How to set Screen Time passcode for your child the right way

In this guide, we’ll walk you through all the steps to add a Screen Time passcode for your child’s iPhone, iPad, and Mac so you can prevent them from bypassing parental restrictions.

Screen Time is a powerful feature built into all iPhone, iPad, and Mac that lets you view usage data, set up restrictions, and more.

But you must know that simply setting a restriction on your child’s phone, who is slightly older or tech-savvy, may not be very useful, as they can just turn it off. Therefore, you must protect Screen Time changes with a custom passcode that you, of course, don’t disclose to your child.

Secondly, merely setting a passcode isn’t enough if your child is around 14 years of age and knows their way around the internet. This is because they can use their Apple Account password to reset the Screen Time passcode, thus easily circumventing the digital barricade you have set up for them.

Because of these reasons, you must set the Screen Time passcode the right way on your child’s device, and we’ll show you how.

Note that you can set up Screen Time passcode directly on your kid’s iOS device or using your own iPhone. For the latter to happen, your child must be added to your Apple Family Sharing setup (an Apple Account for a child under 13 years of age is mandatorily required to be under a Family Sharing group).

Set up Screen Time passcode on your child’s iPhone or iPad

1) Open the iOS Settings app and tap Screen Time.

2) If you’re following these steps directly on your child’s device, tap Lock Screen Time Settings.

And if you’re following these steps on your iPhone or iPad, tap your child’s name under the Family heading first and then tap Manage Screen Time > Lock Screen Time Settings.

3) Set a four-digit Screen Time passcode by entering it twice. Remember to keep it different from your child’s device passcode (i.e., the passcode they use to enter the device when it powers on or when FaceID or TouchID fails). Also, make sure not to share this Screen Time passcode with your child, or it will defeat the entire purpose.

4) You may now get a screen asking to set up a recovery option, where you have to enter an Apple ID and its password. If you forget the Screen Time passcode, you can reset it easily and set a new one without erasing the device. Now, most people (especially if following these steps on their child’s device) think they have to enter their child’s Apple Account and password as the recovery option. This approach works if your kid is little and doesn’t know their Apple Account password. But if your child knows their Apple Account password, they can remove and reset the Screen Time passcode on their iPhone or iPad using this recovery option. Therefore, you have two choices here:

• Option 1: Don’t add a recovery option

Tap Cancel on this screen, followed by Skip. This means there is no recovery fallback for resetting the Screen Time passcode; if you forget the code, you’ll have to erase your child’s iOS device and set it up again, which can be a hassle. So, make sure you note the passcode somewhere safe, like a locked note on your own iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

• Option 2: Add your Apple Account instead

Instead of using your child’s Apple ID as the recovery for the Screen Time passcode, add your own or your spouse’s Apple Account email and password. Again, don’t disclose your Apple Account password to your child. With your Apple Account as the recovery option on your child’s iPhone or iPad, only you can reset the forgotten Screen Time passcode on their device. Don’t worry, this is just for Screen Time passcode recovery. Data from your Apple Account won’t sync to your child’s device.

Set up Screen Time passcode on Mac

The process and fundamentals for macOS are the same as iOS.

But one thing to note is that even though you can, Apple really doesn’t want you to set a Screen Time passcode on your/your child’s main admin account. Instead, it recommends setting up a Screen Time passcode on a standard user account for your child.

So, if your child doesn’t have their own Mac but uses yours, just add a new account for them in System Settings > Users & Groups > Add User. Then, click the Apple icon  > Log Out to exit your admin account, and log in to your child’s newly created user account. Now, set it up with your child’s Apple Account; this process is similar to setting up a new Mac. After that, add a Screen Time passcode by following these steps:

1) Open System Settings and click Screen Time.

2) Enable the switch for App & Website Activity if it’s off.

3) Turn on the switch for Lock Screen Time Settings and set a four-digit passcode. Either skip providing an Apple Account for recovery or add yours.

In case your child has their own Mac, in this case, too, you should create a standard user account for them and then set up a Screen Time passcode. If your child’s account is currently the admin account, you can convert the existing admin account into a standard account and create a new admin account (whose passcode you don’t share with your kid).

Also, check out:

• 15 child-focused features on iPhone and iPad
• 11 things to do before handing your iPhone or iPad to kids

Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2025/11/28/set-screen-time-passcode/