Fix Turn Passcode off Greyed out on iPhone/Apple Watch (2026 Guide)

Many people are having an issue where their iPhone or Apple Watch’s turn-off passcodes have turned out grey. This might be due to a recent iOS update that removed the ability to turn the passcode off entirely on these devices.

These restrictions create a lot of frustration and are unnecessary, especially for people who want to avoid being constantly concerned about the safety of their devices. This article will show you how to fix Turn Passcode off grey out on your iPhone/Apple Watch, including resetting the Settings or removing the application from your device. Let’s get started.

Identify the Culprit: Why Is Turn Passcode Off Greyed Out?

Before attempting fixes, you must identify the source of the restriction. Here is the critical distinction: When “Turn Passcode Off” is greyed out, iOS is enforcing a security policy. It is functioning exactly as designed. Even a single Exchange account or configuration profile can silently lock iOS security settings.

To determine which policy is affecting your device, follow this diagnostic sequence:

Check Screen Time Restrictions:

This is the most common cause for personal devices. If Screen Time is enabled with specific content restrictions, it locks account changes to prevent children (or unauthorized users) from disabling security.

Inspect Device Management Profiles (MDM):

If you have a supervised iPhone or use a device issued by a school or employer, an MDM profile on iPhone may be hard-coded to require a passcode. This is mandatory for many organizations to protect data.

Review Exchange Email Policies:

Simply adding a work email account (Microsoft Exchange) often installs a background policy. This exchange email policy tells the iPhone, “If you want this email data on this phone, you must have a secure passcode.”

Once you identify which of these three pillars is active, you can apply the specific removal technique detailed in the next section.

Deep Dive: Understanding iOS Security Restrictions

Understanding why the turn passcode off greyed out issue occurs can prevent it from happening again. Apple designs iOS with a “hierarchy of trust.” In this hierarchy, organization data (from a school or employer) and parental controls rank higher than the user’s immediate convenience.

When a device is flagged as a supervised iPhone, it means an administrator has remote authority over specific features. This is not a glitch; it is the iOS security settings protecting the device. The greyed-out button is a visual indicator that your user permissions are insufficient to override the security policy currently active.

This typically happens in three scenarios:

• Data Protection: Corporate environments use exchange email policy protocols to ensure that if a phone containing sensitive emails is lost, it cannot be accessed without a passcode.
• Parental Oversight: Screen Time acts as a local administrator, preventing children from removing the passcode to bypass time limits.
• Asset Management: MDM profile iPhone configurations track and secure hardware owned by an institution.

Recognizing this distinction helps you realize that the solution involves permission management, not hardware repair.

Fix Turn Passcode Greyed Out via Screen Time Restrictions

If the passcode option disabled on iPhone message appears, it is frequently due to the “Content & Privacy Restrictions” toggle.

Scenario 1: You Know Your Screen Time Passcode

• Open Settings and tap Screen Time.
• Select Content & Privacy Restrictions.
• Scroll to the “Allow Changes” section and tap Passcode Changes.
• Switch the setting from “Don’t Allow” to Allow.

Scenario 2: You Forgot Your Screen Time Passcode (The Free Fix)

Before turning to third-party tools, try Apple’s built-in recovery option.

• Go to Settings > Screen Time.
• Tap Change Screen Time Passcode, then tap it again to confirm.
• Tap Forgot Passcode? at the bottom of the screen.
• Enter the Apple ID and password you used to set up the Screen Time passcode.
• Enter a new passcode (or disable it entirely).

Once the restriction is lifted, the option to turn off your device passcode should become active immediately.

Fix Turn Passcode off Greyed out with Configuration Profile

A configuration profile can deploy many settings and information to your iOS device. A common issue we face is that the Turn Passcode Off iPhone greyed out in the Settings on iOS devices, which means you can’t turn it off. Here is how you can remove the configuration profile from your iPhone:

Step 1. Open Settings and go to General, then VPN & Device Management.

Step 2. If you see any configuration profile in the list. Click on the Remove Profile to remove it.

Step 3. In the last step, enter your passcode to confirm.

Removal of the configuration profile should have enabled the Turn Passcode Off option. If you do not have any configuration profile or this method doesn’t work, you can use the following method.

Fix Turn Passcode off Greyed out by Deleting Email Account

Sometimes your work/school email accounts have security mechanisms that restrict you from making any changes to your security settings. If you have added any such emails to your iPhone, you should remove them. Deleting such emails from the iPhone might solve this problem. Here is how you can do it:

Step 1. Tap Settings and select Mail.

Step 2. Select Accounts and then Exchange.

Step 3. Now select Delete Account to remove the email that is causing the problem.

After deleting the email account, you can check whether the Turn Passcode Off greyed out has been fixed.

Decision Guide: Manual Settings vs. Unlock Tools

If the manual methods above did not resolve the iphone passcode settings greyed out issue, or if the Apple ID recovery for Screen Time failed, you face a decision point. You must weigh the importance of retaining current data against the need to regain control of the device.

Here is a direct comparison to help you decide between continuing with manual troubleshooting or using a dedicated unlock tool.

Manual Fixes (Settings)

Best for: Users who know their Screen Time passcode or can reset it via Apple ID, and users who can locate the specific MDM profile causing the block.

Data Safety: 100% safe. No data is lost during this process.

Limitation: If you cannot recall the Screen Time passcode (and Apple ID recovery fails) or if the MDM profile is non-removable (common with school-issued devices), this method will not work.

Professional Tools (AnyUnlock)

Best for: Users who are locked out of settings, have forgotten the Screen Time code and Apple ID, or have a device stuck in a supervised iPhone state.

Data Safety: Varies. Removing Screen Time passcodes can be done without data loss, but removing deep MDM restrictions or screen locks usually requires a reset.

Advantage: High success rate even when you lack credentials.

Fix Turn Passcode off Greyed out in 1 Click by Using iOS Unlocker

If you face the problem of Turn Passcode Off greyed out and have tried everything but still cannot remove the passcode from your iOS device. Don’t worry! AnyUnlock has your back because it is the one-stop iPhone unlocker for many iOS unlocking problems. With this tool, you can easily turn off the passcode on your iDevices even the turn off button has been greyed out. And you can also find more amazing features of AnyUnlock with the following content.

• Turn off any type of screen lock in seconds – No matter whether you set a digital passcode, pattern lock, or enable Face ID, fingerprint, etc. on your iPhone or iPad, you can quickly remove it with AnyUnlock.
• Easy operation beyond imagination – Only a few simple steps and clicks on buttons are required to turn off/remove locks. If you have always thought that unlocking is troublesome, then AnyUnlock will definitely break your perception.
• No worry about device/system compatibility – AnyUnlock is always updating the supported iPhone/iPad/iPod models and systems, and currently, it has supported the latest iPhone 17 and iOS 26.
• All-in-one unlocking tool for iOS – Besides screen locks, AnyUnlock can also help you remove Apple ID without password, unlock your encrypted iTunes backup, bypass iCloud activation lock, unlock SIM card from any carrier, and more. As long as you need to unlock iOS, trust AnyUnlock with confidence.

Therefore, just download AnyUnlock for free now and follow these easy steps below to remove your screen lock if the turn passcode off greyed out.

Step 1. After opening AnyUnlock on your computer, connect your iOS device to your computer via a USB. You will see several options on the main interface. Please select Unlock Screen Passcode mode.

Step 2. You’ll see this screen once AnyUnlock has successfully detected your iOS device. Then, just press the Start Now button below. And then download the most recent firmware version by clicking Download on the following screen.

Step 3. The downloading process will take some time. Once the download is completed, the following interface will be shown. Click Unlock Now to proceed further.

Step 4. The Unlock Now button initiates the immediate removal of the screen lock’s passcode. To complete the unlocking process, keep your device connected to the computer.

After a few minutes, the screen passcode will be removed from your device, and you will no longer face the issue of Turn Off Passcode greyed out.

If you still face the problem, then the last you can do is reset your phone. Let’s see how.

Fix Turn Passcode off Greyed out with Resetting

If you have tried all the above methods, and none of them fixed the problem. Then you can reset your phone to clear all the settings that will ultimately remove the passcode, and there will be no Turn Passcode Off greyed. Follow these steps:

Step 1. Tap Settings, then go to General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset.

Step 2. Tap Reset and enter your passcode.

Don’t do anything till the reset is done. After a reset, you’ll see that the option to remove the passcode, “Turn Passcode Off,” is no longer greyed.

FAQs About Turn Passcode off Greyed out on iPhone/Apple Watch

Q1. Why is Turn Passcode Off greyed out on my iPhone?

This is almost always caused by an active configuration profile, an Exchange email account policy, or Screen Time restrictions. It is rarely a software bug.

Q2. Does Screen Time prevent turning off the passcode?

Yes. If “Content & Privacy Restrictions” are enabled within Screen Time, specifically under the “Passcode Changes” section, the option to turn off the passcode will be disabled to prevent bypassing controls.

Q3. Can a work email force a passcode on iPhone?

Absolutely. Adding a Microsoft Exchange account often installs a security certificate that mandates a passcode. You typically cannot turn off the passcode without removing the email account and its associated profile.

Q4. Will resetting my iPhone remove the greyed-out passcode option?

A standard “Reset All Settings” may not remove deep MDM profiles. However, a full “Erase All Content and Settings” (factory reset) will remove the restrictions, though it also erases your data. Ensure you have a backup before proceeding.

Q5. How do I check if my iPhone is managed or supervised?

Navigate to Settings > General > About. If your device is supervised, you will see a text message at the top of the screen stating, “This iPhone is supervised and managed by [Organization Name].”

The Bottom Line

Hopefully, after reading this article, you know how to fix Turn Passcode off greyed out on your iPhone or Apple watch. While the passcode is easy to set, it can become difficult to remove due to security reasons. Fortunately, there are a few solutions available to help you get your passcode removed. The most convenient way to fix this issue is AnyUnlock’s Unlock Screen Passcode function, and its success rate is obviously much higher than any other solution.