Unknown Screen Time passcode on iPhone with no reset option

How to Reset Screen Time Passcode

If you are unable to reset your Screen Time Passcode with your Apple ID then you may have skipped the option while setting up Screen time Passcode. See the pic below

If you have forgotten your Screen Time passcode. 

There are two options.

Option 1: If you are unable to reset the Screen Time passcode from this-> link, 

Option 2: Use this link to learn how to reset your passcode --> If you forgot your Screen Time passcode - Apple Support

Important:

Resetting the Screen Time passcode is ineffective if you later restore from a backup, because the backup will reinstate the original passcode. Your only viable path is to sync all data to iCloud, perform the reset, and then allow iCloud to resync your information. Under no circumstances should you restore from a backup that includes an unknown Screen Time passcode.

Regarding your data, if…

1. You have an iCloud or iTunes backup. I am sorry, there is no use of a backup because if you restore from your backup, your Screen Time Passcode will be back. 
2. You have synced your data to iCloud, then what you will get back is what you have synced to iCloud and uploaded to iCloud Drive; the information that is synced and stored in iCloud are, Contacts, Calendars, Bookmarks, Mail, Notes, Voice Memos, shared photos, iCloud Photos*, Health data, call history, and files you store in iCloud Drive. (*-If you had turned on iCloud Photos, your content is automatically stored in iCloud.)
3. You have imported your Photos & Videos to Mac/PC, then they are safely residing there
4. You have uploaded some of it to Cloud Drives using the Files app (iCloud Drive, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Flickr, box, AmazonDrive, Adobe Creative Cloud, etc.)
5. If you have not imported, nor have you synced or uploaded your data to cloud drives, before forgetting the Screen Time passcode, then I am sorry, all your data is lost.

Dont forget, you probably have full access to the phone content right now, and unless your actions are prohibited by the Screen Time settings, you can increase iCloud plan, sync or move data to iCloud to preserve it, and lose very little when you finally erase the phone in Recovery Mode (google it) with a computer.

Back up just in case but it will contain the same passcode lock.

Is there any way to reset or remove a forgotten Screen Time passcode without knowing the original four-digit code?

No, unless you are willing to erase the phone and set it up again with a new passcode. This will of course erase all the current data on the phone.

Why does iOS 27.2 immediately request the old passcode instead of offering Face ID or device passcode verification?

Apple decision regarding security

Is there another way to recover the Screen Time passcode if Apple Account recovery was never configured?

No

There is no “Forgot Passcode?” option.

Apple advises that If the option does not appear—or if your device is completely disabled—(your iPhone appears to be disabled) you will need to restore and reset the iPhone using a computer (Mac or Windows PC) using Recovery Mode.

Can Apple Support remove or reset this passcode after verifying that my mother is the legitimate owner of the device?

No

Is it possible to remove the Screen Time passcode without erasing the iPhone?

No

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If you are not part of an Apple Family Sharing group and want to set up Screen Time restrictions for your own iPhone, you can do so independently. You have two options: set Screen Time limits with a dedicated Screen Time passcode or use Screen Time without setting a passcode.

1. Setting up Screen Time without a passcode

You can configure and use all the available Screen Time features, including App Limits, Downtime, and Content & Privacy Restrictions, without setting a passcode.

However, remember that without a passcode, you can easily modify or disable these restrictions yourself. Therefore, they offer less protection against accidental or impulsive changes.

2. Setting up Screen Time with a passcode

If you have not previously set a Screen Time passcode, open:

Settings → Screen Time

Scroll down to the bottom of the Screen Time settings page. You will find the Lock Screen Time Settings option, as shown in Image 3 below.

Tap this option to secure your Screen Time settings. You will then be prompted to:

1. Enter a four-digit Screen Time passcode.
2. Re-enter the same passcode for confirmation.
3. Provide your Apple Account credentials or configure the available passcode recovery option, as prompted, so that you can reset the passcode if you forget it.

Once the passcode is enabled, you will also see the Change Screen Time Passcode option. You can use this to change your existing Screen Time passcode whenever required.

Important: The Screen Time passcode is entirely different from your iPhone Lock Screen passcode. They serve two different purposes and should not be confused.

The Screen Time passcode prevents changes to your Screen Time restrictions without authorisation. Your iPhone Lock Screen passcode, on the other hand, protects access to your device.

Refer to the pictorial, step-by-step instructions below for a better understanding of the entire process.

Unable to Reset Forgotten Screen Time Passcode on iPhone 14 Pro Max (iOS 27.2) – No Apple Account Recovery Option

Hello Apple Community,

I am looking for help with a Screen Time passcode issue on my mother’s iPhone 14 Pro Max running iOS 27.2.

At some point, someone enabled a Screen Time passcode on her iPhone. Unfortunately, we do not know who set it up, and nobody knows the four-digit passcode.

We are unable to change or disable Screen Time because the device keeps asking for the original passcode.

Here is exactly what happens:

1. 
   
2. I open Settings → Screen Time.
3. 
   
4. 
   
5. I select “Change Screen Time Passcode”.
6. 
   
7. 
   
8. I select “Change Screen Time Passcode” again.
9. 
   
10. 
    
11. Instead of asking for Face ID, the iPhone’s device passcode, or offering another verification method, it immediately displays a screen asking me to enter the old four-digit Screen Time passcode.
12. 
    
13. 
    
14. There is no “Forgot Passcode?” option.
15. 
    
16. 
    
17. There is no option to recover the passcode using an Apple Account.
18. 
    

We suspect that whoever originally set up the Screen Time passcode may have skipped the Apple Account recovery setup.

Additional information:

• 
  
• Device: iPhone 14 Pro Max.
• 
  
• 
  
• iOS version: 27.2.
• 
  
• 
  
• The device belongs to my mother.
• 
  
• 
  
• We have access to her Apple Account, which is currently signed in to the iPhone.
• 
  
• 
  
• We are not using Family Sharing to manage Screen Time.
• 
  
• 
  
• We do not know the original Screen Time passcode.
• 
  
• 
  
• We cannot access the passcode recovery option.
• 
  

My questions are:

1. 
   
2. Is there any way to reset or remove a forgotten Screen Time passcode without knowing the original four-digit code?
3. 
   
4. 
   
5. Why does iOS 27.2 immediately request the old passcode instead of offering Face ID or device passcode verification?
6. 
   
7. 
   
8. Is there another way to recover the Screen Time passcode if Apple Account recovery was never configured?
9. 
   
10. 
    
11. Can Apple Support remove or reset this passcode after verifying that my mother is the legitimate owner of the device?
12. 
    
13. 
    
14. Is it possible to remove the Screen Time passcode without erasing the iPhone?
15. 
    

We would strongly prefer not to factory-reset the device because it contains important personal data, including photos, messages, and other information.

I would be extremely grateful if someone from Apple or anyone who has experienced the same issue could explain whether there is a solution that does not require erasing the device.

Thank you for your time and help!