We love a good parenting hack and this one comes in particularly handy when the kids are using your phone to watch a YouTube video or play their favourite game.
The simple trick means they can’t swipe away from the screen they’re on and accidentally text your boss, find unsuitable content on the internet or make purchases in every app you’ve ever downloaded. Genius!
Mum-of-two Jade Corran shared the iPhone hack on TikTok and Instagram and parents everywhere have been expressing their delight.
In the short video, Jade explains how by turning on Guided Access on your iPhone, kids CANNOT accidentally swipe away from the page you’ve set them up with and get access to the rest of your phone.
‘Best mum hack ever,’ Jade explains as she talks us through how to turn on the simple hack on your iPhone.
The feature allows you to lock your phone to a single app and control which features are available.
Here’s how it works:
How to turn on Guided Access
1. Find Guided Access by going to Settings and hitting Accessibility. You can also set a passcode or use Face ID or Voice ID to end a Guided Access session.
2. Open the app you want to use.
3. If you have an iPhone X or later, click the lock button three times. If you have an older phone, click the home button three times instead.
4. Click on ‘Options’ and adjust the settings as you need, either by limiting certain settings, such as access to the keyboard and volume, or switching off all settings so your kids won’t be able to change anything. You can also set a time limit for how long Guided Access will last.
5. Tap ‘Done’ and then ‘Start’ and your session has begun.
In the above video, Jade uses it on her browser, demonstrating that the screen is now locked and cannot even be closed without a passcode. However, the feature will also work on your apps.
‘And they can’t leave the app 👏👏’ Jade adds on screen, ‘You’re welcome 😘.’
It’s easy enough to remove, too. Just triple click on the lock (or home screen if you have an older iPhone) and it will ask for your passcode. Enter it and turn Guided Access off.
For Android users, it seems that the key to locking devices for children is just as simple. Just click on ‘Kids mode’ or, if your device doesn’t support this, you can download a free launcher called ‘Kids Place – Parental Control’, which you can find in the Google Play store.
Amazing!
Fed up with your kids getting sticky fingerprints all over your phone? How about investing in this handy phone stand? It costs less than a tenner and is the perfect place to park your phone whilst your kids watch it or when charging. See more details here at Amazon.
What do you think of this handy hack? Share your thoughts below …
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