How to access and modify parental controls on your iPhone

You can change parental controls on an iPhone through the Screen Time settings, which is built into iOS. The steps differ depending on whether you know the Screen Time passcode or not — if you do, you can modify restrictions immediately; if you don't, you'll need to reset it through your Apple ID or erase the device.

Parental controls on iPhone let you restrict app downloads, limit content by age rating, control privacy settings, and set downtime schedules. These controls live in one place: the Screen Time section of Settings, accessible from any iPhone running iOS 12 or later.

Key Takeaways

  • Screen Time passcode is separate from your iPhone passcode — you set it during initial Screen Time setup, and you'll need it to change restrictions.
  • If you remember the Screen Time passcode, go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions to modify app limits, app store restrictions, and content filters.
  • If you forgot the Screen Time passcode, you can reset it using your Apple ID credentials from the same Screen Time menu.
  • Changing parental controls takes effect immediately — apps can be hidden, downtime can start, and content filters can block purchases within seconds.
  • If you're locked out of Screen Time entirely, you may need to erase the iPhone and set it up again, which deletes all data unless you restore from backup.

Changing restrictions when you know the Screen Time passcode

Open Settings, then tap Screen Time. If Screen Time is already set up, you'll see a summary of your usage. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions near the bottom of the screen. Enter your Screen Time passcode when prompted.

From here, you can toggle individual restrictions on or off. Turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions at the top if it isn't already enabled. Below that, you'll see sections for App Limits (which pause apps after a set time), Allowed Apps (which apps appear on the home screen), Content Restrictions (which blocks movies, music, and books by age rating), and Privacy (which controls what apps can access, like location or contacts).

Make your changes, then exit Settings. The changes take effect immediately — if you set downtime to start now, the device will lock into downtime mode right away.

Resetting the Screen Time passcode with your Apple ID

If you don't remember the Screen Time passcode, you can reset it. Open Settings > Screen Time, then scroll down and tap Change Screen Time Passcode. Select Forgot Passcode? at the bottom of the next screen.

You'll be asked to enter your Apple ID email and password. After you do, you can create a new Screen Time passcode. Write this passcode down or store it somewhere you'll remember — there's no recovery path if you lose it a second time without erasing the device.

This process works on any iPhone where you know the Apple ID credentials. If you don't know the Apple ID password, you'll need to reset it through Apple's account recovery process before you can proceed.

What to do if you're completely locked out

If you don't know the Screen Time passcode and don't have access to the Apple ID that set it up, your only option is to erase the iPhone and set it up as new. This deletes all data on the device unless you restore from a backup afterward.

To erase the iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. You'll be asked for your Apple ID password to confirm — this is a security measure to prevent theft. After the device erases, you can set it up again and create a new Screen Time passcode from scratch.

If you have a backup from before the passcode was set, you can restore from that backup after setup. If your backup includes Screen Time settings, those will come back — so only restore from a backup if you want the same restrictions in place.

Setting up Screen Time for the first time

If Screen Time isn't set up yet, open Settings > Screen Time and tap Turn On Screen Time. Choose whether this is your device or a child's device. If it's a child's device, you'll set up Family Sharing, which lets you manage their restrictions from your own iPhone.

You'll be asked to create a Screen Time passcode — a four-digit code separate from your device passcode. This is what you'll need to enter whenever you want to change restrictions. After you create the passcode, you can set app limits, downtime, and content restrictions right away.

For a child's device, the parent's iPhone becomes the manager — restrictions can only be changed from the parent's device unless the parent enters their Screen Time passcode on the child's phone.

Understanding Content & Privacy Restrictions in detail

Content & Privacy Restrictions has four main sections. App Limits lets you set a daily time limit for specific apps or app categories — when the limit is reached, the app pauses until the next day. Allowed Apps controls which apps appear on the home screen; toggling an app off hides it from view but doesn't delete it.

Content Restrictions filters by age rating for movies, TV shows, books, and apps. You can set the maximum rating allowed — for example, restricting apps to ages 4+ will hide any app rated 12+ or higher. This doesn't prevent downloads if someone knows the Screen Time passcode; it just hides them from the App Store.

Privacy controls let you restrict what apps can access — location, contacts, photos, microphone, camera, and more. You can block access entirely or require permission each time an app requests it. These settings apply to all apps on the device.

Why Screen Time passcode is different from your device passcode

Apple separates the Screen Time passcode from your device passcode so that restrictions can't be bypassed by simply restarting the phone or signing out of your Apple ID. Someone who knows your device passcode but not your Screen Time passcode still can't change app limits or content filters.

This matters most for parents managing a child's device — the child can't disable restrictions just by knowing the device passcode. However, it also means you need to remember two separate codes, and losing the Screen Time passcode requires access to your Apple ID to recover it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change parental controls on someone else's iPhone?

Only if you have their Screen Time passcode or their Apple ID credentials. If the device is set up as a child's device under Family Sharing, you can manage it from your own iPhone without needing the child's passcode. Otherwise, you need one of those two pieces of information.

What happens if I set downtime to start right now?

The iPhone immediately locks into downtime mode. Only calls and apps you've marked as "Always Allowed" will work. Everything else is blocked until downtime ends. You can end downtime early by entering your Screen Time passcode.

If I hide an app with Content & Privacy Restrictions, can it still send notifications?

No. Hidden apps don't send notifications, and they don't run in the background. They're completely hidden from the home screen and app switcher. The app still exists on the device but is inaccessible without disabling the restriction.

Do parental controls work if someone restarts the iPhone?

Yes. Screen Time restrictions persist through restarts, force closes, and even turning the device off and on. The only way to bypass them is to enter the Screen Time passcode or erase the device entirely.

Can I set different restrictions for different times of day?

Downtime lets you block everything except calls and allowed apps during set hours. App Limits pause specific apps after a daily time budget. You can't set different content restrictions for different times — content filters apply all day.