iPhone/iPad Stuck in Guided Access Mode? Fixed!

Have you ever been working on something really important and your iPhone or iPad just won't stop pinging? Or you just happen to be one of those people with a short attention span. Or maybe you just have severe FOMO when you're not glued to your phone.

Whether it is, guided access works like a charm. Guided Access mode allows you to disable certain apps and features that may cause you a distraction. Your device will be temporarily restricted to a single app. You can also choose to disable certain areas of your screen for greater control.

If your iPad or iPhone is stuck in guided access, it can make using your phone normally incredibly difficult. With some quick troubleshooting, you'll be back to scrolling in no time! Here's how.

Technique 1: Click the Home Button Two or Three Times

With your iPhone stuck in guided access, trying out Apple's accessibility shortcut is going to be your first move. Depending on which IOS model you have, your home button will either be at the bottom of your screen or the side of your device.

Step 1. Once you have located your home button, you will need to triple-click the button. In case you have activated touch or face ID, you will have to click it only twice. Whether you need to click it twice or thrice, make sure you do so with short intervals.

Step 2. A screen will pop up asking you for your guided access passcode. Punch in your digits, and you're done!

Technique 2: Force Restart your Apple Device

In case triple-clicking fails you, restarting your device is the next thing to try. It's one of the most common troubleshooting techniques out there. You're bound to be asked whether you tried turning it off and on!

Depending on your device's model, restarting techniques can vary. Have a look at the following ways and see if you can spot your model.

Newer models: iPhone 8 onwards

Step 1. Press and release the volume up and down buttons quickly.

Step 2. Long press the power button until the Apple logo appears.

iPhone 7 series

Step 1. Press the power and volume down key simultaneously and hold for a short while. A few seconds will do.

Step 2. You'll see the Apple logo appear shortly after.

Older models: iPhone 6 and backward

Note: The following steps will work if your iPad is stuck in guided access.

Step 1. Long press the power and home button simultaneously.

Step 2. Once you see the Apple logo appear on your screen, you're good to go.

Once you've forced your device to restart, all you need to do now is disable the guided access feature.

Step 1. Click on your device's settings.

Step 2. Find the 'General' button and click on it.

Step 3. Scroll down and click on 'Accessibility'.

Step 4. Turn off the guided access option.

Technique 3: Use TunesKit iOS System Recovery Software [No Data Loss]

Whilst all the different techniques mentioned above are great; they're not always guaranteed to work. That means you might have spent several hours trying to fix your iPhone stuck in guided access, and you're still not anywhere close to fixing it. In order to save yourself the headache, a foolproof method is to use TunesKit iOS System Recovery software.

TunesKit is a global software devoted to solving all your iOS problems. TunesKit has a thorough testing process as well as quick online customer support all round the clock. And better yet, TunesKit makes sure you don't lose any precise data. That means your device will be up and running in no time! Besides this issue, you can also use TunesKit to fix various iOS problems like iPhone stuck on Apple logo, iPad white screen of death, iPhone recovery mode not working, etc.

In the following, I'll show you how to use TunesKit to fix iPhone or iPad stuck in guided access mode step by step. First of all, please download and install the program on your computer.

Step 1. Launch TunesKit iOS System Recovery software and connect your device to your computer.

Step 2. Select the 'Start' option; it will then ask you to choose your mode. Click on 'Standard Mode' and hit 'Next'.

Step 3. Once you've selected your device model from the list provided, you need to put your device on DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode. Hit 'Next'.

Step 4. You'll be given an appropriate firmware package to download. All you need to do now is click the 'Download' option.

Step 5. Once the right firmware package is downloaded, you're one step away from the finish line! Click 'Repair' and let TunesKit do what they know best. Ensure that your device is connected throughout the process to avoid problems.

Technique 4: Disable Guided Access Using iCloud Lost Mode

In case the above method didn't work out, don't panic! There are several other ways you can restore your iPhone's activity. You might not have known this before, but you can use iCloud's lost mode option to disable the guided access session.

Step 1. Grab a computer and log into your iCloud account by searching up iCloud.com.

Step 2. Now that you've logged in click on the 'Find iPhone' option and turn on lost mode.

Step 3. You can skip the optional dialogues showing you a number and a message. Doing this will return you to your lock screen.

Step 4. Now that you're back on your lock screen enter your password as you would normally do and disable the guided access mode.

Technique 5: Factory Reset Using iTunes

Now, if you're still stuck with an iPhone/iPad stuck in guided access, restoring your device using iTunes is another way to go. It is a little lengthier than the above-mentioned techniques, but desperate times call for desperate measures!

Step 1. Back up all your data! Using this method means your device will be set to factory settings. Factory settings mean your device is reset and is restored to its original system, thereby erasing all your data.

Backing up your files was the lengthier part. Now that you're done with that, everything else is fairly simple.

Step 2. Next, launch iTunes on your computer if you haven't gotten it already. You can update the iTunes software to get the latest version.

Step 3. Connect your iPhone/iPad to your computer and allow iTunes to detect your device.

Step 4. You'll see an option reading 'Summary' > 'Restore iPhone/iPad'. Click the button to reset your device and transfer all your files back to your phone.

In Conclusion

Although guided access is an amazing feature to have, getting your iPhone stuck in guided access mode can be a real pain. However, with the several methods mentioned above, we hope you're no longer stuck to a single app. If not, leave it to TunesKit to troubleshoot your problems away – at least the tech ones!

Brian Davis has covered tech and entertainment for over 10 years. He loves technology in all its forms.