[Top 6 Ways] Fix iPad/iPhone Stuck in Guided Access

Guided Access is an accessibility feature that temporarily locks your iPhone or iPad to a single app and lets you restrict touch, buttons, or certain areas of the screen. Normally, you can exit it by triple-clicking the Side, Top, or Home button and entering the Guided Access passcode.

However, your iPhone or iPad may get stuck in Guided Access if the shortcut stops responding, the device freezes, or you forget the passcode. If Guided Access won't turn off, try the 6 solutions below to regain normal access to your device.

Why Is My iPhone/iPad Stuck in Guided Access

If your iPhone or iPad is stuck in Guided Access, the device may fail to exit the session normally for several reasons. Common causes include:

• 01 The Side, Top, or Home button is not responding: Guided Access normally relies on the hardware-button shortcut to pause or end a session.
• 02 A temporary iOS or iPadOS glitch: The device or current app may freeze and stop responding to the exit command.
• 03 You forgot the Guided Access passcode: Without the correct passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID, you may be unable to end the session normally.
• 04 Face ID or Touch ID is not working : Biometric authentication may fail and prevent you from exiting Guided Access.
• 05 A software issue after an update: System bugs or an incomplete update can affect Guided Access behavior.

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How to Get Out of Guided Access on iPhone or iPad

If your iPhone or iPad is stuck in Guided Access, start with the built-in exit shortcut. If the buttons, screen, or Guided Access session no longer responds, move on to a force restart or system repair. The methods below are arranged from the simplest and safest option to the more advanced solutions.

Tip 1. End Guided Access with the Side, Top, or Home Button

The normal way to exit Guided Access is to use the hardware-button shortcut and authenticate with your Guided Access passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID.

• Step 1. Triple-click the Side button on an iPhone, the Top button on an iPad without a Home button, or the Home button on an older iPhone or iPad.
• Step 2. Enter your Guided Access passcode or authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID if you enabled biometric authentication for Guided Access.
• Step 3. If the Accessibility Shortcuts menu appears, tap Guided Access.
• Step 4. Tap End in the upper-left corner to close the Guided Access session.

If triple-clicking the button does not open the Guided Access controls, or the screen is completely frozen, continue with the next method.

Tip 2. Force Restart Your iPhone or iPad

In case triple-clicking fail 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.

iPhone 8 and later:

• Step 1. Press and release the Volume Up and Down buttons quickly.
• Step 2. Long press the Side 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.

iPhone 6 and older:

• 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.

For iPad Without a Home Button

• Step 1. Quickly press and release the volume button closest to the Top button.
• Step 2. Quickly press and release the other volume button.
• Step 3. Press and hold the Top button until the Apple logo appears.

For iPad With a Home Button

• Step 1. Press and hold the Home button and Top button at the same time.
• Step 2. Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.

After the device restarts, try the Guided Access exit shortcut again. If you can access the Home Screen and Settings, you can also reset the Guided Access settings as described below.

Tip 3. Turn Off or Reset Guided Access Settings

If Guided Access keeps freezing or you have trouble with its passcode, reset its settings after regaining access to your iPhone or iPad.

• Step 1. Open Settings app on your iPhone/iPad.
• Step 2. Go to Accessibility > Guided Access.
• Step 3. Turn off Guided Access if you no longer want to use the feature.

If you want to continue using Guided Access, simply tap Passcode Settings > Set Guided Access Passcode and create a new passcode.

Step 4. You can also enable Face ID or Touch ID under Passcode Settings, giving you another way to authenticate when ending future Guided Access sessions.

Tip 4. Fix iPhone/iPad Stuck in Guided Access with TunesKit iOS System Recovery

While 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 Guided Access Mode on iPhone or iPad, and you're still not anywhere close to fixing it. In order to save yourself from the headache, a foolproof method is to use TunesKit iOS System Recovery.

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 iPad stuck on connect to iTunes, iPad white screen of death, iPhone recovery mode not working, etc.

In the following, I'll show you how to fix iPhone/iPad stuck in guided access using TunesKit iOS System Recovery.

Step 1. Connect Your iPhone or iPad

Launch TunesKit iOS System Recovery on your computer and connect the affected device with a USB cable. Choose iOS System Repair. On the next page, click the Start button.

Step 2. Select Standard Repair

Select Standard Repair. This mode is designed to fix common system issues while preserving your device data.

Step 3. Download Firmware Package

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

Step 4. Start to Fix iPhone/iPad Guided Access Stuck

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

Tip 5. Update iOS/iPadOS in Recovery Mode

If the device remains stuck, reinstalling iOS or iPadOS through Recovery Mode may repair deeper system problems. Try Update before Restore because Update attempts to reinstall the operating system without erasing your personal data.

• Step 1. On a Mac, open Finder. On a Windows PC, open the Apple Devices app. Older computers may still use iTunes.
• Step 2. Put the device into Recovery Mode.

• For an iPhone 8 or later, quickly press Volume Up, quickly press Volume Down, and then hold the Side button until the recovery screen appears.
• For an iPad without a Home button, quickly press the volume button closest to the Top button, quickly press the other volume button, and then hold the Top button until the recovery screen appears.
• For devices with a Home button, use the corresponding Home and Side/Top button combination until the recovery screen appears on your iPhone/iPad.

Step 3. When Finder or Apple Devices displays the Update and Restore options, choose Update.

Step 4. Keep the device connected while the computer downloads and reinstalls iOS or iPadOS.

After the update finishes, restart the device and check whether you can exit or disable Guided Access normally.

Tip 6. Restore Your iPhone or iPad as a Last Resort

If updating iOS or iPadOS does not solve the problem, restoring the device is the final software-based option.

• Step 1. Connect the device to your Mac or Windows PC and open Finder or the Apple Devices/iTunes app.
• Step 2. Put the iPhone or iPad into Recovery Mode again.
• Step 3. When your computer offers Update or Restore, select Restore.
• Step 4. Confirm the restore and wait while your computer erases the device and installs a fresh version of iOS or iPadOS.
• Step 5. After the restore is complete, set up the device again. If you have an iCloud or computer backup, you can restore your data during setup.

If the iPhone or iPad is still unresponsive after a complete restore, the issue may involve hardware rather than Guided Access itself. In that case, contact Apple Support or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

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FAQs About iPhone/iPad Guided Access

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The Final Words

Although Guided Access is an amazing feature to have, getting your iPhone or iPad stuck in Guided Access 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 iOS System Recovery to troubleshoot your problems away – at least the tech ones!