You can actually lock your phone into one single app, this restrictive set up is known as Guided Access or Kiosk Mode for Apple/iOS. Here's when you might want to do this...
Calling all parents - this blog is for you!
Like a moth to a flame, kids love the novelty of using your phone! Be it to play games, watch THAT YouTube video for the umpteenth time or sing along to catchy tunes like ‘Let It Go’ or ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno.’ Oh the irony - we clearly haven’t ‘let it go’ and we sing about Bruno all the time!!! Whatever they are watching, kids love an interactive device i.e. pressing buttons.
Imagine the scene. You find yourself in a tight spot. Your child(ren) - even the most impeccably behaved - are tired and cranky which is proving trying and testing. Your phone is the only source of entertainment available. You are hesitant. Maybe because it is the phone you use for work, which has important files and contacts on there? Or - quite rightly so - you are worried your kids will get to tapping and end up on an inappropriate website. Or you do not want to accidentally end up on an impromptu Facebook live!
Well worry no more, as you can actually lock your phone into one single app. This restrictive set up is known as Guided Access or Kiosk Mode for Apple/iOS.
It isn’t just parents who can benefit from this tip and have their minds put at ease. It is great for work scenarios too: working an event or conference whereby potential customers register their details on your device or playing a slideshow presentation in a meeting. Either way, you don’t want prospective clients or other members of your team seeing private correspondence pop up. Just lock your tablet into Kiosk mode. That way you can happily leave clients to enter in their details as you deal with another interested party and focus on your presentation without worrying about sensitive information cropping up.
Whatever the case may be, Guided Access has you covered. So let’s talk about how to implement it.
How to set up Guided Access?
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access
- Slide toggle to On
- Go to Passcode Settings > Set Guided Access Passcode
- Enter a passcode and re-enter it
- You can also opt into Face ID or Touch ID as a method for ending Guided Access sessions here.
How to start a Guided Access session?
- Open the desired app.
- When the app has fully loaded:
- on an iPhone X or later, triple-click the side button.
- on an iPhone 8 or earlier, triple-click the Home button.
- Or alternatively you can ask Siri to "Turn on Guided Access".
The Guided Access screen should appear.
- Click Guided Access > Start
Your device will be locked into the current app.
How to disable touch within a Guided Access session?
Even when locked into a single app, you may want to further disable certain areas of the screen from reacting to Touch. For example, if you have set up a YouTube video for your kids to watch, you don’t want them to get to tapping in the search bar and bring up other videos you haven’t vetted.
- Go to desired app and enter Guided Access mode
- Click Options
- Slide Touch toggle On
- Using one finger, encircle the area of the screen that you don’t want to react to touch. You can adjust the position and size after drawing it by pulling the corners. You can also click X to remove and start again if not adequate.
- Press Resume (top right hand corner)
This part of the screen will no longer react to touch.
How to end a Guided Access session?
You can regain full access to your device by doing the following:
- Triple click the Side/Home button
- Enter your Guided Access passcode
- Press End ( which can be found in the top left hand corner)
Please note: if you opted in to use Face ID or Touch ID for Guided Access you only have to double click the Side/Home button.