Use Guided Access to lock your iPhone inside one app for a child. Turn off Touch to block taps while a video plays. Enable Guided Access in Settings > Accessibility, set its passcode, open the app, then triple-click the Side or Home button to start.

Locking an iPhone screen for kids can mean two different things. Guided Access keeps the chosen app on screen and lets you block touch. A normal phone lock puts the device on its Lock Screen; it is not the control to choose for watching a video.

Quick answer: how to lock iPhone screen for kids

Guided Access is built into iOS and iPadOS. You do not need another app to keep your child in one app. For an interactive game, leave Touch on; for watch-only use, turn Touch off.

1. Open Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access and turn it on.
2. Open Passcode Settings and set a Guided Access passcode. Enable Face ID or Touch ID if you want that exit option.
3. Open the app your child will use.
4. Triple-click the Side button, or the Home button on an older iPhone. Choose Guided Access if the shortcut panel appears.
5. Open Session Settings, called Options on some versions. Choose the touch and button controls, then tap Start.
6. If the session starts immediately, the app has remembered settings. Pause and authenticate using the exit shortcut below, change Session Settings, then tap Resume.

To pause or end, triple-click the same button and authenticate. On iOS 18 or earlier, double-click instead. Choose Guided Access if prompted, then tap End. These steps follow Apple's Guided Access instructions.

Before we begin

Quick takeaways before handing over your iPhone

An app lock is not a content filter. Guided Access can stop your child from switching apps, but it does not choose suitable videos or remove ads and autoplay inside the chosen app.

Warning: Apple warns that Crash Detection and Emergency Services are unavailable during Guided Access. End the session to use Crash Detection or make an emergency call. Make sure you know how to exit before handing over the phone.

• Guided Access restricts a single app session.
• Touch off prevents taps during a video; circled areas block only part of the screen.
• Screen Time provides purchase restrictions, content rules, and ongoing time limits.
• The final check belongs to you: review the app, video, and controls before handing over the phone.

Guided Access and Screen Time cover different risks. Blocking taps does not replace purchase restrictions, and a daily app limit does not disable a video's pause button.

Guided Access vs Screen Time: which should parents use?

Guided Access locks the current app; Screen Time sets ongoing rules. Choose based on the problem you need to solve. Neither setting selects suitable content for you.

Use both when needed: set ongoing restrictions first, then start Guided Access in the app you are lending. For website filtering rather than touch controls, see the separate guide to blocking websites on iPhone.

How to lock iPhone screen for kids with Guided Access

Set up the exit passcode before you hand over the phone. The source screenshots below illustrate the settings area, but show an older interface. Follow the current labels in these instructions when your screen differs.

1. Open Settings and tap Accessibility.
2. Scroll to Guided Access and turn it on.
3. Tap Passcode Settings, then Set Guided Access Passcode.
4. Choose a passcode your child does not know.
5. Enable Face ID or Touch ID if you want to use it to pause or end a session.

Open the chosen app and triple-click the Side or Home button. Select Guided Access if a shortcut panel appears. A previously configured app may start with its saved settings instead of showing the setup screen. Pause and authenticate to change those settings.

Guided Access options for parents

Open Session Settings (or Options) before starting, or after pausing an active session. Decide whether your child needs to interact with the app or only watch it.

1. Touch: turn this off to ignore all screen touches. Leave it on for a game, or circle specific areas on the Guided Access screen.
2. Motion: turn this off to limit responses to shaking, tilting, and rotation.
3. Software Keyboards: turn this off to prevent the onscreen keyboard from appearing.
4. Volume Buttons: turn this off to prevent changes with the device's volume buttons.
5. Side, Top, or Home Button: disable normal use of the button. The shortcut to pause Guided Access remains available.
6. Time Limit: choose a session duration. When it runs out, Guided Access shows Time Expired; you must authenticate to change or end the session.

How to lock iPhone screen for kids while watching video

Start the chosen video before disabling touch. Guided Access can keep the video app open while ignoring taps. Check playback and any autoplay settings yourself; a touch lock does not stop the app from choosing what plays next.

1. Open the video app and choose the episode or clip.
2. Start playback, then triple-click the Side or Home button. Choose Guided Access if prompted.
3. If saved settings start the session immediately, pause and authenticate first. Triple-click to pause, or double-click on iOS 18 or earlier.
4. Tap Session Settings or Options and turn Touch off.
5. Turn Volume Buttons off if needed and choose a Time Limit if you want one.
6. Tap Start or Resume. Check that taps no longer affect the player before handing over the phone.

For local videos, WALTR PRO supports transferring MP4, MKV, and AVI files from Mac or Windows to the iPhone's Apple TV app. Transfer your own parent-approved video, open it on the phone, then set up Guided Access separately. This is a documentation-based workflow, not a new app trial.

How to pause or end Guided Access

Use the button shortcut to authenticate and return to the Guided Access screen. You can then change settings, resume the session, or end it. The shortcut differs on older iOS versions.

1. Triple-click the Side or Home button. On iOS 18 or earlier, double-click instead.
2. Enter the Guided Access passcode, or use Face ID or Touch ID if you enabled it.
3. Select Guided Access if the shortcut panel appears.
4. Tap End to return to normal use. To keep the session going with changed settings, tap Session Settings or Options, then Resume.

Choose a different Guided Access passcode if your child knows the phone's unlock code. A Time Expired message is not an automatic unlock: an adult still needs to authenticate to change or end the session.

Screen Time settings for purchases and content

Screen Time controls ongoing use rather than touches inside one app. The steps here refer to iOS 26, not every iOS version. The preserved App Limits screenshots below show an older interface and are not a current-version walkthrough.

Follow Apple's iOS 26 restrictions guide for these menu paths. Purchase blocking and Ask to Buy are separate controls: Ask to Buy is a Family Sharing approval feature.

1. Open Settings > Screen Time. Select your child if managing their settings through your family.
2. Open Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn it on.
3. Use iTunes & App Store Purchases to restrict store purchases and downloads.
4. Open App Store, Media, Web, & Games > Web Content to choose web restrictions.
5. Use App Limits for daily app limits and Downtime for scheduled breaks. Protect Screen Time settings with a passcode your child does not know.

For App Limits on iOS 26, use Settings > Screen Time > App Limits > Add Limit, then choose an app or category and a time. Apple's updated iOS 27 family experience has different menus, including Time Allowances and Screen Time Schedule. Check Apple's current parental-control guide if your menus differ.

Do you need another parental-control app?

Not for basic screen locking. Guided Access is the built-in option for restricting an iPhone to one app and controlling touch. Start there if your problem is accidental tapping during a video.

A separate service may suit broader family-management needs, but check its specific features, costs, and privacy terms before installing it. You do not need to buy software to follow the Guided Access steps above.

Troubleshooting Guided Access settings and exit

Start by checking whether you are opening a new session or pausing an existing one. A session that begins without a settings screen may be using saved settings, not malfunctioning.

• Shortcut does nothing: confirm Guided Access is on under Settings > Accessibility. If a shortcut panel opens, select Guided Access.
• Touch still works: pause and authenticate, then turn Touch off in Session Settings or Options and tap Resume. Triple-click to pause, or double-click on iOS 18 or earlier.
• Volume still changes: pause and authenticate with that same version-specific shortcut, disable Volume Buttons, then resume.
• You cannot exit: use the pause shortcut, authenticate, select Guided Access if prompted, then tap End.
• You forgot the passcode: try Face ID or Touch ID only if you enabled it for Guided Access. Otherwise, contact Apple Support. Do not rely on a restart to reset the passcode.
• The screen goes dark: check Guided Access's Display Auto-Lock setting. Touch controls and display timeout are separate.

Checklist before handing over the iPhone

Check the setup yourself before your child takes the phone. These instructions follow Apple's documentation; no new on-device testing took place for this refresh.

• Guided Access is on and has a passcode your child does not know.

• The correct app and video are open.

• Touch, motion, keyboard, and button controls match the activity.

• You can pause and end the session with your version's shortcut and authentication.

• You understand the Emergency Services and Crash Detection limitation.

• Screen Time restrictions are on if you need ongoing purchase or content rules.

Keep the screen controls and content rules separate

Use Guided Access to lock the iPhone screen for kids during one app session. Turn Touch off for watching; leave it on for interaction. Use Screen Time for rules that need to apply beyond that session.

If you also need to prepare local videos, download WALTR PRO with a free trial on Mac or Windows. It handles the transfer. Set up Guided Access on the iPhone afterward and check the controls before handing it over.

FAQs about locking an iPhone screen for kids