How to Set a Passcode on Your E-Reader or Tablet

Tablets and e-readers tend to get less attention than phones. They sit on the kitchen counter or by the bed, shared by everyone, often with no passcode at all. But most of them are signed into an account with a saved payment method, connected to the internet and full of email, photos or browsing history.

A passcode takes a minute to set up and closes a surprising number of gaps: a toddler buying a stack of books, an older child browsing without limits, or a lost device giving a stranger access to your accounts. Here's how to do it on the devices families use most.

Why bother with a passcode on a "family" device

• Purchases. Kindles and tablets are usually tied to an account with one-tap buying.
• Privacy. Email, messages and photos often sync across devices.
• Protecting your controls. Parental controls are only as strong as the device's lock. If anyone can open the settings, anyone can change them.
• Theft and loss. A locked device is far less useful to whoever finds it.

Kindle e-readers

Kindle e-readers let you set a device passcode separate from parental controls. Menu names vary a bit depending on your model and software version.

1. Tap the top of the screen (or swipe down) and choose All Settings.
2. Tap Device Options.
3. Tap Device Passcode (on newer software you may find it under Privacy and Security as Device PIN).
4. Enter a passcode and confirm it.

To change or remove it later, go back to the same screen. You'll need the current passcode.

If you forget it: Amazon provides a reset code you type on the passcode screen. That reset erases the device, including the lock screen passcode, parental controls and downloaded content. Your purchased books stay in your Amazon library and can be downloaded again, but anything sideloaded or annotated only on the device may be lost. Amazon's help pages list the reset steps for each Kindle generation.

Parental controls on a Kindle are a separate feature with their own password. They can block the web browser, the Kindle Store and other features. For younger readers, Amazon Kids on a Kindle creates a child profile that shows only books you've added.

Amazon Fire tablets

1. Swipe down from the top and open Settings.
2. Tap Security & Privacy.
3. Turn on Lock Screen Passcode (or Lock Screen Password).
4. Choose a PIN or password and confirm it.

Fire tablets also have parental controls and child profiles. Amazon recommends a child profile through Amazon Kids for children under 13. Parental controls (found under Profiles & Family Library or Parental Controls, depending on the software) use a separate password and can block the browser, email, camera and store purchases. We cover these in detail in our guide to parental controls for the Kindle Fire.

If you forget the PIN: after several wrong attempts, the Fire tablet offers to reset it using your Amazon account password. The tablet needs to be connected to the internet.

iPad

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Face ID & Passcode or Touch ID & Passcode (on older iPads without either, it's simply Passcode).
3. Tap Turn Passcode On.
4. Enter a six-digit passcode, or tap Passcode Options for a longer code.

If your child uses the iPad, consider giving them their own Apple Account as part of Family Sharing so you can manage Screen Time from your own iPhone. Use a different code for Screen Time than for the lock screen; we explain why in using different passcodes for restrictions and the lock screen.

Android tablets

Menus vary by manufacturer, but the path is similar:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Security (sometimes Security & privacy or Lock screen).
3. Tap Screen lock.
4. Choose PIN, Password or Pattern, and set it.

Many Android tablets support multiple user profiles. A separate profile for a child keeps your email and apps out of reach. For broader control, set up Google Family Link for the child's Google account.

Choosing a good passcode

• Avoid the obvious: 1234, 0000, birthdays, house numbers and repeated patterns.
• Make it longer if the device allows it. Six digits is much stronger than four.
• Use a different code for parental controls than for the lock screen.
• Enter it privately. Kids are excellent at watching fingers.
• Write it somewhere safe or store it in a password manager, especially for e-readers where a reset erases the device.

Should kids know the passcode?

It depends on the device and the child. For a shared family tablet, some families give kids the lock screen code but keep the parental-control code to themselves. That way kids can use the device but can't change its limits. For a child's own e-reader, a simple passcode they know can teach good habits, while parental controls stay under your control.

If you're setting up several devices at once, our list of parental controls for phones, computers and tablets helps you cover everything.

Quick checklist

• Set a lock screen passcode on every tablet and e-reader in the house.
• Turn on parental controls or a child profile with a separate code.
• Avoid easy-to-guess codes and enter them out of sight.
• Store passcodes somewhere safe, since some resets erase the device.
• Recheck settings after software updates or when a device changes hands.