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iPad User Guide

Lock iPad to one app with Guided Access

With Guided Access, you can temporarily restrict iPad to a single app. This can be useful when you let a child use your iPad 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 iPad screen showing Guided Access being set up. iPad is being temporarily locked to just the Calculator app, and one of the buttons in the app has been disabled.

Set up Guided Access

  1. Go to the Settings 👁 Image
     app on your iPad.

  2. Tap Accessibility, tap Guided Access, then turn on Guided Access.

  3. 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 iPad with Face ID) or Touch ID (on other iPad 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 iPad to lock automatically: Tap Display Auto-Lock, then select an option.

Start a Guided Access session

  1. Open the app you want to use.

  2. To turn on Guided Access, do one of the following:

    Siri: Ask Siri something like, “Turn on Guided Access.” Learn how to use Siri.

  3. Circle any areas of the screen you want to disable. Drag the mask into position or use the handles to adjust its size.

  4. Tap Session Settings, then turn on or off any of the following:

    • Top Button

    • Volume Buttons

    • Motion (to prevent iPad from switching from portrait to landscape or from responding to other motions)

    • Software Keyboards

    • Touch

    • Time Limit

  5. Tap Done, then tap Start.

End a Guided Access session

Depending on the passcode options you chose when you set up Guided Access, you’ll enter your Guided Access passcode or use Face ID to end a Guided Access session.

  • Use the passcode: Triple-click the top button (on an iPad with Face ID) or Home button (on other iPad models), then enter your Guided Access passcode.

  • Use Face ID or Touch ID: If you turned on the Face ID or Touch ID option in Guided Access Passcode Settings, triple-click the top button or Home button, then unlock your iPad with Face ID or Touch ID (depending on your iPad model).

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

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