To lock an iPad to one app for a classroom activity, turn on Guided Access in Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access and set an exit passcode. Then open the app students will use, triple-click the top button, mark off any screen areas they shouldn’t touch, and tap Start. Guided Access is built into iPadOS, so there is nothing to install. Apple describes it this way: “With Guided Access, you can temporarily restrict iPad to a single app.”
The steps below cover the one-time setup, how to start and end a session, and which controls to restrict. They also explain when a school should use managed testing tools instead.
Before you start
- An iPad running a current iPadOS version. Menu labels can differ slightly between versions.
- The app for the activity, already installed.
- A passcode you will remember, or Face ID or Touch ID set up on the device, so you can end the session.
Step 1: Turn on Guided Access and set the exit method
- Open Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access and turn Guided Access on.
- Tap Passcode Settings, then Set Guided Access Passcode. Enter a passcode and confirm it.
- Optionally, switch on Face ID (iPads with Face ID) or Touch ID (other models) as an alternative way to end a session.
- Optionally, set a time-limit sound or spoken announcement, choose how the Accessibility Shortcut behaves, and set Display Auto-Lock.
If the iPad is shared between teachers, make sure the responsible adult knows the passcode or the authentication method. A session nobody can end is the most common way this feature goes wrong.
Step 2: Start a session for an activity
- Open the app students will use, and go to the screen they should start on.
- Triple-click the top button. On an older iPad with a Home button, triple-click Home instead. If an Accessibility Shortcuts panel appears, choose Guided Access.
- Block parts of the screen if needed. Circle any region students shouldn’t be able to tap, such as a store button, a settings icon or a link out of the lesson. Drag the mask to move it or use its handles to resize it.
- Tap Options (Session Settings) and choose only the controls that suit the activity (see the table below).
- Tap Done, then Start.
If you have used Guided Access in that app before, the session may start with the earlier settings. Check the masks and options each time before you hand the iPad over, especially if the new activity differs from the last one.
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Choosing session controls
| Setting | What it does | Classroom use |
|---|---|---|
| Top Button | Controls the top (sleep/wake) button | Disable it to stop students putting the iPad to sleep or locking it mid-task. |
| Volume Buttons | Controls the physical volume buttons | Disable them for silent work or to stop students changing audio levels. |
| Motion | Controls response to device movement | Disable it for activities where tilting or shaking the iPad could disrupt the app. |
| Software Keyboards | Allows or blocks the on-screen keyboard | Block it for tap-only activities. Keep it on for writing tasks. |
| Touch | Allows or ignores all screen touches | Leave it on for any interactive activity. With Touch off, every tap is ignored. Use that only for passive viewing. |
| Time Limit | Sets how long the session runs | Use it for timed rotations or stations. The time-limit sound or announcement from Step 1 alerts students when time is up. |
Ending or pausing a session
Triple-click the top button (or Home on an older iPad) and authenticate with the Guided Access passcode, or with Face ID or Touch ID if you enabled it. From there you can end the session or adjust its settings. End the session whenever students need to leave the app or use other features of the iPad.
Test it before class
- Try to leave the app with the top button and the gestures students might use. Confirm nothing takes you out.
- Tap each masked area and confirm it does nothing.
- End the session using your passcode or biometrics, so you know the exit works.
- Check screen locking. Apple says Guided Access disables Auto-Lock while active, yet the setup screen also offers a Display Auto-Lock option. Confirm what your iPad does on its iPadOS version before leaving it unattended.
Guided Access versus managed testing
Guided Access is a session you start by hand on one iPad, with masks and controls you choose. For tests, Apple documents assessment mode for apps that support it. For test apps that don’t, and for some diagnostic, classroom or formative assessment uses, a device management service can set Single App Mode, which opens the chosen app and prevents switching to others. Apple notes that turning on Guided Access or Single App Mode overrides assessment-mode restrictions, so don’t layer them casually. On school-managed iPads, follow your IT team’s process rather than relying on a teacher-started session. Apple’s support pages Lock iPad to one app with Guided Access and Set up iPad and Mac to give tests and assessments cover both approaches.
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