How to Use Guided Access to Lock Your iPhone to a Single App

Handing your iPhone or iPad to a toddler to play a game often results in a disaster. Within five minutes, they will inevitably exit the app, delete your emails, accidentally call your boss, or make unauthorized in-app purchases. Apple provides a highly effective accessibility feature called Guided Access specifically to prevent this. Guided Access locks your iOS device to a single application, disables the home button or swipe gestures, and even allows you to disable specific areas of the touch screen so certain buttons within the app cannot be pressed.

Enabling Guided Access in Settings

Before you can lock a screen, you must enable the feature in your main device settings and set up a secure passcode to ensure the user cannot unlock it themselves.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Scroll down and tap on Accessibility.
3. Scroll to the very bottom of the menu under the “General” section and tap Guided Access.
4. Toggle the switch at the top to the ON (green) position.
5. Tap Passcode Settings.
6. Tap Set Guided Access Passcode and enter a memorable 4-digit or 6-digit PIN. (Note: You can also enable Face ID or Touch ID here, which allows you to unlock the device later simply by double-clicking the side button and looking at the screen, rather than typing the PIN in front of your child).

Starting a Guided Access Session

Once the feature is enabled globally, you can activate it on demand whenever you need it.

1. Open the specific app you want to lock the device to (e.g., a YouTube Kids video or an educational game).
2. Triple-click the side button (on Face ID iPhones) or triple-click the Home button (on Touch ID iPhones/iPads).
3. The screen will shrink slightly, and the Guided Access interface will appear.
4. (Optional) If you want to prevent the user from pressing a specific button on the screen (like an “Upgrades” or “Settings” button inside the game), simply use your finger to draw a circle around that button. A grey mask will appear over it, disabling touch input in that specific zone.
5. Tap Start in the top right corner.

The app will now run normally, but the user cannot swipe up to go home, swipe down for the control center, or switch apps. The device is effectively a single-purpose kiosk.

Ending the Session

When you are ready to take control of your device back, you must securely exit the mode.

1. Triple-click the side button (or Home button) again.
2. The device will prompt you to enter the Guided Access passcode you created earlier. (If you enabled Face ID, a quick double-click of the side button while looking at the screen will bypass the PIN).
3. Once the passcode is accepted, the screen will shrink again. Tap End in the top left corner of the screen.

Your iPhone is now unlocked and functioning normally.