been there for over a month.