Guided Access locks your iPhone to a single app and lets you control what parts of the screen work

Guided Access is an iPhone feature that restricts the device to one app at a time and lets you disable specific buttons, gestures, and screen areas. When Guided Access is on, a user cannot leave the app, access the home screen, or use features you have turned off — they can only interact with the parts of the screen you allow.

It is useful when you want to let someone else use your phone for a specific task without them accidentally (or intentionally) opening other apps, making calls, or changing settings. Parents use it to let children play a single game. Teachers use it to let students take a quiz in one app. Healthcare workers use it to let patients fill out a form without navigating away.

Guided Access is built into every iPhone and iPad. You turn it on in Settings, set it up for the app you want to restrict, then activate it with a triple-click of the side button (or home button on older models). When you want to exit, you triple-click again and enter a passcode.

Key Takeaways

  • Guided Access locks the iPhone to one app and disables the home button, so the user cannot switch apps or reach settings.
  • You can disable specific buttons, gestures, and screen areas — for example, turning off the keyboard or blocking the back button.
  • Guided Access requires a passcode to turn on and off, so the person using the phone cannot exit without your permission.
  • You set up Guided Access in Settings under Accessibility, then activate it by triple-clicking the side button while the app is open.

How to turn on Guided Access in Settings

Open Settings and go to Accessibility. Scroll down and tap Guided Access. Toggle the switch to on. You will be asked to create a passcode — this is the code you enter to turn Guided Access off later, so use something you will remember but the other person will not guess.

You can also set a face or fingerprint unlock instead of a passcode. Tap Passcode Settings and choose Face ID, Touch ID, or Passcode. If you choose a biometric option, you can still set a passcode as a backup.

How to start a Guided Access session

Open the app you want to restrict. Triple-click the side button (or home button on iPhone 8 and earlier). Guided Access will open and show you the app with a gray overlay. The screen is now ready for you to customize what the user can and cannot do.

By default, the entire screen is enabled (shown in white). Any area you want to disable appears in gray. You can draw a circle or rectangle around buttons or areas you want to turn off — for example, drawing a box around the back button or the keyboard.

Disabling specific screen areas and gestures

After you triple-click to enter Guided Access, you will see drawing tools at the bottom of the screen. Tap the circle or rectangle tool and draw around any button or area you want to disable. You can draw multiple boxes if you need to block several areas.

Tap Options at the bottom left to turn off specific gestures and hardware buttons. You can disable the volume buttons, the side button, or motion (tilting the device). You can also turn off the keyboard, the dictionary, or dictation. Disabling the keyboard is useful if you want someone to tap buttons but not type.

When you are done customizing, tap Start in the top right. The app is now locked to Guided Access. The user can only interact with the white (enabled) areas of the screen.

Ending a Guided Access session

To exit Guided Access, triple-click the side button again. You will see a screen asking for your passcode (or asking you to use Face ID or Touch ID, depending on what you set up). Enter the code and Guided Access turns off. The phone returns to normal and the user can access all apps and features again.

If you forget your Guided Access passcode, you will need to reset it through Settings. Go to Accessibility > Guided Access > Passcode Settings and tap Change Passcode. You will need to enter your Apple ID or device passcode to confirm the change.

Common uses for Guided Access

Parents often use Guided Access to let young children play a game or watch a video without them accidentally closing the app or opening Safari. Teachers use it during tests or quizzes to prevent students from leaving the testing app or accessing notes. Therapists and healthcare providers use it to guide patients through forms or exercises without them navigating to other screens.

You can also use Guided Access to demo a product or feature to someone without worrying they will accidentally change settings or open something else. Retail staff sometimes use it to show customers a specific app or feature on a display device.

Limitations and things to know

Guided Access does not prevent the device from receiving calls or notifications — those will still appear on screen. If you want to block notifications, turn on Do Not Disturb before starting the Guided Access session.

Guided Access also does not prevent the device from being restarted or powered off. If someone holds down the side button and volume button together, they can force the device to shut down. For situations where you need stronger control — such as in a classroom or kiosk — you may want to look into Mobile Device Management (MDM) or kiosk mode, which are more restrictive.

The person using the phone can still see and interact with notifications, alerts, and incoming calls even though they cannot leave the app. If you need complete isolation, you may need to turn on Airplane Mode or Do Not Disturb before starting Guided Access.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone exit Guided Access without the passcode?

No. They would need to triple-click the side button and enter your passcode to exit. If they do not know the passcode, they are locked in the app. The only way out without the passcode is to force restart the device by holding the side button and volume button together, which will close the app but not disable Guided Access itself.

Does Guided Access work on iPad?

Yes. The steps are the same. On iPad, you triple-click the top button (or home button on older models) to activate Guided Access. The feature works identically to iPhone.

Can I disable the entire keyboard in Guided Access?

Yes. In the Options menu before you start the session, toggle off Keyboard. The keyboard will not appear even if the user taps a text field. This is useful if you want them to tap buttons but not type anything.

What happens to notifications while Guided Access is on?

Notifications and alerts will still appear on screen, but the user cannot interact with them or leave the app to respond. If you want to prevent notifications from showing, turn on Do Not Disturb before starting Guided Access.

Can I set up different Guided Access sessions for different apps?

Yes. Each time you open a different app and triple-click to start Guided Access, you can customize it differently. The passcode is the same, but the disabled areas and gestures can be unique to each app.