In iOS 17, if you change your iPhone's passcode and forget it soon after, Apple offers you a 72-hour grace period to fix it without getting locked out of your device. Here's how it works.

iphone passcode green
In iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, it is now possible to reset an iPhone or iPad's new passcode with the previous passcode you used for up to three days after the change is made. In other words, Apple lets you use your old passcode within 72 hours of setting a new one, which is handy if you're someone who is likely to forget a newly created passcode.

When you enter an incorrect passcode on a device running iOS 17 after making a change, simply tap on the Forgot Passcode? option at the bottom of the display to use the Try Passcode Reset option. Tapping it allows you to use your old passcode to create yet another new passcode.

iOS 17 Passcode Reset Feature
For protection in case someone has learned your passcode, there is also an "Expire Previous Passcode Now" setting that you can make use of. (Note that if you use this option, you'll no longer be able to use your old passcode to gain access to your device if you forget your new passcode.) To use the new option in iOS 17, follow these steps:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Scroll down and select Face ID/Touch ID & Passcode.
  3. Under "Temporary Passcode Reset," tap Expire Previous Passcode Now.
  4. Tap Expire Now to confirm.

settings

It is still possible to change an Apple ID account's password with an iPhone's passcode, despite a Wall Street Journal report in February highlighting instances of thieves spying on iPhone users in public when they enter their passcode, and then stealing the device in order to gain widespread access to the device.

Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi in June 2023 said Apple has continued to "look at other ways to address this," but no changes have been made as of yet. To make theft harder, Apple recommends that users switch from a four-digit passcode to an alphanumeric passcode, which would be more difficult for thieves to spy on. This can also be done in Settings under Face ID & Passcode -> Change Passcode.

Top Rated Comments

jaworq Avatar
19 months ago

It is still possible to change an Apple ID account's password with an iPhone's passcode, despite a Wall Street Journal report in February highlighting instances of thieves spying on iPhone users in public ('https://www.macrumors.com/2023/02/24/iphone-stolen-passcodes-report/') when they enter their passcode, and then stealing the device in order to gain widespread access to the device.

Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi in June 2023 said ('https://www.macrumors.com/2023/06/10/the-talk-show-live-from-wwdc-2023/') Apple has continued to "look at other ways to address this," but no changes have been made as of yet. To make theft harder, Apple recommends that users switch from a four-digit passcode to an alphanumeric passcode, which would be more difficult for thieves to spy on. This can also be done in Settings under Face ID & Passcode -> Change Passcode.

Article Link: iOS 17: How to Change a New iPhone Passcode If You Forget It ('https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/ios-change-your-new-passcode-if-you-forget-it/')
The biggest mistake is 4/6-digit passcode required to change the iCloud password... WTF. Current iCloud password should be provided to change the password. We can remember and/or store such password in some other place than Settings > Passwords and voila. Thief is no longer able to log us out from our iCloud by changing the password.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
5097842 Avatar
19 months ago

The biggest mistake is 4/6-digit passcode required to change the iCloud password... WTF. Current iCloud password should be provided to change the password. We can remember and/or store such password in some other place than Settings > Passwords and voila. Thief is no longer able to log us out from our iCloud by changing the password.
This! It's crazy you don't have to enter the current password to change it. That is just basic security.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iFishishh Avatar
19 months ago
They should add ways to see your phone screen on other devices. That way if you get the black screen of death from say water damage or the like, you can back up your data if you haven’t previously.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
beanbaguk Avatar
19 months ago

People do it, nice option. Unless your ex-partner gets your device and you change the code. But they can use old within the time frame.
You have bigger problems if your ex-partner can get hold of your phone!

ETA: @TechnoMonk is one of those ex-partners… ?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jlc1978 Avatar
19 months ago
I went with an alpha numeric passcode for heightened security. I’ve at least been able to convince family members to go to 6 digit and not use 000000. I suspect most folks do not realize the potential dangers from a lost phone and easily guessed passcode.


They should add ways to see your phone screen on other devices. That way if you get the black screen of death from say water damage or the like, you can back up your data if you haven’t previously.
I suspect most damage that causes a black screen would mean an external connection would not work either. Would be useful for cracked or damaged but powered on screens.

I am surprised by how many people simply never backup their phones; yet their entire lives a run on it. If you don’t trust the cloud at least backup to a computer. What would be nice is Time Machine for iOS/iPadOS.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
steve09090 Avatar
19 months ago

This seems like an issue which was solved before it became an actual problem. If I'm changing my passcode, there is a reason, I don't need the increased security risk of having two passcodes for a few days.
Do people not actually read the article? You can cancel using the expired password.


For protection in case someone has learned your passcode, there is also an "Expire Previous Passcode Now" setting that you can make use of. (Note that if you use this option, you'll no longer be able to use your old passcode to gain access to your device if you forget your new passcode.) To use the new option in iOS 17, follow these steps:
[LIST=1]
* Open Settings.
* Scroll down and select Face ID/Touch ID & Passcode.
* Under "Temporary Passcode Reset," tap Expire Previous Passcode Now.
* Tap Expire Now to confirm.

Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Latest iPhone 17 Series CAD Images in Line With Redesign Rumors

Friday February 28, 2025 2:51 am PST by
Apple is expected to embrace a new camera system design for some models in its upcoming iPhone 17 series, and the latest purported CAD images don't deviate from what we have been hearing lately about Apple's new lineup. If you do not like the sound of an iPhone with a Google Pixel-style camera bar, look away now. Seasoned leaker Sonny Dickson shared the following images in a post on X...
iphone 16e usb c feature

Apple Provides Reason for iPhone 16e's Lack of MagSafe

Friday February 28, 2025 4:39 am PST by
Apple has offered a reason why the iPhone 16e doesn't include MagSafe, one of the more notable omissions from its latest entry-level smartphone. According to Apple representatives who spoke to Daring Fireball's John Gruber, MagSafe is not included in the iPhone 16e because "most people in the iPhone 16e's target audience exclusively charge their phones by plugging them into a charging...
apple intelligence black

These New Apple Intelligence Features Are Coming in iOS 18.4

Friday February 28, 2025 3:17 pm PST by
iOS 18.4 was supposed to bring new Apple Intelligence Siri features, but Apple ended up needing to pull those capabilities from the update to continue testing. There are fewer new Apple Intelligence additions now, but there are still some new features that will make the update worth installing when it comes out in April. Priority Notifications Apple introduced Priority Notifications back at ...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Rumored to Include These New Features for Your iPhone

Saturday March 1, 2025 11:00 am PST by
iOS 19 is still around three months away from being unveiled, but there are plenty of rumors about the upcoming update. Below, we recap iOS 19 rumors so far. Redesigned Camera App A leak earlier this year allegedly revealed a redesigned Camera app coming with iOS 19. On his YouTube channel Front Page Tech in January, Jon Prosser shared a video showing what the new Camera app will...
cook trump

Trump Responds to Apple Keeping Diversity Policies

Wednesday February 26, 2025 6:32 am PST by
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Tim Cook meeting with President Trump in 2017 "APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote. Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
airpods pro purple

Here's When AirPods Pro 3 Are Rumored to Launch

Monday February 24, 2025 9:14 am PST by
According to a post on X today from a leaker known as Kosutami, Apple plans to launch AirPods Pro 3 in May or June this year. The leaker also claimed that an AirTag 2 will launch around the same time. Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, they accurately...
apple c1

How Fast is Apple's First-Ever 5G Modem? The Results Are Surprising

Friday February 28, 2025 10:08 am PST by
iPhone 16e reviews are now out, and Apple's custom-designed C1 modem has been put to the test. The results so far are quite surprising, as the C1's speeds are not as slow compared to Qualcomm modems as originally expected. While the C1 does not support ultra-fast mmWave 5G in the U.S., it appears to offer comparable 5G performance to Qualcomm's Snapdragon X71 modem found in the iPhone 16,...