Android · Apps
Lock the display to a single app until you unpin it
Screen Pinning locks the device to a single app's view, preventing access to the home screen, other apps, or notifications until the pin is manually released, useful for handing a phone to someone else or running a kiosk-style demo.
How to open Screen Pinning
- Open Settings
- Tap Security (or Security & privacy)
- Enable Screen pinning and choose whether to require unlock to unpin
- Open the app to pin, then open Recent Apps and tap its icon, then Pin
What you should know
- Pinned apps hide the recents and home buttons or require a gesture to unpin
- Can optionally require a PIN, pattern, or fingerprint to unpin
- Notifications can be hidden while an app is pinned
- Activated from the Recent Apps overview by tapping an app's icon
Why it matters
Handing a phone to a child to watch a video or to a stranger for a single task, like scanning a code or filling a form, carries the risk of them wandering into messages, photos, or settings; screen pinning removes that risk by physically locking navigation to just the one app in use. It's also the standard mechanism behind many point-of-sale, kiosk, and single-purpose device deployments built on Android.
Best practices
- Enable the unlock requirement for unpinning if handing the device to someone you don't fully trust with access to the rest of the phone
- Use screen pinning before letting a child play a game app to prevent accidental navigation to app stores or browsers
- Test the unpin gesture beforehand so you're not stuck if you forget it under a locked pin
- Combine with a dedicated guest user profile for longer-term lending rather than one-off pinning
Common problems and fixes
- Can't unpin the app
- Use the specific gesture or button combo shown when pinning started, typically holding back and overview together, or swipe up and hold
- Screen pinning option is missing from Recent Apps
- Enable it first from Settings > Security, since it must be turned on before it appears as an option
- Notifications still show while pinned
- Enable the 'hide sensitive notification content' or notification-blocking option within screen pinning settings
Tips and tricks
- Use screen pinning at demos or trade shows to keep a device locked to a single showcase app
- Require the unlock method to unpin whenever the device might be out of your sight momentarily
Frequently asked questions
Is screen pinning the same as guest mode?
No, guest mode creates a separate temporary user profile, while screen pinning locks the current session to one specific app.
Can calls still come through while pinned?
Yes, unless notifications are specifically hidden, incoming calls can still interrupt a pinned app.
Does pinning work in any app?
Yes, it works with virtually any app, since it's a system-level lock rather than an app-specific feature.
Related settings
- App InfoApp info is the dedicated settings page for a single installed app, showing its permissions, storage and cache usage, notification controls, battery behavior, and options to force stop, uninstall, or disable it.
- Multiple Users / Guest ModeMultiple users lets several people share one Android device while keeping separate apps, accounts, wallpapers, and settings in fully isolated profiles. Guest mode offers a lighter, temporary alternative for a one-off borrower, with everything discarded once that guest session ends.
More Apps guides for Android
- Apps & Default AppsThe Apps settings page lists every installed app along with its permissions, storage use, and battery impact, and lets you set which app opens automatically for tasks like browsing, messaging, or phone calls when more than one option is installed. This is also where you uninstall, disable, or force-stop an app directly.
- Special App AccessSpecial app access holds a set of sensitive, less-common permissions — like displaying over other apps, device admin access, or usage access — that aren't part of the normal runtime permission prompts.
- Unused AppsAndroid automatically detects apps you haven't opened in months and can revoke their runtime permissions or archive them — removing most of the app's files while keeping its icon and data so it can be quickly restored.
- Dual AppsDual apps (branded Dual Messenger on Samsung, App Cloner or Parallel Space on others) creates a second, independent instance of a supported app so you can stay signed into two accounts — like two WhatsApp numbers — on one phone at once.
- Notifications Per AppThis app-level screen lets you fine-tune notifications for one specific app, toggling individual notification channels such as promotions, messages, or reminders, and setting importance levels without affecting notifications from any other app.
- Permission ManagerPermission Manager organizes app permissions by category, such as Camera, Location, Microphone, and Contacts, so you can see and revoke access across all apps at once instead of checking each app individually.