toddlers & apps :: how to disable the home button + lock them in an app

Ever been on a plane with a toddler who wants to play your iPad? Does your kid push the home button 342 times a minute making the app shrink from the screen over and over? {grrr} You get to restart their movie, go find their current game again, etc. Or maybe they have the uncanny ability of swooshing, clicking, and tapping until they are who knows where on your iPhone or iPad. I’ve heard horror stories of mass deletes too. Sometimes these little ones are like monkeys typing and they actually write words and send texts too.

Have no fear, I have a solution! It’s called GUIDED ACCESS.

My toddler isn’t addicted to Soda Crush…yet! You caught me playing my favorite game.

Guided Access keeps the iPhone in a single app and allows you to control which features are available. Once you have it set up {instructions below} you simply triple click the home button in the app you want to use. This will allow you to enable this BLESSED guided access feature and your toddler can’t exit the app that you put them in until you triple click that home button again. To exit guided access, put in the code you have set up (or use your TOUCH ID if you have an iPhone 6).

Here are your super easy steps:

1. Settings –>
2. General –>
3. Accessibility –>
4. Guided Access {scroll down a bit, it’s there!} –>
5. Turn on Guided access and set up the passcode –>
6. Turn on Accessibility Shortcut {this lets you triple click home button in any app to start guided access in a flash}

 Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for cracked screens now that you can let your toddler play apps without your supervision.

Guided Access is also a good idea if you have older kids. I won’t get into it, but please be aware of what your kids are doing on these devices! You can lock them in an app and not worry that they have wandered where they shouldn’t on the internet. They can play that one app until you disable the guided access.