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Q: I’m a little worried about the security of my phone and want to beef up my password. Four numbers doesn’t seem like enough! I’ve read your recent tutorial on setting complex passcodes, which is great, but I’m not sure I’ll remember another huge password along with every other password I have to remember online. What can I do?
A: Fear not! There is a middle ground to be had here. It’s a little- known feature (perhaps even an Easter egg) of iOS, but if you create a complex passcode using only numbers, the numerical keypad is the only thing that’s shown on your iPhone’s lock screen when you go to punch it in. While it doesn’t solve the issue of remembering something longer than four digits completely, it might help to give you a little clue as to what you should be tapping in. To refresh your memory, we’ve covered the process for setting this up below in three simple steps.
(This tutorial is part of our Tech Support section; every week we hold Tech Support Tuesday on @iCreateMagazine‘s Twitter feed, but if you have any Mac problems that you need solved, post in the comments below and we’ll get back to you ASAP with a solution.)
1 Find the option
Open up your iPhone’s Settings app and head to General>Passcode Lock. Tap on that option and enter your current passcode to continue into the specific passcode settings available on your device.
2 Make it harder
Scroll down to the Simple Passcode option within Settings and tap it once to turn it off. You’ll then need to enter your current passcode and a new, complex passcode (numbers only) twice to confirm.
3 Unlocking
If you’ve created a complex passcode that uses only numbers, you’ll see a field like this when you go to unlock, along with the numerical keypad. Punch in your numbers, hit OK and you’re off!
