Guided Access is a powerful accessibility feature on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch that lets you focus on a single task by limiting your device to one app and controlling which features are available. Whether you’re lending your iPhone to a child, or need to minimize distractions for yourself, Guided Access offers a customizable solution. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to effectively use Guided Access on your iOS device.
Setting Up Guided Access on Your iPhone
Before you can start using Guided Access, you’ll need to set it up in your iPhone’s settings. Here’s how to do it:
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Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
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Scroll down and tap on Accessibility.
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Find and select Guided Access under the “General” section.
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Toggle the Guided Access switch to the green “on” position.
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Tap on Passcode Settings.
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Select Set Guided Access Passcode.
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Enter a passcode that you will use to end Guided Access, and then re-enter it to confirm.
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Optionally, you can enable Face ID or Touch ID as an alternative way to end a Guided Access session for quicker access.
Starting a Guided Access Session
Once Guided Access is set up, starting a session is quick and easy. Follow these steps:
- Open the app that you intend to use with Guided Access. For example, if you want to lock your iPhone to a specific educational game for your child, open that game.
- Activate Guided Access by triple-clicking the Side button (on iPhone X and later) or the Home button (on iPhone 8 and earlier).
- (Optional) To disable touch input in specific areas of the screen, use your finger to draw circles around those areas. You can adjust the size and position of these circles, or tap the “X” to remove them. This is particularly useful to prevent accidental taps on ads or settings buttons within an app.
- Tap Guided Access in the bottom left corner of the screen, then tap Start in the top right corner to begin the session.
Alternatively, you can use Siri to start Guided Access. Simply open the desired app and say “Turn on Guided Access.”
Customizing Guided Access Features
Guided Access is highly customizable, allowing you to control various hardware buttons and screen interactions. To access these options:
- Triple-click the Side or Home button to bring up the Guided Access options screen.
- If prompted, enter your Guided Access passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID.
- Tap Options in the bottom left corner. Here you will find a range of toggles to customize the session:
Sleep/Wake Button: Disable the Sleep/Wake button to prevent the device from being turned off during a Guided Access session.
Volume Buttons: Turn off the volume buttons to lock the volume at a set level and prevent accidental volume changes.
Icon representing volume controls, part of Guided Access customizable features.
Motion: Limit the device’s response to motion. Disabling motion prevents screen rotation and shaking gestures from having any effect, ensuring the content stays fixed in one orientation.
Keyboards: Disable the keyboard from appearing. This is useful if the Guided Access session is intended for viewing content only and you want to prevent any text input.
Keyboard icon, illustrating the option to disable keyboard input in Guided Access.
Touch: Completely disable touch input on the screen. This is useful for displaying information without allowing any interaction, essentially turning your iPhone into a display-only device for the selected app.
Dictionary Lookup: Enable or disable the “Look Up” feature when text is selected. If enabled, users can still access dictionary definitions within the app, even under Guided Access.
Dictionary icon, showing the option for enabling or disabling dictionary lookup during Guided Access.
Time Limit: Set a time limit for the Guided Access session. Once the time limit is reached, the session will automatically end, and the device will be locked.
After selecting your desired options, tap Done in the top right corner to save your settings and resume the Guided Access session.
Ending a Guided Access Session
To exit Guided Access and regain full control of your iPhone:
- Triple-click the Side or Home button.
- Enter your Guided Access passcode. If you enabled Face ID or Touch ID, you can use those instead.
- Tap End in the top left corner of the screen.
Guided Access is an invaluable tool for parents, educators, and anyone needing focused device usage. By mastering its settings, you can ensure a safer and more controlled iPhone experience.
