How to lock iPhone to one app with Guided Access

With Guided Access, you can temporarily restrict iPhone to a single app. This can be useful for parents, teachers, and caregivers, or when you want to stay focused on a task. You can set a time limit, and customize which features, hardware buttons, and areas of the screen are available.

You decide how a session ends, too. You can end a Guided Access session with a passcode, or with Face ID or Touch ID.

Here’s how to lock iPhone to one app with Guided Access.

Set up Guided Access

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Accessibility, tap Guided Access, and turn on Guided Access.
3. Do any of the following for Guided Access sessions:
   • End a session with a passcode: Tap Passcode Settings, tap Set Guided Access Passcode, and enter a passcode.
   • End a session with Face ID or Touch ID: Tap Passcode Settings. Turn on Face ID (on an iPhone with Face ID) or Touch ID (on other iPhone models).
   • Play a sound to announce time limits: Tap Time Limits, tap Sound, and then select a sound or tap Tone Store to browse other options.
   • Hear time limits spoken: Tap Time Limits. Turn on Speak to hear the time remaining before a Guided Access session ends.
   • Allow Accessibility Shortcut during a session: Turn on Accessibility Shortcut.
   • Set how long it takes iPhone to lock automatically: Tap Display Auto-Lock, then select an option.

Start a Guided Access session

1. Go to the app you want to use.
2. To turn on Guided Access, do one of the following:
   • Siri: Ask Siri something like, “Turn on Guided Access.”
   • Use Control Center if you’ve added Guided Access there.
   • Use the Accessibility Shortcut.
3. Circle any areas of the screen you want to disable. Drag the mask into position or use the handles to adjust its size.
4. Tap Session Settings and then turn on or off any of the following:
   • Side Button
   • Volume Buttons
   • Motion (to prevent iPhone from switching from portrait to landscape or from responding to other motions)
   • Software Keyboards
   • Touch
   • Time Limit
5. Tap Done and tap Start.

Important: Crash Detection and Emergency Services aren’t available while using Guided Access. Exit Guided Access to use Crash Detection or to make emergency calls.

End a Guided Access session

To end a Guided Access session, you’ll enter your Guided Access passcode or use Face ID, depending on which passcode options you chose when you set up Guided Access.

• Use the passcode: Triple-click the side button (on an iPhone with Face ID) or Home button (on other iPhone models), then enter your Guided Access passcode.
• Use Face ID or Touch ID: If you turned on the Face ID or Touch ID option in Guided Access Passcode Settings, triple-click the side button or Home button, then unlock your iPhone with Face ID or Touch ID (depending on your iPhone model).