Reset the code protecting
Screen Time settings.

For your iPhone: Settings > Screen Time > Change Screen Time Passcode > Change Screen Time Passcode. Authenticate with the Apple Account used for recovery, then enter a new four-digit code.

This is not the same as forgetting the passcode used to unlock the iPhone. Do not erase a device or follow Security Lockout instructions when only the Screen Time code is forgotten.

1. Update the device. Current software reduces syncing and menu inconsistencies.

2. Open Settings > Screen Time. Tap Change Screen Time Passcode, then choose it again.

3. Use recovery credentials. Enter the Apple Account email address or phone number and password used when Screen Time Passcode Recovery was created.

4. Create a new four-digit code. Enter it twice and store it securely.

If Share Across Devices is on, the changed passcode updates on supported devices using the same Screen Time setup.

Use the Family organizer's device. Open Settings > Screen Time, choose the child's name under Family, tap Manage Screen Time, then Change Screen Time Passcode twice. Create and confirm the new code.

Do not attempt the Family Sharing reset from the child's iPhone. If the child does not appear, confirm that both accounts are signed in correctly, the child belongs to the Family Sharing group, and devices are current.

Wrong Apple Account: recovery uses the account entered when Screen Time Passcode Recovery was set up, which may not be the account currently signed into the device.

Family role mismatch: the organizer must manage a child's code from their own device.

Recovery was skipped: Apple says the recovery Apple Account is required to reset or remove a forgotten passcode, and it cannot provide that account information. Do not trust passcode-bypass software.

Devices are out of sync: update family devices and check Share Across Devices before assuming the new code failed.

Record which Apple Account controls recovery. Keep the Screen Time code different from the iPhone unlock code and from obvious dates. For self-accountability, decide carefully whether you or a trusted person should control the code and recovery account.

Resetting the passcode restores access to Screen Time settings; it does not make flexible limits stricter. Fella is a separate all-day app blocker and does not recover or replace Apple's Screen Time passcode.

The recovery account is the Apple Account entered when the Screen Time passcode was created. It may differ from the account currently shown at the top of Settings, especially on a device that changed owners, moved between family groups, or uses separate accounts for purchases.

Try the email address or phone number belonging to the person who originally configured Screen Time. In a Family Sharing setup, that may be the organizer, a parent, or the child, depending on how the controls were established. Avoid repeatedly guessing the four-digit code because failed attempts create longer waiting periods.

If you can sign in to a suspected Apple Account elsewhere, that confirms the credentials work but does not prove it is the recovery account. Follow the Screen Time prompt exactly. If the account is rejected, review accounts used when the passcode was first set rather than changing the device's main Apple Account.

Do not confuse it with the iPhone unlock code. The device passcode, Apple Account password, and Screen Time passcode protect different things. Security Lockout instructions apply to a forgotten device passcode, not a Screen Time code.

Do not trust passcode-removal downloads. Tools promising a Screen Time passcode bypass may require invasive access, charge before revealing limitations, or risk personal data. Apple's recovery flow preserves the ownership and family controls the passcode protects.

Do not erase the iPhone as the first step. Erasing is disproportionate when the recovery account or Family organizer can reset the code. Restoring a backup may also restore Screen Time configuration, so it is not a reliable shortcut around the proper reset process.

If official recovery is unavailable, contact Apple Support with the device and ownership details. Apple cannot tell you which recovery account was used, but it can provide current, device-specific guidance.