How to Reset iPhone Lock Screen and App Passwords

A forgotten iPhone passcode cannot be recovered, but the iPhone can be erased and set up with a new passcode. If you only want to protect individual apps, newer iPhones can require Face ID, Touch ID, or the device passcode without resetting the phone.

What does “iPhone lock” mean?

Choose the instructions that match what appears on the iPhone:

• Forgotten device passcode: You cannot reach the Home Screen because the numeric or alphanumeric passcode is unknown.
• “iPhone Unavailable” or “Security Lockout”: Too many incorrect attempts have temporarily disabled passcode entry. A countdown may appear before another attempt or a reset option becomes available.
• An individual app needs protection: The iPhone works normally, but you want authentication before someone opens a particular app.
• Forgotten Screen Time passcode: The phone opens, but you cannot change App Limits, Content & Privacy Restrictions, or other Screen Time settings.

How do you reset a forgotten iPhone passcode?

If the passcode was changed recently on an iPhone with iOS 17 or later, first look for Forgot Passcode? on the lockout screen. Apple may allow the previous passcode to be used within 72 hours of the change. Select Enter Previous Passcode, enter it, and create a new passcode.

If that option is unavailable, a lock iPhone reset erases the device. Data can be restored afterward only from an iCloud or computer backup.

1. Have the Apple Account email address and password associated with the iPhone ready. Activation Lock may require them after erasure.
2. Turn off the iPhone and connect it to a Mac or Windows PC while holding the recovery-mode button. Use the side button for iPhone 8 and later, Volume Down for iPhone 7 models, or the Home button for iPhone 6s and earlier.
3. Keep holding the button until the recovery-mode screen appears.
4. Open Finder on a current Mac or Apple Devices on a Windows PC. An older computer may use iTunes.
5. Select the iPhone, choose Restore, and follow the prompts. If a software download finishes after the iPhone leaves recovery mode, enter recovery mode again.
6. When the Hello screen appears, set up the iPhone, create a new device passcode, and restore an available backup.

How do you unlock an unavailable iPhone without a computer?

An iPhone showing “iPhone Unavailable” can be reset on the device when it has iOS 15.2 or later, an active cellular or Wi-Fi connection, Find My enabled beforehand, and access to the associated Apple Account.

1. Wait for the displayed countdown to finish if the screen does not yet offer a recovery control. Do not keep guessing, because additional failed attempts extend the lockout.
2. On iOS 17 or later, tap Forgot Passcode?, then Start iPhone Reset. On iOS 15.2 or iOS 16, look for Erase iPhone.
3. Enter the Apple Account password to sign out and disable Activation Lock for the reset.
4. Confirm Erase iPhone. This permanently removes the current data and settings.
5. After the restart, create a new passcode and restore a backup if one exists.

Find My provides another erase option if the unavailable iPhone does not show the reset control. Open Find My on another Apple device signed in to the same Apple Account, select the unavailable iPhone under Devices, and choose Erase This Device. The command completes when the locked iPhone connects to the internet.

How do you lock apps on iPhone with a password?

On supported recent iOS versions, an app can use the iPhone’s Face ID, Touch ID, or device passcode. This does not create a separate password for that app.

1. Find the app on the Home Screen.
2. Touch and hold its icon to open the quick-actions menu.
3. Tap Require Face ID, Require Touch ID, or Require Passcode.
4. Authenticate and confirm the choice. The app locks again after you leave it.

Some built-in apps cannot be locked. If the Require option is missing, Screen Time offers a time-based restriction instead:

1. Open Settings, Screen Time, and App Limits.
2. Tap Add Limit, select the app, and continue.
3. Choose a short daily limit, turn on Block at End of Limit, and save it.

An App Limit does not block the app immediately; it applies after the allowed daily use. Guided Access serves a different purpose: Settings, Accessibility, Guided Access can keep another person inside one open app. It does not place a password in front of that app before opening it.

How do you set or change the Screen Time passcode?

The Screen Time passcode controls limits and restrictions and is separate from the passcode that unlocks the iPhone.

1. Open Settings and tap Screen Time.
2. Tap Lock Screen Time Settings to create a passcode, or tap Change Screen Time Passcode to replace or remove one.
3. Enter and confirm the new Screen Time passcode. Add the requested Apple Account recovery information rather than skipping recovery setup.

If the Screen Time passcode is forgotten, go to Settings, Screen Time, Change Screen Time Passcode, and select Change Screen Time Passcode again. Enter the Apple Account credentials used when Screen Time recovery was configured, then create a new code. For a child managed through Family Sharing, the family organizer resets the child’s Screen Time passcode from the organizer’s own device.

What should you do if the iPhone still will not unlock?

Contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider if recovery mode fails, the buttons do not work, or no suitable computer is available. Apple cannot reveal a forgotten passcode or preserve unbacked-up data while removing it.

Be ready to identify the Apple Account connected to the iPhone. For an Activation Lock or ownership dispute, Apple may request proof of purchase showing identifying device information, such as the serial number. Without the account credentials or acceptable ownership evidence, access is not guaranteed.

How can you prevent another iPhone lockout?

• Store the device and Screen Time passcodes in a trusted password manager or another secure record that you can reach from a different device.
• Set up Face ID or Touch ID in Settings, but remember that the device passcode is still required after certain restarts and security events.
• Keep automatic iCloud Backup enabled, or make regular encrypted backups to a trusted computer.
• Keep the Apple Account password and trusted recovery information current.
• After changing the device passcode, verify that the new code works before relying only on biometric authentication.