Locking iPad Apps!

Have you ever wanted to keep students in one app and not allow them to close out? I have felt this way sometimes, especially when working with kindergarten and first graders. It seems like just when they're getting into the meat of the app, or the more difficult problems, or anything that seems to challenge them a little, they just hit the home key and move on into an app they like better. While I'm happy that they know how to maneuver their way around the iPad, it frustrates me that they so easily can go to a different activity.

Apple has changed all that by adding a setting in which you can lock an app and prevent the user from getting out of it and back to the home screen. I've played around with it quite a lot and it works great! Another plus is that it is super-simple to set up!

Prior to trying this with students you will need to change a few settings on your iPad (and if you have multiple devices you will need to set this on every device individually).
1. Go to Settings -- Accessibility -- Guided Access.
2. Turn Guided Access to "on"
3. Set a passcode. Use one that you will remember but kids will not easily figure out. I use my phone extension. You can use that too if you want to.
4. Now - open the app you want students to use.
5. Triple-click the home key. The app will shrink a bit and you will have some options around it.
6. To keep the app locked, just click the "start" button. If it asks for your password, put it in.
7. Note that you can also lock the motion, so if you have students who get frustrated that the screen rotates when they pick it up, you can lock it "right-side up" for them.
8. To get out of the app - simply triple-click once again and put in your password.

I love the simplicity of this, and I believe that you will too! After a few tries I think you will find that setting it is very quick and easy, and when you want students to stay in a specific app, using guided access definitely does the job!