Lock iPhone to one app with Guided Access (original) (raw)

Select version:

Modifying this control will update this page automatically

iPhone User Guide

Welcome
- - iPhone models compatible with iOS 26
- Setup basics
- Make your iPhone your own
- Take great photos and videos
- Keep in touch with friends and family
- Share features with your family
- Use iPhone for your daily routines
- Expert advice from Apple Support
What’s new in iOS 26
- Turn on and set up iPhone
- Wake, unlock, and lock
- Set up cellular service
- View or change cellular data settings
- Use Dual SIM
- Connect to the internet
- - Sign in and manage your Apple Account
    - Use iCloud
    - Subscribe to iCloud+
- Find settings
- Set up mail, contacts, and calendar accounts
- Learn the meaning of iPhone status icons
- - Charge the battery
- - Learn basic gestures
    - Learn gestures for iPhone models with Face ID
- Adjust the volume
- Turn the iPhone flashlight on or off
- Silence iPhone
- - Open apps
- Multitask with Picture in Picture
- Access features from the Lock Screen
- View Live Activities in the Dynamic Island
- Perform quick actions
- Search on iPhone
- Get information about your iPhone
- Manage storage on iPhone
- Travel with iPhone
- Change sounds and vibrations
- Use and customize the Action button
- Create a custom Lock Screen
- - Add an app
- Change the wallpaper
- Use and customize Control Center
- Record audio and video
- Adjust the screen brightness and color balance
- Keep the iPhone display on longer
- Use StandBy
- Customize the text size and zoom setting
- Change the name of your iPhone
- Change the date and time
- Change the language and region
- Change the default apps
- Change your default search engine
- Rotate your iPhone screen
- - View and respond to notifications
- Customize sharing options
- - Type with the onscreen keyboard
- Add or change keyboards
- Add emoji, Memoji, and stickers
- - Take a screenshot
    - Take a screen recording
    - Change the screen capture settings
- - Write and draw in documents
    - Add text, shapes, stickers, and more
- Fill out forms, sign documents, and create signatures
- Interact with content in a photo or video
- Identify objects in your photos and videos
- Lift a subject from the photo background
- - Camera basics
- Use the Camera Control
- Use the Camera Control to open another app
- Adjust the shutter volume
- Adjust HDR camera settings
- Record a video
- Take spatial photos and record spatial videos for Apple Vision Pro
- Change sound recording options
- Record ProRes video
- Record video in Cinematic mode
- Change video recording settings
- Save camera settings
- Customize the Main camera lens
- Change advanced camera settings
- View, share, and print photos
- Use Live Text
- Scan a QR code
- - Get apps
- - Buy books and audiobooks
- - Get started with Calculator
- - Create and edit events in Calendar
- - See the world clock
- Compass
- - Add and use contact information
- - Get started with FaceTime
- - Files basics
- - - Share your location
      * Meet up with a friend
      * Send your location via satellite
      * Add or remove a friend
      * Locate a friend
      * Get notified when friends change their location
      * Notify a friend when your location changes
- - Get started with Fitness
- - Get started with Freeform
- - Get started with the Apple Games app
- - Get started with Health
- - Intro to Home
- - Get music
    - Get ringtones
    - Manage purchases and settings
- - Get started
- - Magnify or describe things around you
    - Customize controls
    - - Detect people around you
        * Detect furniture around you
        * Detect doors around you
        * Detect text around you and have it read out loud
        * Set up shortcuts for Live Recognition
- - - Add and remove email accounts
      * Set up a custom email domain
- - Get started with Maps
- - Measure dimensions
- - Get started with Messages
- - Get started with Music
- - Get started with News
- - Get started with Notes
- - Use passwords
- - Make a call
- - Get started with Photos
- - Get started with Podcasts on iPhone
- - Get started with Preview on iPhone
- - Get started with Reminders
- - Get started with Safari
- Shortcuts
- - Check stocks
- Tips
- - Translate text, voice, and conversations
- - Subscribe to Apple TV+, MLS Season Pass, or a channel
- - Make a recording
- - About Apple Wallet
- - Check the weather
- How to use Siri
- - Get information with Siri
- Turn on and activate Siri
- - Tell Siri about yourself
- Intro to Apple Intelligence
- Translate messages, calls, and conversations
- Use visual intelligence
- Create original images with Image Playground
- Create your own emoji with Genmoji
- Use Image Wand with Apple Intelligence
- Use Apple Intelligence with Siri
- Find the right words with Writing Tools
- Use ChatGPT with Apple Intelligence
- Summarize notifications and reduce interruptions
- - Use Apple Intelligence in Mail
- Apple Intelligence and privacy
- Block access to Apple Intelligence features
- Contact emergency services
- Set up and view your Medical ID
- Use Emergency SOS via satellite
- Request Roadside Assistance via satellite
- Use Check In
- Manage Crash Detection
- Reset privacy and security settings in an emergency
- Set up Family Sharing
- Add Family Sharing members
- Remove Family Sharing members
- Share subscriptions
- Share purchases
- Share locations with family and locate lost devices
- Set up Apple Cash Family and Apple Card Family
- Set up parental controls
- Set up a child’s device
- Share a child’s age range with apps
- Get started with Screen Time
- Protect your vision health with Screen Distance
- Create, manage, and keep track of a Screen Time passcode
- Set schedules with Screen Time
- Block apps, app downloads, websites, and purchases
- Block calls and messages with Screen Time
- Check for sensitive images and videos
- Set up Screen Time for a family member
- Respond to a Screen Time request
- Charging cable
- Power adapters
- MagSafe chargers and battery packs
- Qi-certified wireless chargers
- - Use AirPods
    - Use EarPods
- Apple Watch
- - Wirelessly stream videos and photos to Apple TV or a smart TV
    - Connect to a display with a cable
- HomePod and other wireless speakers
- - Pair Magic Keyboard
- External storage devices
- Connect Bluetooth accessories
- Play audio from your iPhone on a Bluetooth accessory
- Printers
- Intro to Continuity
- Use AirDrop to send items to nearby devices
- Hand off tasks between devices
- Control your iPhone from your Mac
- Copy and paste between devices
- Stream video and audio from your iPhone
- Allow phone calls and text messages on your iPad and Mac
- Share your internet connection
- Use iPhone as a webcam
- Insert sketches, photos, and scans on Mac
- Start SharePlay instantly
- Connect iPhone and your computer with a cable
- Transfer files between devices
- Intro to CarPlay
- Connect to CarPlay
- Use your vehicle’s built-in controls
- Get turn-by-turn directions
- Report traffic incidents
- Change the map view
- View Live Activities
- Customize widgets
- Make phone calls
- Play music
- View your calendar
- Send and receive text messages
- Announce incoming text messages
- Play podcasts
- Play audiobooks
- Listen to news stories
- Control your home
- Use other apps with CarPlay
- Rearrange icons on CarPlay Home
- Change settings in CarPlay
- Get started with accessibility features
- Use accessibility features during setup
- Change Siri accessibility settings
- Quickly turn accessibility features on or off
- Share your Accessibility settings with another device
- - Overview of accessibility features for vision
- - Turn on and practice VoiceOver
- - Overview of accessibility features for mobility
- - Overview of accessibility features for hearing
- - Overview of accessibility features for speech
- - Overview of cognitive accessibility features
    - Lock iPhone to one app
- Control what you share
- - Set a passcode
    - Set up Face ID
    - Set up Touch ID
- Turn on Lock Screen features
- Block contacts
- Keep your Apple Account secure
- - Manage information sharing with Safety Check
- Create and manage Hide My Email addresses
- Protect your web browsing with iCloud Private Relay
- Use a private network address
- Use Advanced Data Protection
- Use Lockdown Mode
- Use Stolen Device Protection
- Receive warnings about sensitive content
- Use Contact Key Verification
- Turn iPhone on or off
- Force restart iPhone
- Update iOS
- Back up iPhone
- Reset iPhone settings
- Erase iPhone
- Restore all content from a backup
- Restore purchased and deleted items
- Sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone
- Install or remove configuration profiles
- Important safety information
- Important handling information
- Find more resources for software and service
- FCC compliance statement
- ISED Canada compliance statement
- Ultra Wideband information
- Class 1 Laser information
- Apple and the environment
- Disposal and recycling information
- Unauthorized modification of iOS
Copyright and trademarks

With Guided Access, you can temporarily restrict iPhone to a single app. This can be useful when you let a child use your iPhone or when you want to stay focused on a task. You can set a time limit, and customize which features, hardware buttons, and areas of the screen are available.

An iPhone screen showing Guided Access being set up. iPhone is being temporarily locked to just the Calculator app, and one of the buttons in the app has been disabled.

Set up Guided Access

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access, then turn on Guided Access.
Do any of the following for Guided Access sessions:
- End a session with a passcode: Tap Passcode Settings, tap Set Guided Access Passcode, then enter a passcode.
- End a session with Face ID or Touch ID: Tap Passcode Settings, then turn on Face ID (on an iPhone with Face ID) or Touch ID (on other iPhone models).
- Play a sound to announce time limits: Tap Time Limits, tap Sound, then select a sound or tap Tone Store to browse other options.
- Hear time limits spoken: Tap Time Limits, then turn on Speak to hear the time remaining before a Guided Access session ends.
- Allow Accessibility Shortcut during a session: Turn on Accessibility Shortcut.
- Set how long it takes iPhone to lock automatically: Tap Display Auto-Lock, then select an option.

Start a Guided Access session

Go to the app you want to use.
To turn on Guided Access, do one of the following:
- Use Control Center if you’ve added Guided Access there.
- Use the Accessibility Shortcut.
Circle any areas of the screen you want to disable. Drag the mask into position or use the handles to adjust its size.
Tap Options, then turn on or off any of the following:
- Side Button
- Volume Buttons
- Motion (to prevent iPhone from switching from portrait to landscape or from responding to other motions)
- Software Keyboards
- Touch
- Time Limit
Tap Start.

Important: Crash Detection and Emergency Services aren’t available while using Guided Access. Exit Guided Access to use Crash Detection or to make emergency calls.

End a Guided Access session

Depending on the passcode options you chose when you set up Guided Access, do any of the following:

Use the passcode: Triple-click the side button (on an iPhone with Face ID) or Home button (on other iPhone models), then enter the Guided Access passcode. If you didn’t set a Guided Access passcode, enter your iPhone passcode.
Use Face ID or Touch ID: If you turned on the Face ID or Touch ID option in Guided Access Passcode Settings, double-click the side button or Home button, then unlock your iPhone with Face ID or Touch ID (depending on your iPhone model).

To set up an iPhone with a simplified interface and a customizable set of core features, see the Assistive Access User Guide.

Please don’t include any personal information in your comment.

Maximum character limit is 250.

Thanks for your feedback.