iPhone: Change passcode within 60 minutes (Fix)

Annoyed by the “Change iPhone unlock passcode in 60 minutes” prompt? Here’s how to fix it and the root cause why it happens.

A lot of iPhone users, including me, have recently got a suspicious prompt on the iPhone that asks to change the iPhone unlock passcode. The message appears on the homescreen of the iPhone as soon as you unlock the phone.

The prompt is titled Password Requirement and it states:

You must change your iPhone unlock passcode within 60 minutes.

And you are given two options: Later and Continue.

When you tap on the ‘Later‘ option, it goes away for the time being. And it again pops up whenever you unlock the iPhone with the amount of minutes left being counted down.

Must Change iPhone Passcode 60 minutes 2

iPhone is well-known for its security and privacy features. It’s not like something like this happens on iPhones every now and then. Since this is completely out of the blue, everyone’s (including me) first thought is ‘Is this a phishing attempt on my iPhone?’. Or some might even think that this might be some sort of malware.

So, I quickly hit the Later button and started researching online to find out the root cause of this issue.

The good news is, your iPhone is safe. There are no phishing attempts and probably no malware on your device. A lot of people have received a similar prompt. So, why did you receive this prompt?

Read ahead to find out how to fix this Passcode Requirement prompt and what caused this to happen.

In This Article show

Why does the Change iPhone Passcode prompt appears?

Actually, there are several reasons why the Passcode Requirement prompt can appear on your iPhone. Some of them might be caused by the settings on your iPhone.

Easily Guessable Passcode

The password you are currently using on your iPhone might be a common one and could be easily guessable. If that is the case, any intruder can gain access to your iPhone with little to no effort. On the security front, this is a big issue.

If that is actually the case, iPhone will ask you to change your passcode to something more secure to keep your iPhone safe. And that makes sense.

Some obvious passcode examples:

– 1234
– 9999
– 0000
– 0001 / 1000/ 0100/ 0010
– 2580
– 2468
– 1379

You get the idea.

Microsoft Exchange

If you have Microsoft Exchange on your device, please note that it can force a password change on your device.

4-digit passcode

Your current passcode might be 4 digits. Apple encourages using a 6 digits passcode as it is more secure and is hard to find even with brute force attacks. iPhones have come a long way with security. But still, 6-digit passcodes are always more secure than 4-digit ones.

MDM enrolled devices

If your iPhone is enrolled under Mobile Device Management (which usually happens for business reasons), you may be asked to change to iPhone passcode from time to time. This is to make sure the data on your iPhone is safe and secure. And this is enforced by the MDM system.

Configuration profile

A configuration profile that you have installed on your iPhone may have triggered the passcode change prompt. For example, to receive iOS beta updates, you need to install the appropriate configuration profile. To see if you have installed any profile, go to Settings > General > Profile.

How to fix the Passcode Requirement prompt

Let me be honest here: there is nothing to fix.

Sooner or later, you are going to have to tap on that Continue button in the prompt. You can always tap the ‘Later‘ option but that is going to work only for 60 minutes and then you will not have any option left.

Do not worry, simply tap on the Continue option. Enter your new password, then re-enter your new password again and you are good.

Tip: When the Continue button is hit, most people are only presented with the option to set it to a 4-digit passcode.

If you are not comfortable with using a 4-digit passcode and feel it is less secure, you can always change to a 6-digit passcode manually from here:

Open the Settings app.
Tap on Face ID & Passcode. You will be asked to enter your passcode. Enter it and proceed.
Scroll down and tap on Change Passcode. Again, you will be asked to enter your old passcode to proceed.
In the next screen, tap on Passcode Options and select 6-Digit Numeric Passcode.
Enter the new 6-Digit Numeric Passcode and re-enter it again.
Done.