iPhone Settings>Password & Security won't open. "Get Verification Code" dead end.

I've never had a password on my iPhone. In my setting I don't need it. But yesterday I entered one because I was leaving my phone on a tripod in a crowded room, and just in case somebody took it, I wanted it password protected. Now I'm trying to access "Password & Security" so that I can remove the password, and it won't open. (I know the password, and it opens the phone, but I can't open Password & Security in settings.) When I click Password & Security I get a message saying, "Account Details Unavailable. If you are signing in to iCloud on another device or at iCloud.com, you can get a verification code while offline." My options are, "Get Verification Code" or "OK."

If I click OK, I still can't get into Password & Security, and if I click "Get Verification Code" it gives me a code, but then there is nothing to do with it and I still can't open Password & Security.

I'm also NOT trying to do anything with iCloud. I'm just trying to open Password & Security so that I can get rid of the password.

How can I get past this?

Thanks for your help!