How to Enter Guided Access mode

Turning it on

Guided Access isn’t switched on by default, so you’ll have to set it up. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Guided Access. Slide the switch across to turn on the feature. There are a few extra settings here too.

Activate lockdown

Triple–click the Home button (side button on iPhone X or later) to activate Guided Access. If it’s the first time you’ve invoked it in the app, you’ll see options to configure restrictions, as described in the annotation opposite.

Motion controls

You can also choose whether to allow motion controls, which can be useful for some games, and keyboards. To block internet access, put the device into Airplane Mode in Settings before you trigger Guided Access.

Key settings

You can set whether Touch/ Face ID is enough to turn Guided Access off, what the passcode is (make it different to any other), whether a time limit is in force, and whether you can change settings as you exit.

Voice control

Alternatively, you can use Siri by saying “Hey Siri, turn on Guided Access”. A small gray, rounded square will appear in the center of the screen to confirm success. You can’t turn off Guided Access this same way, though.

Timers and touch

Tap Options. Turn on the Timer switch to reveal controls for setting a limit on how long the device can be used. Turn on the Touch switch to be able to select areas of the screen to make unresponsive, like navigation.

Open an app

With Guided Access made available, open the app you want to lock your toddler into. Guided Access settings are remembered per app, even after a restart, so you can disable different areas of the screen in–app.

Button options

As you enter Guided Access for the first time in an app, or when you triple–click again while in it, you can set options, such as choosing whether hardware buttons are responsive. The Home button is frozen by default.

End the session

Triple–click the Home button again to leave Guided Access and provide the passcode you entered during setup. From here, you have the choice of ending Guided Access, or changing settings and resuming.