Hey there tapio176,
Thankyou for sharing your issue in a detailed explanation.
It can be hard sometimes to set up a apple account for a child but not to worry below i have made a simple and easy guide to resolve your issue.
Why You Can’t Just “Change” the Screen Time Passcode
- Screen Time passcodes for children’s accounts are managed by the parent (your master Apple ID).
- On the child’s iPhone, you cannot see or change the Screen Time passcode directly — it’s hidden for security.
- Apple removed the simple “enter old passcode → set new passcode” option in recent iOS/iPadOS versions.
Correct Way to Change a Child’s Screen Time Passcode Using Your Apple ID (Parent Account)
- On your device (iPhone, iPad, or Mac signed in with your parent Apple ID):
- Go to Settings → Screen Time
- Tap your child’s name under Family
- Tap Change Screen Time Passcode → Change Screen Time Passcode
You’ll be prompted to enter your Apple ID password to confirm
This is the key: you need a device signed in with the parent account. You cannot do it on the child’s phone alone.
If You Don’t Have an iPhone
Since you said you currently don’t have an iPhone, you can still do it via Mac or iPad:
- On a Mac (macOS Catalina or later):
- Open System Settings → Screen Time → Family → select your child
- Click Change Screen Time Passcode → Change Passcode
- Enter your Apple ID password, then set the new passcode
- On an iPad (signed in with your Apple ID):
- Open Settings → Screen Time → Family → select child
Change the passcode from there
If You Forgot the Old Passcode
If your child’s iPhone already has the passcode and you don’t know it, you can still reset it using your Apple ID:
- On the child’s iPhone, go to Settings → Screen Time → Change Passcode → Forgot Passcode?
- Enter your parent Apple ID
- Then create a new passcode
This is Apple’s new way to recover Screen Time passcodes without revealing the old one.
Important Notes
Never try third-party hacks — Apple enforces Screen Time via iCloud and recovery is only through the parent Apple ID. The child’s device itself is not sufficient; parent authorization is always required.
Feel free to reply if you need further additional support.
