Childproof iOS devices

Lock your device into an app to minimize small–fingered mischief

Anyone in regular contact with a small child will know the rather magnetic way in which they are attracted to phones and tablets.

Whatever the wisdom of handing a toddler $500–worth of aluminum and glass, there’s no denying the ability of a game or video to keep the little ones quiet for at least the time it takes to mix and consume a gin and tonic.

What you really want, however, is a way to prevent inquisitive fingers from hitting the Home button and going on a spending spree in a shopping app, or firing up Breaking Bad when they should be coloring in a flower or watching an episode of My Little Pony.

The way to do this is to invoke iOS’s Guided Access mode. It limits the device to a single app, which must be running before Guided Access is activated, and enables you to choose which inputs are allowed.

The mode has uses beyond giving your iPad to your kids — it can help you concentrate, removing the urge to constantly check Twitter 15 times an hour by putting up an extra barrier, or it can be used to freeze out an area of screen you keep touching by mistake.