What Guided Access Does and When to Use It

Guided Access locks your iPad to a single app and disables the Home button, gestures, and hardware buttons until you exit. Once it is on, a person using your iPad cannot switch apps, access settings, or use features you have not allowed. It is built into every iPad running iOS 6 or later.

Use Guided Access when you hand your iPad to someone else — a child, a patient, a customer — and want them to stay in one app. You set it up once, then turn it on and off with a passcode only you know. The person using the iPad sees no way to leave the app you chose.

Guided Access is different from parental controls. Parental controls restrict what apps and content a person can see across the whole device. Guided Access restricts them to one app right now, in this session. If you want to let someone use your iPad for a specific task without them wandering into email, photos, or settings, Guided Access is the tool.

Key Takeaways

  • Guided Access turns on in Settings under Accessibility, and you set a passcode that only you know before you can use it.
  • Once Guided Access is on, the person using your iPad stays in one app and cannot press Home, use gestures, or access hardware buttons unless you allow them.
  • You can draw circles on the screen to disable specific areas — useful if an app has buttons you do not want tapped.
  • To exit Guided Access, you swipe up from the bottom with three fingers and enter your passcode.
  • Guided Access works on any iPad and does not require a separate app or subscription.

How to Set Up Guided Access in Settings

Open Settings and tap Accessibility. Scroll down and tap Guided Access. Toggle the switch next to Guided Access to turn it on. You will see a message asking you to set a passcode.

Tap Set Up Passcode and enter a four-digit code twice. This passcode is what you will use to turn Guided Access off later — write it down or save it somewhere you will remember, because there is no way to reset it through Apple if you forget it. You can also use Face ID or Touch ID instead of typing a passcode each time, which is faster if you plan to use Guided Access often. Toggle Face ID or Touch ID on if you want that option.

You can also set a time limit for the session. Tap Time Limit and choose how long Guided Access should stay on before it automatically locks the screen. This is useful if you are handing the iPad to a child and want it to stop after 30 minutes. Leave it off if you want Guided Access to stay on until you manually turn it off.

How to Start a Guided Access Session

Open the app you want to lock the iPad to. Press the Home button three times quickly (or the side button three times on iPad Pro models without a Home button). Guided Access will open and show you the app with a blue border around the screen.

At this point, you can draw circles on the screen to disable specific areas. If the app has a settings button or a link you do not want the person to tap, circle it. Anything you circle will not respond to touches. You can circle multiple areas. If you do not need to disable any areas, skip this step.

Tap Start in the top right corner. Enter your passcode (or use Face ID or Touch ID if you set that up). Guided Access is now on. The person using the iPad can only interact with the app and the areas you did not circle. The Home button, Control Center, and all gestures are disabled.

Disabling Specific Screen Areas and Features

Before you tap Start, you can circle any part of the screen you want to disable. Draw a circle around a button, a link, or any area you do not want touched. The circled area will turn gray and will not respond when tapped.

You can also toggle off specific features at the bottom of the Guided Access screen. Tap the icons to disable Motion (which prevents tilting or shaking the iPad), Keyboards (which prevents typing), Dictionary (which prevents looking up words), and Undo/Redo (which prevents undoing actions). These toggles are useful if you want to lock down what the person can do within the app itself.

If you make a mistake while circling, tap the circle you drew and it will disappear. You can redraw it or leave that area enabled. Once you are satisfied, tap Start and enter your passcode.

Exiting Guided Access

To turn off Guided Access, swipe up from the bottom of the screen with three fingers. A menu will appear asking you to end the session. Tap End Session and enter your passcode (or use Face ID or Touch ID). Guided Access will turn off and the person will see the normal iPad interface again.

If you set a time limit, Guided Access will automatically lock the screen when the time runs out. The person using the iPad will see a message that the session has ended, and you will need to enter your passcode to unlock it and start a new session if you want.

Common Situations Where Guided Access Helps

If you are giving your iPad to a young child to watch a video or use a drawing app, Guided Access keeps them from accidentally closing the app or opening something else. Circle any buttons that might confuse them, like a settings icon or an ad, and they will not be able to tap them.

If you are in a retail setting and want to let a customer see a product catalog or price list on your iPad, Guided Access keeps them from browsing other apps or accessing your email and photos. Start a session with the catalog app, and they can only look at what you intended to show.

If you are in a medical or educational setting and need someone to complete a task or assessment in a specific app without distraction, Guided Access prevents them from switching apps or using the device for anything else. You can even disable the keyboard if the task does not require typing.

Troubleshooting Guided Access Problems

If the three-finger swipe does not work to exit Guided Access, make sure you are swiping from the very bottom of the screen upward. On newer iPad models, the gesture is the same as opening Control Center, so it must start at the bottom edge. If it still does not work, try swiping again or use a different part of the bottom edge.

If you forget your Guided Access passcode, you will need to reset your iPad through Settings. Go to Settings > General > Reset and tap Erase All Content and Settings. This will erase everything on your iPad, so only do this if you have a backup. There is no other way to bypass a forgotten Guided Access passcode.

If Guided Access is not appearing when you press the Home button three times, make sure it is turned on in Settings. Go back to Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access and check that the toggle is on. Also make sure you are pressing the button three times quickly — a slow triple-press may not trigger it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone exit Guided Access without the passcode?

No. Guided Access is designed so that only someone who knows the passcode can end the session. The three-finger swipe will bring up the end session menu, but it requires your passcode to actually exit. This is what makes it effective for keeping someone in one app.

Does Guided Access work on all iPad models?

Yes. Guided Access is built into every iPad running iOS 6 or later. It works the same way on iPad Air, iPad Pro, iPad mini, and standard iPad models. The only difference is that iPad Pro models without a Home button use the side button instead — press it three times to start Guided Access.

Can I use Guided Access with parental controls at the same time?

Yes. You can turn on both. Parental controls restrict what apps and content are available across the whole device, and Guided Access locks the device to one app in a specific session. Using both gives you more control — parental controls set the boundaries, and Guided Access enforces them in the moment.

What happens if the iPad battery dies while Guided Access is on?

When the iPad turns back on, Guided Access will still be active. You will need to enter your passcode to exit it. This is why it is important to remember your passcode — if the device dies and you cannot unlock it, you will be stuck in Guided Access mode until you can enter the code.

Can I circle an area and then unblock it later in the same session?

No. Once you start a Guided Access session, the areas you circled stay disabled for the entire session. If you need to unblock an area, you have to exit Guided Access, start a new session, and not circle that area. Plan your circles carefully before you tap Start.