If you have ever handed out your iPad or iPhone to a toddler to keep them entertained as you do something else, you are probably aware just how easily their little fingers can open up other apps and navigate in to all types of settings they shouldn’t be messing with.
It’s a good thing that Apple has included a feature in iOS called “Guided Access”, which allows you to ‘childproof’ or keep your device locked in to a single app and control which features are available.
See the steps below on how to enable Guided Access on your iPad and iPhone:
- Open the Settings app on your iPad or iPhone.
- Select Accessibility.
- Scroll down to “General” and select Guided Access.
- Tap the switch next to Guided Access to toggle it to the green ON position and reveal more options.
- If you use any other accessibility options, turn on the switch next to Accessibility Shortcut so that you can access them when Guided Access is active, using a triple-click of the Home button or Side button (depending on your device).
- Tap Passcode Settings, then tap Set Guided Access Passcode to set a special passcode for exiting the feature. Optionally, turn on the toggle next to Face ID or Touch ID (depending on your device) if you want to be able to use biometric authentication to exit Guided Access.
How to use Guided Access on your iPad or iPhone:
- Launch the app that you want to limit access to.
- If your device has a Home button, triple-click it to enter the Guided Access initialization screen. If your device has Face ID in lieu of a Home button, triple-click the Side button instead.
- The screen area will appear within a frame. If you want to make certain parts of the screen inaccessible, simply circle them using your finger.
- Tap Options in the bottom-left corner, then use the switches to control access to the Side Button, Volume Buttons, Motion, Keyboards, Touch, or to set a Time Limit. For example, to prevent the video (and audio) from being disrupted by little fingers, we would disable Side Button, Volume, and Touch by toggling off the associated switches.
- Tap Done.
- Tap Start at the top-right corner of the screen to activate Guided Access proper. A banner will shortly appear on the screen advising you that the feature is active.
Now that Guided Access is active, the only way to leave the app is by double-clicking the Side button to activate Face ID, or by triple-clicking the Side/Home button and entering the pre-set passcode.
With this, you can now leave your little ones to play their favorite game or watch their favorite programs, and no longer worry about the possibility of them being able to accidentally delete your email account, call a random number, or do anything they’re not supposed to.
Image: PhysiciansNews.com