What Guided Access does and when to use it

Guided Access locks your iPhone into a single app and disables everything else — the home button, side button, gestures, and other apps. Once it is on, a person using the phone cannot leave that app, adjust volume, take screenshots, or access settings without a passcode you set.

This is useful when you hand your phone to a child to use one app, when you want to prevent accidental touches during a presentation, or when someone with attention or impulse control needs a distraction-free environment. You can also disable specific parts of the screen — useful if an app has buttons you want to block.

Guided Access stays on until you turn it off with your passcode. It does not limit what the app itself can do, only what the person holding the phone can do outside that app.

Key Takeaways

  • Guided Access locks your iPhone to one app and requires a passcode to exit, making it useful for handing your phone to children or preventing accidental navigation.
  • You turn it on in Settings under Accessibility, then set up it by triple-pressing the side button (or home button on older iPhones) while the app is open.
  • You can disable specific areas of the screen by drawing circles or rectangles around buttons you want to block.
  • The person using the phone cannot exit Guided Access, adjust volume, or access other apps without entering your passcode.
  • Guided Access works on all iPhones and does not require an internet connection.

Turn on Guided Access in Settings

Open Settings and go to Accessibility. Scroll down and tap Guided Access. Toggle the switch next to Guided Access to turn it on.

You will see options for Passcode Settings and Display Auto-Lock. Tap Passcode Settings and choose Set Up Guided Access Passcode. Enter a four-digit or six-digit passcode, or use Face ID or Touch ID instead. This passcode is what you will need to exit Guided Access later, so use something you will remember but others will not guess.

If you want the screen to lock automatically after a period of time, adjust the Display Auto-Lock setting. The default is 15 minutes. This is optional — you can leave it off if you prefer to manually exit Guided Access.

Start Guided Access with an app open

Open the app you want to lock into. On iPhones with a home button (iPhone 8 and earlier), triple-press the home button. On iPhones with a side button (iPhone X and later), triple-press the side button. The Guided Access screen will appear.

You will see the app on screen with a menu at the bottom. This is your chance to disable parts of the screen before you hand the phone over. If you do not want to block any areas, skip to the next step and tap Start.

Once you tap Start, Guided Access is active. The person using the phone will see the app and nothing else. They cannot swipe home, access control center, or switch apps.

Block specific areas of the screen

Before you tap Start, you can circle or rectangle any part of the screen you want to disable. This is useful if an app has a settings button, a link to another app, or a close button you want to prevent accidental taps.

On the Guided Access menu, look for the circle or rectangle tool. Tap it, then draw around the area you want to block. You can draw multiple blocked areas on the same screen. Blocked areas will appear grayed out or highlighted.

You can also disable the keyboard, motion (tilting the phone), or the ability to type if the app does not need those features. These options appear in the menu before you start. Disabling them reduces the ways someone can accidentally exit or change what the app does.

Exit Guided Access

To stop Guided Access, triple-press the side button (or home button) again. You will be asked to enter your passcode. Once you do, Guided Access turns off and the person can use the phone normally again.

If you set up Display Auto-Lock, the screen will lock automatically after the time you chose, and Guided Access will remain on until someone enters the passcode to exit it.

Guided Access on older iPhones and iPads

If you have an iPhone 8 or earlier, the process is the same except you triple-press the home button instead of the side button. iPads also use Guided Access the same way — go to Accessibility, turn it on, open an app, and triple-press the home button or side button (depending on the model).

Older iPhones running iOS 12 or later support Guided Access. If your phone is older than that, you will not see the option in Accessibility settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone exit Guided Access without the passcode?

No. Once Guided Access is active, the only way out is to triple-press the button and enter the passcode. They cannot force-quit the app, restart the phone, or access settings. This is what makes it effective for preventing accidental or intentional navigation away from the app.

Does Guided Access work if the phone is locked?

No. You must unlock the phone first, open the app you want to lock into, then set up Guided Access. Once it is on, the phone will not lock unless you set Display Auto-Lock to a short time.

Can I use Guided Access with multiple apps?

No. Guided Access locks the phone to one app at a time. If you need to switch apps, you must exit Guided Access with your passcode, open the new app, and set up Guided Access again.

What happens if I forget my Guided Access passcode?

You will need to use your device passcode or Face ID to exit Guided Access. If you set up Guided Access to use Face ID or Touch ID, you can use those instead of typing a code. If you forget everything, you may need to restore the phone through a computer.

Does Guided Access prevent in-app purchases?

No. Guided Access only controls navigation and screen areas. It does not prevent purchases, downloads, or other actions within the app itself. If you want to block purchases, you need to adjust the app's own settings or use Screen Time on the phone's main settings.