Kids, Teens & Seniors

Stop Your Kid From Turning Off Screen Time

The default Screen Time setup looks locked but isn't. If your kid knows the device passcode, they can turn off restrictions, delete apps, or remove a parental DNS profile in a few taps. Here is how to actually lock it down.

Why the Default Setup Isn't Locked

Turning on Screen Time feels like turning on a lock, but by itself it isn't one. Anyone who knows the device passcode can open Screen Time, tap Turn Off Screen Time, and every restriction — app limits, content filtering, an installed parental DNS profile — disappears in seconds. The setup only holds if you close that gap.

Two Different Passcodes

iOS has two separate passcodes and mixing them up is the most common mistake:

Device passcode (Settings → Face ID/Touch ID & Passcode) — unlocks the phone, and is what iOS actually asks for before removing an app or a configuration profile.
Screen Time passcode (set inside Screen Time itself) — guards the Screen Time settings screen only.

If both are the same code, or your kid knows either one, nothing below will hold.

Lock It Down

Set a device passcode only you knowSettings → Face ID/Touch ID & Passcode. This is the one that actually blocks removing apps and profiles — change it now if your child already knows it.

Turn on Screen Time as a child deviceSettings → Screen Time → Turn On Screen Time → This Is My Child's iPhone.

Set a separate Screen Time passcodeDon't reuse the device passcode from step 1. If they match, your kid effectively already has both.

Lock the passcode from being changedContent & Privacy Restrictions → Allow Changes → Passcode Changes → Don't Allow. Now neither passcode can be swapped out from under you.

What This Does and Doesn't Stop

Done right, this stops the casual bypass: your kid can't just open Settings and turn things off. It does not stop a full factory reset by someone with physical access to the device — erasing an unsupervised device clears everything, Screen Time included. Blocking that requires a supervised, managed device, a separate and heavier setup.

Common Questions

Can my kid just turn off Screen Time?

Only if they know the device passcode or the Screen Time passcode. Lock both down as described above and they can't.

What's the difference between the device passcode and the Screen Time passcode?

The device passcode unlocks the phone and is what iOS asks for before removing an app or profile. The Screen Time passcode only guards the Screen Time settings screen. Keep them different and secret from your kid.

Does this stop a factory reset?

No. A full erase wipes Screen Time along with everything else. Preventing that needs a supervised/managed device, not a software-only Screen Time setup.

WANT THIS DONE FOR YOU?

Harbor Kids gives each child their own protected DNS profile and walks you through exactly this lock-down, per device, from your dashboard. See Harbor Kids →