4 Ways to Turn off Downtime on iPhone without Password

Imagine you’re in a coffee shop, presenting at an important meeting, and suddenly the Downtime feature locks you out of essential apps. If you forget the password, it can be frustrating when you need quick access to key resources. Downtime is useful, but sometimes you need to turn it off quickly, especially for critical tasks.

What is Downtime on iPhone?

Introduced in iOS 12, Downtime enables you to set a specific time to access certain apps. This feature is part of the Screen Time settings and can be used to keep your attention during work or night hours. During the downtime, the applications that are not allowed access will become greyed out on your home screen.

You can only continue to use the other apps that are accessible in the Screen Time settings. However, whether you can receive calls, messages, and texts during the downtime depends on your specific settings. Especially, this feature is developed to minimize distractions and encourage you to focus better on other critical tasks.

What Happens During Downtime?

During the downtime on an iPhone, you’ll be limited to access to certain apps and functions based on your previous settings. Except for the specific limited applications, you may wonder what you can do during this time:

• Notification Reminders: You'll receive a reminder five minutes before the downtime begins, which enables you to get ready for the upcoming restrictions.
• App Restrictions: You can only use the apps that are allowed in the Screen Time settings. All other limited ones are temporarily restricted.
• Customizable Days & Hours: You can customize specific days and hours for downtime. This is designed to choose when you want to limit the app usage.
• Muted Notifications: You will not receive notifications from the restricted apps. Silenced notifications can further prevent you from any distractions from these apps.
• Text & Phone Calls: During downtime on an iPhone, you can still receive calls and texts, but this depends on your settings. By default, you can get calls and messages from contacts during downtime. However, if you have enabled the “Do not disturb” mode or set corresponding restrictions on your device, you will not receive calls or texts from others.
• Immediate Activation: You can override the pre-set schedule and manually enable the Downtime feature at any moment. For example, you can choose “Turn On Downtime Until Tomorrow” to apply this setting instantly, without waiting for the next round of scheduled Downtime to begin. Accordingly, the downtime will remain active until the following day.

How to Turn off Downtime on iPhone without a Password?

It’s a straightforward process to turn off downtime on your iPhone as long as you remember its password. However, this can be more challenging for users who have forgotten the password or acquired a second-hand device with an activated downtime feature. While downtime is beneficial for iOS users to maintain focus and reduce distractions, sometimes you may need to turn it off without a password to use your apps freely.

Downtime is part of the Screen Time feature. If you seek to turn off downtime on an iPhone without a password, you need to turn off screen time without a passcode. In the following parts, we’ll demonstrate several ways to make it.

Reset Screen Time Passcode

If you have associated your Apple ID with Screen Time when setting up the feature, you can reset the Screen Time passcode via your Apple ID. This process is available for iOS 13.4 or later and can be achieved in the Settings app. The good news is that this simply allows you to regain access to your Screen Time settings and won’t erase any data.

Here is how to reset Screen Time via Apple ID in Settings.

1. Navigate to Settings and Screen Time and choose the Change Screen Time Passcode option.
2. Tap on the Forgot Passcode icon and enter your Apple ID credentials and password.
3. Once verified, Create a new Screen Time passcode once you’re verified. effectively resetting the previous one.

Use Screen Time Passcode Remover

If you can’t reset your Screen Time passcode via Apple ID, try a Screen Time remover like BuhoUnlocker. It’s designed to bypass Screen Time restrictions without data loss, perfect for forgotten passcodes or second-hand devices with Downtime enabled.

BuhoUnlocker works on all iOS models and unlocks more than just Screen Time—screen passcodes, Apple IDs, and MDM profiles can also be easily removed. It’s a convenient all-in-one solution for regaining full access to your device.

Here is how to use BuhoUnlocker to turn off downtime on an iPhone or iPad without a password.

Step 1. Free download and install BuhoUnlocker on your computer. Connect your iOS device to the computer via a USB cable.

Step 2. Launch the software and choose the Remove Screen Time Passcode option on the home screen.

Step 3. Click to trust your device and follow the on-screen instructions to get rid of the downtime feature.

Step 4. Once you’ve successfully removed the lock, you’ll see the interface as shown below.

Turn off Downtime via the Recovery Mode

If you fail to turn off downtime or screen time without a password via the methods mentioned above, you can completely reset your iOS device via the recovery mode. As resetting your iPhone can erase both settings and data on your device, it allows you to turn off downtime on your iPhone without a password. This solution is especially beneficial for people who have a new iPhone with the Screen Time feature activated.

Here are the detailed steps to make this:

1. Open iTunes or Finder on your computer and connect your device to the computer.
2. Put your device into recovery mode. Different models have different ways to access it.
3. Once your device has entered Recovery Mode, follow the steps to restore it. As this method will erase all data on your iOS device and set it up as a brand new one, you should back up important data beforehand.

Factory Reset Your iPhone

Like putting your device into recovery mode, giving a factory reset will also remove all settings, including Screen Time and Downtime features. Meanwhile, this method will restore your device to its original state. Therefore, before factory resetting your iPhone, check whether you have a recent backup of data. If not, make a backup first. It’s simple to factory reset your iPhone, as you can do it in Settings:

1. On your iPhone, go to Settings, General, and Reset iPhone.
2. Choose to reset all settings.

Conclusion

In summary, you can take several measures to disable the downtime feature on your iPhone or iPad without a password. Whether you choose to reset the Screen Time passcode or remove it via a Screen Time Remover, always consider regularly backing up data to avoid data loss. If you still face difficulties, turn to Apple Support for assistance.