How to Freeze Your iPhone Screen for Toddlers’ Hands
What is Guided Access?
I try to limit screen time, but I’m not perfect about it. Once in a while I turn on a video on my phone to occupy my child for a few minutes, especially on a plane or when I need 10 minutes to myself. Before I knew about guided access, my peaceful 10 minutes would often get interrupted because my child would constantly touch the screen and either pause the video and close out of it.
Guided Access is a free iPhone feature that helps you:
• Lock the device to a single app (like Netflix or YouTube)
• Disable screen touch, volume, or buttons
• Prevent kids from exiting, tapping ads, or messing up settings
How to Set It Up
Enable Guided Access
- Go to Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access
- Toggle it ON
- Tap Passcode Settings → set a passcode or use Face ID
Open the App of Choice
- Open the app (Netflix, YouTube, etc.) that your child will be watching
- Triple-click the side/home button
- A Guided Access screen will appear
Choose What to Disable
- Tap Options (bottom left)
- Disable features like:
- Touch
- Volume Buttons
- Motion (rotation)
- Tap Start
✅ Done! Your phone is now locked to that app.
How to Turn It Off
- Triple-click the side or home button
- Enter the passcode you set in settings (or use Face ID)
- Tap End in the top right
If you found this tech tip helpful, check out our other ones here.
Leave a Reply