Set, change, or recover your parent PIN
For parents on a shared tablet who want the dashboard closed to the kids.
What the PIN is, and what it isn't
The PIN isn't your login. Your login is your email and password. The PIN is a second door inside the app: it closes the grown-up area (progress, screen-time limits, reward approvals, removing profiles) on a device your kids also use.
It's 4 digits, numbers only. We store it scrambled, so nobody can read it back, including us. That's why there's no "show my PIN" anywhere.
Setting it the first time
- From the profile picker, tap "Grown-up ◆".
- The screen says "Grown-up area" and asks for a 4-digit PIN. Type it, type it again in the second box, then tap "Set PIN & enter".
- You're in. From now on that button asks for the PIN before it opens.
Do this before you hand the tablet over. Until a PIN exists, whoever taps "Grown-up ◆" first is the one who gets to set it.
Unlocking, and how long it stays open
Tap "Grown-up ◆", enter the PIN, tap "Unlock". The dashboard stays open for 30 minutes, then asks again. Leaving the page doesn't lock it. The 30 minutes does.
To lock it right away, tap "🔒 Lock" at the top of the dashboard. Do that before you hand the device back.
Changing it
- Open the grown-up area, tap the "Account" tab, and find the panel called "Parent PIN".
- Tap "Change PIN". Enter your current PIN, the new one, and the new one again.
- It confirms with "PIN updated." The old PIN stops working immediately.
You need the current PIN to change it. A child who has seen the dashboard open can't change the PIN out from under you.
Too many wrong tries
After 5 wrong PINs in a row, the PIN stops working for 15 minutes. That counts every place it's asked for: opening the grown-up area, changing the PIN, and lifting the screen-time hard limit. The message says how many minutes are left.
It's there so a child can't sit and guess all 10,000 combinations. If it's you who's locked out, you don't have to wait: "Forgot your PIN?" with your account password sets a new one and ends the lock.
If you forget it
- Tap "Grown-up ◆". Under the PIN box, tap "Forgot your PIN?".
- Type your "Account password", the one you log in with, then a new PIN twice.
- Tap "Set a new PIN". You're in, and the old PIN is gone.
The account password is the check because it's the one thing your kids don't have. They tap their name on a device you already signed into, so they've never needed it.
Your kids' progress isn't touched. The PIN only guards the door. If you've lost the password too, use the forgot-password link on the login page first, then come back here.
Common questions
What if my child figures out the PIN?
Change it. Open the grown-up area, find "Parent PIN", tap "Change PIN". The old one dies the moment the new one saves. Pick four digits that aren't a birthday or the door code, and don't type it while they're watching. That's most of it.
Does locking the grown-up area log me out?
No. "🔒 Lock" only closes the grown-up area. You stay signed in, and the kids can still tap their profiles. Logging out is the separate "Log out" button on the profile picker, and you'll need your password to get back in.
Is one PIN shared by both parents?
Yes. One account, one PIN. You both use the same four digits, and if one of you changes it, tell the other.
Still stuck?
Email goes straight to a person, usually answered within a couple of days. Include the email you signed up with so we can find your account.
Email ervin@brightstepchild.com