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.

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171 replies

Mar 4, 2019 5:32 PM in response to Joe Sixpack

I feel you. Same problem. I am entering my restrictions passcode but it doesn't work.

Apr 15, 2019 8:01 AM in response to shaheerfromIndia

Moot. I responded to the wrong post.

Apr 15, 2019 8:17 AM in response to tnxgod

I posted a reply, which you should have seen in your email notification, with the answer. I did not want the full answer to be posted permanently, so you will have to look at the email.

tnxgod

Level 1

4 points

Apr 15, 2019 8:32 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

Thanks, i will check

May 5, 2019 9:17 AM in response to Joe Sixpack

My screen Time passcode dew to new update

LACAllen

Level 8

43,584 points

Sep 17, 2018 7:15 PM in response to Joe Sixpack

And?

This passcode is separate to a lock screen passcode. One can be 6 digit while the other is 4.

My screen time was not enabled by default. I overtly enabled it, and disabled it, in settings using the dialogs seen above.

Sorry your experience was different,

Joe Sixpack Author

Level 2

183 points

Sep 18, 2018 5:06 PM in response to LACAllen

If I remember correctly, at some point in the upgrade process there was an option to set up the phone automatically or manually. I chose automatic, so I don't know what would have happened if I had chosen manual. I assume the manual process gives you more options, and maybe some of the options involve the Screen Time set up. Just guessing here.

anypats

Level 7

21,357 points

Sep 18, 2018 5:11 PM in response to Joe Sixpack

That’s just referencing how you want future iOS upgrades to install. Automatically will install them without user input. Manually means you have to select to update a future iOS version. This didn’t have any reference to how iOS 12 was upgraded or installed.

Sep 19, 2018 6:18 PM in response to Joe Sixpack

I know I never set up restrictions but it’s still asking for a pin. Over the last few days I’ve tried every possible pin I have ever used. None have worked. I hope Apple makes it possible to reset this code. Perhaps via the Apple ID ?

Joe Sixpack Author

Level 2

183 points

Sep 19, 2018 7:27 PM in response to Joe Sixpack

Apparently, Apple is getting a lot of tech support requests about this issue--they called me and asked a bunch of questions. Maybe they will change the iOS 12 installer in the next update, so people who haven't upgraded yet won't have to deal with this problem.

Sep 20, 2018 7:01 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

It isn't a bug per se, but I think it's fair to say that they probably shouldn't have automatically turned on screen time with the passcode from iOS11, when people didn't have anything restricted/didn't have restrictions turned on. The vast majority of people who are impacted played with restrictions etc, but didn't have anything restricted, and I doubt it was Apple's intention to punish us for forgetting a password that wasn't being used.

Sep 20, 2018 7:25 AM in response to campsbayrich

Think this through. The Restrictions Passcode was in an iOS 11 backup. That means that Restrictions were enabled in iOS 11, before you updated to iOS 12. So Restrictions was ON before you updated. If Restrictions had not been enabled in iOS 11 there would have been no Restrictions Passcode to recover from an iOS 11 backup.

This means that someone enabled Restrictions and entered a Restrictions passcode - twice - at some time in the past. There are only 2 ways this can happen:

You or someone who had access to your phone did it.
You have or had a company email account on your phone. This gives the account administrator the ability to add restrictions and create a passcode.

Note that the Restrictions may have been enabled any time in the past, on any version of iOS, on this phone, or on any phone that was backed up and then restored to this phone. So it's possible that all of your phones and iOS versions have had Restrictions enabled, but you didn't notice until now.

Sep 20, 2018 7:36 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

Ok so then at some point prior to iOS 12 the code was set somehow. I don’t understand how it was set to a random pin I would have never chosen. No one other than myself ever had access to the phone.

Sep 25, 2018 11:06 AM in response to Joe Sixpack

Same here. I just installed iOS 12 and I have a few issues and would love some insite

1. screen time has been added and didn’t add a password and its asking for one

2. I can’t move my icons and can’t get them to jiggle to put icons not used in folder

3 can’t remove restrictions and can’t download music with Explicit music bought on different phone this phone has been removed from my apple id.

Joe Sixpack Author

Level 2

183 points

Oct 28, 2018 6:21 PM in response to anypats

In my case, and I assume many other cases, Screen Time was turned on by default, and I wanted to turn it off. Or, at the very least, change the Screen Time settings. Restrictions was not turned on at the time of the upgrade, but Guided Access was. There was no reason to believe that having Guided Access turned on would result in some completely new App being turned on and locked up with a passcode. And, if I remember my set up correctly, Guided Access was controlled with a finger print, not a long forgotten passcode. Just admit it--Apple screwed up here. No, it's not that big a deal, but it surely is annoying.

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What is Screen Time passcode in iOS 12?