How do I enable guided access in settings?

Open the Settings app on the iPad. Tap Accessibility, then scroll down to the "General" section at the bottom and tap Guided Access. Tap the toggle to turn Guided Access on. This does not start Guided Access yet — it just enables the feature so you can use it when needed.

How do I open the app you want to lock?

Navigate to and open the specific app you want to lock the iPad to. For example, if you want to lock the iPad to a reading app, open that reading app now. Guided Access will lock to whatever app is currently open on the screen. Make sure the app is fully loaded before you start Guided Access.

How do I start a guided access session?

With the desired app open, triple-click the Side button (the button on the right edge of modern iPads) or the Home button (on older iPads with a circular button at the bottom). A Guided Access screen will appear with options. Tap "Start" in the upper right corner. The app is now locked. The side or Home button will no longer switch apps — it will instead prompt for the Guided Access passcode.

How do I set an optional time limit?

On the Guided Access start screen (before tapping Start), tap "Options" in the lower left. You will see a toggle for "Time Limit." Turn it on and set the number of minutes you want — for example, 30 minutes. When the time is up, the iPad will play a sound and then lock. The child cannot continue using the app without you entering the passcode.

How do I end the guided access session?

To exit Guided Access, triple-click the Side button or Home button. You will be prompted to enter the Guided Access passcode. After entering it correctly, tap "End" in the upper left corner. The iPad returns to normal and all buttons and functions work as usual. You can then navigate to a different app or hand the iPad back to the child starting a new session.

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Guided Access is a built-in iPad and iPhone feature that locks the device to a single app. While Guided Access is running, the person using the device cannot press the Home button to leave the app, cannot switch to a different app, and cannot access any settings or other content. The only way to exit is to triple-click the side (or Home) button and enter the Guided Access passcode.

Parents use Guided Access when they hand their child the iPad to use a specific app — an educational game, a drawing app, a reading app, or a video call with grandparents. Without Guided Access, a young child can easily wander into YouTube, the Settings app, or accidentally delete something. With it on, they stay exactly where you put them.

Guided Access also has two additional features that are very useful. First, you can draw over parts of the screen to disable specific areas — for example, you could block the ads banner in a free app by drawing over where it appears. Second, you can set a time limit so that Guided Access automatically ends after a certain number of minutes, at which point the iPad locks and the child cannot continue without the passcode.

Guided Access is available on all iPhones and iPads running iOS 6 or later — which means virtually every device currently in use supports it. It does not require any additional apps or subscriptions.

It is also useful for accessibility purposes — for example, handing someone with dementia an iPad with a photo album app locked in so they can browse photos without accidentally making changes.