How Kids Get Around Screen Time

The steps below use the menus in iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, where parental controls live under Settings, then Family, then your child’s name.^[4] If you haven’t set up Screen Time yet, start with our iPhone and iPad parental controls guide.

The Passcode Problem

The most common workaround is simply knowing the Screen Time passcode, often from watching a parent type it. Apple’s guidance:^[1]

• Set it from your own device. The family organizer or a parent can set the child’s passcode from their own iPhone, so your child never sees you type it.^[1][6]
• Pick one they won’t guess. Apple suggests avoiding birthdays, phone numbers and patterns like 1234.^[1]
• Change it if you think they know it. Go to Settings, then Family, then your child’s name, then Manage Screen Time, then Change Screen Time Passcode.^[1]
• Check when it was last used. In the same Manage Screen Time screen, look for “Last used” below the passcode section. A time you don’t recognize means someone entered it.^[1]
• Set up passcode recovery with your Apple Account when you create the passcode, so you can reset it if you forget it.^[1]

Settings Your Child Shouldn’t Be Able to Change

Some workarounds don’t touch Screen Time at all. They change the settings around it. You can block your child from changing settings such as their account, Face ID and passcode, Location Services and Share My Location:^[2]

1. Go to Settings, then Family, then your child’s name.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, then Allow Changes to Settings.
3. Block the settings you don’t want changed.

In the same Content & Privacy Restrictions menu, Other Features lets you turn off built-in features your child doesn’t need yet, like AirDrop and Camera.^[2]

Apps and Browsers the Limits Don’t Cover

• Another browser: Ask to Browse asks your approval before your child visits a new site in Safari and other supported browser apps.^[3]
• New apps: with Ask to Buy, your child has to ask before downloading anything new, and the request comes to you in Messages.^[4]
• Apps you’ve blocked: a blocked app isn’t deleted. It’s dimmed or hidden on the Home Screen until you allow it again.^[2][3]
• Apps you always allow: review the apps and people you’ve chosen to always allow, and remove any that don’t need to be on the list.^[4]

Time Limits That Keep Getting Stretched

Use a Screen Time schedule for when the device can be used and Time Allowances for how long, rather than relying on your child to stop.^[4] From your own device, you can quickly pause your child’s device, allow unlimited time for a day, or adjust their schedule, and you’ll get a weekly summary of the apps they use most.^[4] If the summary doesn’t match what you see at home, that’s worth a calm conversation.

What About Android?

On Android, parents use Google Family Link. A few facts help close the gaps:

• Removing supervision isn’t a one-step escape. A child can stop supervision once they turn 13 (the age varies by country), but a child under 18 needs a parent’s approval, and you’re both notified when it stops.^[5]
• A locked phone can still be opened by you. Family Link gives you a parent access code in the app or at g.co/YourFamily to unlock your child’s device. It’s never sent by email or text.^[7]

Talk About It, Then Close the Gap

A workaround is often a message: the limit feels unfair, or your child needs the device for something you didn’t plan for. Pediatricians recommend making a family media plan and using parental controls together with your child, not around them.^[8] The AAP’s free Family Media Plan tool is a good place to start.^[9]

• Ask what they were trying to do, without leading with punishment.
• Agree on what changes if a workaround happens again.
• Revisit the limits as your child shows they can handle more.

For how much screen time fits each age, see screen time for kids by age.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can kids turn off Screen Time?

Not if you’ve set a Screen Time passcode they don’t know. With a passcode, your child sees a prompt whenever they try to change Screen Time settings.^[1]

How can I tell if my child knows my Screen Time passcode?

Go to Settings, then Family, then your child’s name, then Manage Screen Time, and check “Last used” below the passcode section.^[1]

What if I forget the Screen Time passcode?

If you set up passcode recovery with your Apple Account, you can reset it.^[1]

Does Screen Time work in other browsers?

Ask to Browse covers Safari and other supported browser apps.^[3]

Can my child remove Family Link on their own?

A child can stop supervision at 13 or older, depending on the country, but a child under 18 needs a parent’s approval, and you’re both notified.^[5]

Related Guides

• iPhone and iPad Parental Controls
• Screen Time for Kids by Age
• Your Child’s First Phone
• YouTube and Disney+ Parental Controls
• Kids Online Safety

Sources

1. Apple. (n.d.). Set, change, and manage a Screen Time passcode on your child’s device. Apple Devices for Kids and Families User Guide. Accessed October 4, 2026.
2. Apple. (n.d.). Block or allow access and changes to features and apps on your kid’s device. Apple Devices for Kids and Families User Guide. Accessed October 4, 2026.
3. Apple Support. (2026, September 14). Set up parental controls to manage your child’s iPhone or iPad.
4. Apple. (n.d.). Explore parental controls on your kid’s device. Apple Devices for Kids and Families User Guide. Accessed October 4, 2026.
5. Google. (n.d.). Add and manage supervision on a current Google Account. Google for Families Help. Accessed October 4, 2026.
6. Apple Support. (2026, September 22). Use Screen Time to manage your child’s iPhone or iPad.
7. Google. (n.d.). Unlock your child’s device. Google for Families Help. Accessed October 4, 2026.
8. Radesky, J. (2026, June 3). Your child’s first phone: Are they ready? HealthyChildren.org, American Academy of Pediatrics.
9. American Academy of Pediatrics. (n.d.). Family Media Plan. HealthyChildren.org. Accessed October 4, 2026.