Guided Access is a powerful feature that allows you to lock your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch into a single app, giving you precise control over which features are accessible. This is particularly useful when lending your device to a child, or when you want to minimize distractions from accidental gestures. This guide will walk you through How To Guide Access step by step.
Setting Up Guided Access
Before you can use Guided Access, you’ll need to enable it in your device’s settings:
- Navigate to Settings > Accessibility, and then toggle Guided Access to the on position.
- Tap Passcode Settings, followed by Set Guided Access Passcode.
- Enter a new passcode, and then re-enter it to confirm. This passcode will be required to exit a Guided Access session. You can also enable Face ID or Touch ID here, providing an alternative way to end a session.
Starting a Guided Access Session
Once Guided Access is set up, you can initiate a session in any app:
- Open the specific app you want to lock the device into.
- Triple-click the Side button (on iPhone X or later) or the Home button (on iPhone 8 or earlier).
- Optional: If you want to disable touch input on certain areas of the screen, use a single finger to draw circles around those areas. You can reposition or resize these circles, or tap the “X” to remove them.
- Tap Guided Access, then tap Start.
ios13-iphone-xs-settings-accessibility-guided-access-safari
Example of setting up guided access through the accessibility settings on an iPhone.
Alternatively, you can use Siri to start a Guided Access session*. Open the desired app, and then simply say, “Turn on Guided Access.”
*Siri functionality may vary depending on your country or region.
Customizing Available Features
Guided Access provides several options for customizing which features are available during a session:
- To disable features or set a time limit, triple-click the Side or Home button, then tap Options. If you don’t see Options, triple-click the Side or Home button again and enter your passcode.
- Toggle the desired options to on or off, and then tap Done.
The available options include:
Sleep/Wake Button: Disable the Sleep/Wake button to prevent the device from being put to sleep.
Volume Buttons: Deactivate the volume buttons.
Visual representation of the volume buttons setting in guided access.
Motion: Restrict the device’s response to motion. For example, the screen will not rotate, and shaking the device will have no effect.
Keyboards: Disable the keyboard from appearing on screen.
Icon depicting the keyboards option within guided access settings.
Touch: Disable all touch input on the screen.
Dictionary Lookup: Enable or disable the Look Up feature when selecting text.
The dictionary lookup icon, representing the ability to define selected text in guided access.
Time Limit: Set a time limit for the Guided Access session.
Ending a Guided Access Session
To exit a Guided Access session:
Triple-click the Side or Home button, enter your Guided Access passcode, and then tap End. Alternatively, if you enabled Touch ID or Face ID for Guided Access, double-click the Side or Home button.
Guided Access provides a simple yet effective method for restricting device usage, whether for accessibility, child safety, or distraction management. By following these simple steps, you can easily master how to guide access.
