83% of smartphone owners protect their device with a security feature, while 16% never use one to unlock their phone. Removing your passcode moves you into that second group.
Many iPhone owners want the phone to open with a single swipe, no code or Face ID. When you search for how to turn off lock screen iPhone, the answer almost always ends in the same place: the passcode setting. iOS never lets you delete the Lock Screen itself, but you can remove the passcode behind it.
1. How to Turn Off Lock Screen iPhone Passcode
How to turn off lock screen iPhone in one line: Open Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Turn Passcode Off.
On an iPhone, when people say they want the “lock screen” gone, they usually mean they want to remove the passcode requirement. The control sits in Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode on older models) and is labeled Turn Passcode Off.
Below is how to turn off screen lock on iPhone models with either sensor; only the menu name changes. Before you start, have your current passcode ready, because iOS asks for it first.
Disable the Passcode With Face ID
The process:
- Open Settings and tap Face ID & Passcode.
- Enter your current passcode.
- Scroll down and tap Turn Passcode Off.
- Read the warning, then tap Turn Off.
- Confirm with your Apple Account password or passcode if iOS asks.
Afterward, swiping up from the Lock Screen opens the phone directly. If you only want Face ID to stop unlocking the phone, leave the passcode in place and switch off iPhone Unlock under Use Face ID For. You keep the protection and lose only the scan.
Disable the Passcode With Touch ID
Phones with a Home button, such as the iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation), use Touch ID instead. The steps are the same, with a different menu name:
- Open Settings and tap Touch ID & Passcode.
- Enter your passcode.
- Tap Turn Passcode Off, then Turn Off.
- Confirm with your Apple Account password or passcode if prompted.
On models with neither sensor, the same option sits under Settings > Passcode.
2. What Happens When You Remove Your iPhone Passcode?
Before you turn off the lock screen on iPhone for any good reason, it helps to see what the change really affects. Four consequences do matter:
- Security: Anyone who picks up the phone can read messages, open photos, and use signed-in accounts. A passcode also does technical work: Setting one switches on Data Protection and ties certain encryption keys to it. Remove the passcode, and that layer goes with it.
- Face ID and Touch ID: Both are shortcuts that sit on top of the passcode, so they cannot work without it. Turn the passcode off and biometric unlocking stops.
- Apple Pay and Wallet: Apple Pay cards and car keys in Wallet are removed, and the passcode can no longer help you reset your Apple Account password. You will need to re-add cards if you set a passcode later.
- Stolen Device Protection: You need a device passcode to turn this feature on, so it is off the table without one.
>>> Read more: How to Lock Photos on iPhone With Face ID within 3 Steps?
3. Why You Can’t Turn Off Your iPhone Passcode
Most guides on how to turn lock screen off on iPhone skip the cases where Turn Passcode Off is greyed out or stalls. Two causes account for nearly all of them, so use this checklist when the how-to-turn-off-lock-screen iPhone steps fail.
Device Management Restrictions
A work, school, or other management profile can force a passcode, and Screen Time can block passcode changes. Check both:
- Go to Settings > General > VPN & Device Management. A listed configuration profile, including one added by a work email account, may be enforcing the rule.
- Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allow Changes and make sure Passcode Changes is set to Allow.
If the iPhone belongs to an employer or school, the rule is deliberate. Ask the administrator, since removal can also cut off work email and network settings.
Stolen Device Protection
Introduced with iOS 17.3, Stolen Device Protection adds extra checks when your iPhone is away from familiar places such as home or work.
Apple says certain actions then require Face ID or Touch ID with no passcode fallback, and critical changes require a one-hour security delay followed by a second biometric check. The delayed list includes changing your passcode, adding or removing Face ID or Touch ID, and turning the feature off.
Apple does not name Turn Passcode Off in that list, so it is not confirmed that this action triggers the wait. But if you hit a delay prompt while removing the passcode away from home, this feature is the likely reason.
If a Security Delay does appear while you are changing security settings away from a familiar location, Stolen Device Protection may be involved. You can complete the change from a familiar location, where certain protections may apply differently depending on your settings.
Stolen Device Protection is managed under Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Stolen Device Protection. If Require Security Delay is set to Always, protected security changes require the delay even when your iPhone is at a familiar location.
4. Forgot Your Passcode? Here’s What You Can Do
Forgetting a passcode is a different problem from disabling one, and any guide on how to turn off lock screen iPhone owners rely on has to cover it.
Turning the passcode off requires the current code, so a forgotten code means the phone has to be reset. Apple documents these routes, from least to most disruptive:
- Passcode Reset (iOS 17 and later): If you changed the passcode in the last 72 hours, the old one works once. After five wrong attempts, tap Forgot Passcode? on the Unavailable screen, then Enter Previous Passcode. This needs a network connection, an Apple Account sign-in, and Find My turned on.
- Reset on the iPhone itself: Under the same conditions, the lock screen may offer an erase option, so you don’t need a computer.
- Erase remotely: From another device, use Find My at iCloud.com/find to erase the phone, then set it up again.
- Recovery mode: Connect the phone to a Mac (Finder) or a Windows PC (Apple Devices app), enter recovery mode, and choose Restore. Apple budgets up to 60 minutes for this.
Data and backups: Every route except the 72-hour reset erases the phone. Unless you backed up before you were locked out, there is no way to save the data. After setup, restore from an iCloud or computer backup, and keep your Apple Account details handy because Activation Lock can ask for them.
There are two cautions you should take into consideration.
If Erase Data is switched on in Face ID & Passcode, ten wrong guesses wipe the phone. And “unlock” tools that promise to bypass the passcode with your data intact are not documented by Apple, so treat them with suspicion.
>>> Read more: How to Restore iPhone From Backup
5. Other Ways to Change Your Lock Screen
If what you really want is a quieter or more private Lock Screen, these two settings often beat removing the passcode.
Turn Off Always-On Display
Always-On Display keeps a dimmed Lock Screen visible while the phone is locked.
Here is how to turn off iPhone Lock Screen Always On mode: Open Settings, tap Display & Brightness, and switch off Always On Display.
The setting is on by default. It is available on iPhone 14 Pro and later Pro models, and Apple’s tech specs also list it for the iPhone 17. If you don’t see the toggle, your model likely doesn’t have it.
If you would rather keep it but tone it down, switch off Show Wallpaper or Show Notifications. The display also turns itself off when the iPhone is face down or covered, away from a paired Apple Watch, in CarPlay, in Continuity Camera, in Low Power Mode, in Sleep Focus, or at bedtime. To change how quickly the phone locks, go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock.
Restrict Lock Screen Access to Certain Features
Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode), enter your passcode, and scroll to Allow Access When Locked.
Apple lists these switches: Today View, Notification Center, Control Center, Siri, Reply with Message, Home Control, Wallet, Return Missed Calls, and USB accessories.
A sensible baseline is to switch off Home Control, Wallet, and Return Missed Calls if you never use them from a locked phone, and to turn off Notification Center if you would rather nobody skims your alerts. You keep the passcode and still close the easy doors.
6. FAQs
How do I unlock my iPhone without entering a passcode?
Use Face ID or Touch ID, which still require a passcode in the background. If you want no code at all, the steps above, which also show how to turn off screen lock on iPhone completely, let the phone open with a swipe. The trade-off is the lost security and Apple Pay access covered earlier. If you are locked out, you need a reset, not a bypass.
Can I turn off the iPhone passcode without disabling Face ID?
No. Face ID depends on a passcode, so removing the passcode switches Face ID off too. The reverse works: keep the passcode and turn off iPhone Unlock under Use Face ID For.
Will turning off my iPhone passcode delete my data?
No. Your photos, apps, messages, and Apple Account stay put. What changes is that Face ID and Touch ID stop working, Wallet cards and keys are removed, and the phone loses the passcode’s protection. Data is wiped only when a forgotten passcode forces a reset.
How do I stop my iPhone Lock Screen from staying on?
If a dimmed Lock Screen stays visible, that is Always-On Display: open Settings > Display & Brightness and switch off Always On Display. If the screen stays bright too long, shorten Auto-Lock in the same menu.
Can I hide Lock Screen notifications without turning off the passcode?
Yes. Go to Settings > Notifications > Show Previews and choose When Unlocked or Never. For a single app, open it in Notifications and turn off its Lock Screen alert. You can also switch off Notification Center under Allow Access When Locked, or turn off Show Notifications in the Always-On display settings.
7. Conclusion
Bottom line on how to turn off lock screen iPhone: you cannot remove the Lock Screen itself, only the passcode behind it, and that takes a few taps in Face ID & Passcode or Touch ID & Passcode. If the option is greyed out, check management profiles and Screen Time first, then Stolen Device Protection. If you have forgotten the code, expect a reset and hope you have a backup.
Knowing how to turn lock screen off on iPhone is useful, but the better question is whether you need to.
It’s recommended to keep the passcode and cut the friction another way: use Face ID, adjust Auto-Lock, and trim Allow Access When Locked. If you still decide to turn off the Lock Screen on iPhone, do it at home, with a backup and your Apple Account details ready.
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