How to Use Guided Access on iPhone or iPad

Lock your screen to an app so others can't explore your phone

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Updated on May 3, 2021

Guided Access locks your screen to one specific app so you don't have to worry about someone switching apps or modifying iPhone settings. Here's more information about Guided Access and how it works.

Guided Access requires iOS 11 or later, so you need to have an iPhone 5s or newer to be able to use it.

What Is Guided Access?

Guided Access limits the iPhone or iPad to one specific app so people can't switch to another app or return to the iPhone's home screen. It's useful if you use your iPhone as a display in a business context or when your child uses your iPhone and you don't want the tyke to wreak havoc on your digital life.

The tool's various options help you stop people from accessing certain areas of the screen, impose time limits, and even limit changes to the device volume.

How to Set up Guided Access on iPhone and iPad

Follow this procedure to set up Guided Access:

Go Settings > Accessibility.
Tap Guided Access.
Tap the toggle to activate Guided Access.
Tap Passcode Settings, then tap Set Guided Access Passcode.

You can set up a passcode later in the process but doing it early on is more efficient and easier for you.
Enter a passcode, then reenter it to confirm it.

You can also turn on Face ID or Touch ID. These options are particularly useful if you know the person using your iPhone is likely to guess your passcode.

How to Start and End a Guided Access Session

Use Guided Access with any app on your iPhone or iPad. It just takes a few simple steps to start up, and your iPhone will remember your favorite settings so you don't have to redo it later.

Because Guided Access is such a locked-down operating mode, iOS doesn't permit screenshots.

Open the app you want, then triple-press the Home button and tap Guided Access.

If you have an iPhone X, iPhone XS, or iPhone XR, triple-press the side button instead.
To limit what areas of the screen respond to touch, use one finger to draw a circle around those areas.

Move the circle around by dragging it with your finger. Extend the size of it by holding down on it and dragging it outwards.
When you've finished creating untouchable areas, tap Start.
The Guided Access Session has now started and people accessing the device can't switch apps until the session is ended.
To end a Guided Access session, either triple-press the Home button or triple-press the side button, then tap End. Enter your passcode when prompted.

How to Control Which Features Are Available

Guided Access doesn't just limit parts of the screen. It includes far more powerful options, including a time-limit facility.

To turn the features on or set a time limit, triple-press the Home or side button, then tap Options.

If you don't see Options, triple-press the Home or side button again and enter your passcode.

Toggle the options you want to apply. You can tweak the following:

Turn off the Sleep/Wake button.
Disable the volume buttons.
Switch off motion so the iPhone doesn't respond to being shaken or physically rotated.
Turn off the keyboard so it never appears.
Disable all touch commands so the device becomes solely a display rather than interactive.
Implement a Time Limit for users.

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