What to Do If Your iPhone Passcode Is Expired [2023]

On your Apple device, have you ever seen a notification prompt that says, “Passcode Expired: Your iPhone unlock passcode has expired?” This message has been confusing for many users, as you may wonder: isn’t the iPhone passcode supposed to be valid forever? How could it be expired?

Further Reading: How to Change Apple ID Password and Lock Screen on iPhone >

The answers are in the sections below. In this article, you will learn about why your iPhone passcode expires, how to fix this problem and unlock your iPhone, and how to make your passcode longer and safer.

Why Is iPhone Saying “Passcode Expired”?

To understand why your iPhone notifies you about passcode expiration, you need to understand the following two questions:

Why Is My iPhone Saying Passcode Expired?

iPhone passcode should be valid for your device as long as you don’t change it. Therefore, if your iPhone tells you that the passcode is expired, it’s most likely caused by some third-party apps or email sign-ins. Many apps or email accounts will remind you to change your password occasionally for security reasons. On your iPhone, these apps or accounts use the iPhone passcode for access control. Therefore, when it’s time to update passwords for them, they will prompt the “Passcode Expired” notification.

In some other scenarios when you are using a work phone, there may be configuration profile settings that require passcode updates. In this case, you need to contact your IT department for support on this issue.

Why Do I Have to Keep Changing My iPhone Passcode?

iPhone passcode is a crucial security verification for accessing your device. On your iPhone, you will be using this passcode to access all kinds of private information, such as emails, personal notes, financial data, etc. Therefore, constantly updating your iPhone passcode provides more protection to your device, as other people won’t easily know your passcode. This action efficiently prevents information leaks.

How to Fix iPhone Passcode Expired?

If your device stays on this passcode expired page, then a little is very annoying. You surely want to solve this problem quickly. Luckily, this section will teach you how to fix this problem. Let’s check them out!

Method 1. Change the Expired iPhone Passcode

The easiest way to solve this problem is to change the expired passcode on your iPhone. Updating your iPhone passcode is easy in Settings and here’s how:

1. Go to Settings > Touch/Face ID & Passcode.
2. Enter your old passcode.
3. Scroll down to find Change Passcode and tap it.
4. Enter your old passcode again when prompted.
5. Then, enter your new passcode and verify it by entering it again. You can change the passcode format by tapping Passcode Options and select from one of the formats listed.

Now, your expired passcode is updated, and your apps should be saved from loading.

Method 2. Reset the Expired iPhone Passcode via iCloud

If for some reason, you can’t change your passcode in Settings, you can reset passwords with iCloud. With iCloud, you can erase all content and settings on your iPhone, including the passcode. You can then reset a new passcode on your iPhone after the erase.

However, if you don’t have a proper backup, there may be data loss during this process. So, you need to be careful to check the backup of your iPhone before proceeding with the following steps. Sign in to your iCloud account and follow the steps below.

1. Click Find iPhone.
2. Click All Devices to see a list of all your devices associated with this iCloud account. Select your iPhone.
3. Click Erase iPhone.

After the erase is complete, go to Settings to set up a new passcode on your iPhone.

Method 3. Change Passcode via Passcode Unlocking Tool

If you want to reset your password to fix the passcode expired problem, but you forgot your previous password. Then AnyUnlock is here for you. It can help you remove any passcode on your iPhone easily and quickly.

• It supports 4 passcode types, including 4-digit and 6-digit Passcode, Touch ID, and Face ID.
• Easy to operate and unlock your device in just 5 steps.
• iPhone/iPad/iPod touch and latest iPhone 15 & iOS 17 are supported.
• As a complete unlocking toolkit, it also unlocks iTunes encrypted backup, iCloud activation lock, Apple ID, screen time password, and more.

Step 1. Free download AnyUnlock and launch it on your computer. Then select Unlock Screen Passcode option from the homepage.

Step 2. Connect your iPhone to a computer with the USB cable > Tap the Start Now button.

Step 3. After device information is detected, click the Download button to download the firmware.

Step 4. When the firmware is downloaded, click Unlock Now and AnyUnlock will start the unlocking process automatically. Please do not disconnect your device until it restarts.

Step 5. When the recovery process is completed, you will see the Screen passcode removed successfully interface as below.

Method 4. Update iOS to the Latest Version

If you don’t happen to have a recent backup or if you don’t want to erase your iPhone, another method you could try is to update iOS to the latest version via iTunes. This update may help you resolve the passcode expiration issue.

Here’s how to update the iOS version via iTunes:

1. Connect your iPhone to your computer via USB cable.
2. Launch iTunes and locate your phone in iTunes by clicking the phone icon in the upper-left corner.
3. It’s better to back up your device before updating it. Select one of the backup options and then click Back Up Now to do so. If you already have a proper backup, skip to the next step.
4. Click Check for Update.
5. When iTunes finishes the check, a new window will pop up if there’s a new version of iOS. Click Download and Update.

This process may take a while, but your iPhone will be updated to the latest version of iOS. Afterward, check to see if this update resolves your passcode expiration issue.

Method 5. Force Restart iPhone

When neither of the above methods works for you, force restarting your iPhone is always a last resort. It’s not guaranteed to work, but it never hurts to try. The ways to force restart an iPhone differ based on different versions of an iPhone. Find out how to force restart your iPhone below:

For iPhone X, 11, or 12:

1. Press and hold any volume button and the side power button until you see the slider that says slide to power off.
2. Drag the slider to turn your iPhone off.
3. After it’s completely off, press and hold any volume button and the side power button together again. When you see the Apple logo, release your finger. Your phone is now back on.

For iPhone SE (2nd generation), 8, 7, or 6:

1. Press and hold the side power button until you see the slider that says slide to power off.
2. Drag the slider to turn your iPhone off.
3. After it’s completely off, press and hold the side power button again until you see the Apple logo.

For iPhone SE (1st generation), 5, or any version earlier:

1. Press and hold the top power button until you see the slider that says slide to power off.
2. Drag the slider to turn your iPhone off.
3. After it’s completely off, press and hold the side top button again until you see the Apple logo.
4. After the force restart, check the apps and accounts to see if they are still stuck or if they still prompt the “Password Expired” notification.

How to Make My Passcode on My iPhone Longer?

When you fix the passcode expiration issue and successfully get into those apps or accounts, it’s important to keep in mind that these apps or accounts may contain sensitive information that you want to keep private. Therefore, making your iPhone passcode longer and harder to guess becomes essential.

You can simply make your iPhone passcode longer by selecting the Custom Alphanumeric Code format during the passcode setup. With this format, your passcode will be a combination of numbers and letters and will be in any length you want.

The Bottom Line

The passcode is an important protection for your devices. Therefore, it’s crucial to make it complex for others yet easy to remember for yourself. It’s also recommended to update your passcodes occasionally to add more security for your devices. But even if you accidentally forget your screen password, don’t worry, AnyUnlock can help you in the first place! If you have any other relevant questions about your passcodes, please feel free to comment below.