How to Lock Screen Time So You Can't Change It (The Right Way)
Setting up Screen Time is easy. Locking it so future-you can't undo it is the hard part. Here is the complete guide.
The difference between setting up Screen Time and actually locking it
Screen Time is one of the most underused tools on iPhone. Most people who set it up have it disabled within a week — not because the setup was wrong, but because they could undo it whenever they wanted.
Locking Screen Time so you genuinely cannot change it requires three specific things, in this order:
Step 1: Enable the restrictions you actually want
Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → toggle on.
From there, set whatever restrictions matter to you: - Web Content → Limit Adult Websites - Installing Apps → Don't Allow - Account Changes → Don't Allow - Passcode Changes → Don't Allow
Step 2: Set a Screen Time passcode — but not one you choose yourself
This is where almost everyone goes wrong. If you set your own passcode, you know it. If you know it, you can enter it and disable every restriction above in under 30 seconds.
The only way to genuinely lock yourself out of changing Screen Time is to use a passcode you don't know. Two practical options: - Have someone else set it and not tell you - Use LockIn, which generates a random passcode, reads it to you once for entry, then hides it until your chosen timer ends
Step 3: Remove the recovery path
If you've added an Apple ID for Screen Time recovery, that's a backdoor. Anyone with access to that Apple ID email can reset your passcode in about 60 seconds. See our full piece on the Forgot Passcode loophole for exactly how this works and how to close it.
Step 4 (iOS 26 only): Enable Supervised Mode
As of iOS 26, "Limit Adult Websites" no longer blocks private browsing automatically. Supervised Mode restores that coverage. Without it, your Screen Time setup has a gap specifically in private tabs — the exact place most people would test it.
What "locked" actually means after all four steps
Once these are in place: - You cannot turn off Content & Privacy Restrictions - You cannot change Web Content settings - You cannot install new apps or delete existing ones - You cannot change your Apple ID or passcode - You cannot reset your Screen Time passcode via email
That is a genuinely locked iPhone. Not "it's annoying to undo" — actually locked.
The one thing Screen Time cannot do
Screen Time cannot prevent a full device restore via iTunes or Finder on a computer. A factory reset bypasses everything. This is an Apple-level limitation, not something any software can close. For most people trying to restrict their own phone, the friction of finding a computer and doing a full restore is enough to not matter in practice. For those who want to close this gap too, Supervised Mode makes it significantly harder.