iPhone (iOS) · Accessibility
Lock iPhone Into a Single App Session
Guided Access temporarily restricts iPhone to one app and lets you disable specific screen areas, hardware buttons, or gestures, helping someone stay focused or preventing accidental exits.
How to open Guided Access
- Open Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access
- Toggle Guided Access on and set a Passcode Settings
- Open the app you want to restrict
- Triple-click the side or Home button to start a session
- Adjust Options, then tap Start; triple-click again and enter the passcode to end
What you should know
- Started with a triple-click of the side or Home button once enabled
- Can disable touch on specific screen regions by circling them
- Supports a time limit that ends the session automatically
- Ends with a passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID to prevent unauthorized exit
Why it matters
Guided Access is widely used for individuals with attention-related or cognitive disabilities who benefit from staying within a single task, as well as by parents handing a phone to a young child, and by businesses running kiosk-style demo devices. Locking navigation gestures and specific buttons prevents accidental exits or purchases that could otherwise interrupt an activity or create unwanted charges. It's a lightweight alternative to full mobile device management for single-purpose use cases.
Best practices
- Set a session time limit for structured, focused activities
- Circle interactive areas like in-app purchase buttons to disable them during a session
- Use a passcode distinct from the device unlock code when handing the phone to a child
- Turn off Sleep/Wake button and volume buttons for kiosk-style deployments
Common problems and fixes
- Can't exit a Guided Access session
- Triple-click the side or Home button and enter the Guided Access passcode, or use Face ID/Touch ID if enabled
- Triple-click doesn't start Guided Access
- Confirm Guided Access is enabled under Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access
- Forgot the Guided Access passcode
- Restart the device or use Face ID/Touch ID at the end screen; as a last resort restore may be required
Tips and tricks
- Use Guided Access during video calls with children to prevent them from navigating away
- Combine with a Screen Time downtime schedule for layered restriction during specific hours
Frequently asked questions
Can Guided Access disable specific gestures?
Yes, under Options you can disable Touch, Motion, Keyboards, and more.
Does Guided Access work with any app?
Yes, it restricts the currently open app regardless of which one it is.
Can I set it to end automatically?
Yes, a Time Limit can be set to end the session and lock the screen after a set duration.
Related settings
- Accessibility SettingsAccessibility settings on iPhone include VoiceOver screen reading, Zoom magnification, Voice Control, and many vision, hearing, mobility, and cognitive features.
- Screen Time & FamilyScreen Time shows how you (or your family) use your devices and lets you set app limits, downtime schedules, and content restrictions — especially useful when set up through Family Sharing for a child's device.
- Sign-In & SecuritySign-In & Security is where you change your Apple ID password, view your two-factor authentication trusted phone numbers, and manage which devices are trusted to approve sign-ins.
More Accessibility guides for iPhone (iOS)
- Language & RegionLanguage & Region controls which language iOS displays system-wide, plus region-specific formatting for calendars, number separators, measurement units, and temperature — separate settings that don't have to match each other.
- VoiceOverVoiceOver is iOS's gesture-based screen reader that describes aloud everything on screen — text, buttons, images — letting blind and low-vision users navigate the entire iPhone by touch and sound instead of sight.
- MagnifierMagnifier uses the iPhone's camera to magnify nearby text, objects, or your surroundings in real time, with added tools like Detection Mode for identifying people, doors, and objects for users with low vision.
- Voice ControlVoice Control lets you navigate and operate nearly all of iOS — opening apps, tapping buttons, dictating text, scrolling — entirely by speaking commands, built for users who can't or prefer not to use touch input.
- Switch ControlSwitch Control lets people operate iPhone using one or more adaptive switches, the screen, or a camera instead of direct touch, scanning through items on screen until the desired one is selected.
- AssistiveTouchAssistiveTouch places a customizable floating button on screen that opens a menu for performing gestures, hardware button actions, and multitasking without needing to touch the physical buttons or use multi-finger gestures.