What Iis iPad Kiosk Mode? A Guide to iPadOS Guided Access and Single App Mode Explained

iPad kiosk mode refers to locking an iPad to a single app. The features that do this are called Guided Access and Single App Mode, and while both behave slightly differently, they let you set up your iPad (or iPhone) as a kiosk device by locking it to a single app, restricting access to all other apps, settings, and shortcuts.

This guide will show you how to use your iPad as a kiosk (including setup instructions, features, benefits, and customization options) and how it can be utilized in business, in education, and at home.

Locking an iPad to one app is useful, but what happens when you’re managing dozens or hundreds of devices? See how IT teams are bringing order to mobile chaos with unified management strategies.

What is iPad kiosk mode?

iPad Kiosk Mode locks an iPad to a single app, restricting access to all other apps, settings, and shortcuts. Apple offers three ways to achieve this: Guided Access, Single App Mode, and Autonomous Single App Mode.

These enable customer self-service and controlled interaction with your business while preventing unauthorized use. iPads offer a flexible, cost-effective alternative to dedicated kiosk hardware and can be reused for other functions.

Locking a device to a single app is also useful in other settings: in education, it can be used to make sure that students stay on task, and it can be used at home to make sure children can only access an approved app.

Here’s how you can implement a kiosk using an iPad, depending on how it’s configured:

• Guided Access: Guided Access is available on every iPhone and iPad in Settings. It restricts your iPad to a single app until your passcode is entered.
• Single App Mode: Single App Mode is available on supervised iPads. Organizations supervise iPads with Apple Configurator or through Apple Business (formerly Apple Business Manager) or Apple School Manager together with an MDM platform.
• Autonomous Single App Mode: This is a variation of Single App Mode that lets the app itself trigger entry and exit from kiosk mode based on a task. It’s useful when temporarily handing a device to someone, such as a doctor giving a patient an iPad to fill out a form, without permanently locking the device.

Note: Apple replaced Apple Business Manager, Apple Business Essentials, and Apple Business Connect with a single platform called Apple Business on April 14, 2026. Existing Apple Business Manager accounts moved over automatically.

Here’s how these kiosk methods compare to one another:

In short, use Guided Access for one iPad or a temporary lockdown, use Single App Mode for dedicated kiosks that must stay locked (including after a restart), or use Autonomous Single App Mode when an app needs to hand the iPad back after a task, such as a patient check-in form.

How do you set up iPad kiosk mode with Guided Access?

To set up your iPad as a kiosk with guided access, follow these steps:

1. Open your iPad’s Settings.
2. Navigate to Accessibility.
3. Tap Guided Access and then Passcode Settings to set a passcode that will end the Guided Access session.
4. Open the app you want to restrict access to.
5. Triple-click the top button (or the Home button on iPads that have one). If the Accessibility Shortcuts panel appears, tap Guided Access. (Note: If you set up Guided Access for this app before, the session starts right away with your previous settings.)
6. Tap Start in the top-right corner of the screen.
7. To pause the session, triple-click the top button (or Home button) and then enter your Guided Access passcode or use Face ID or Touch ID. On iPadOS 18 or earlier, double-click instead. Tap End to finish the session or tap Resume to continue it.

Make sure the app that you restrict your users to is well designed and offers the functionality your users require as they won’t be able to navigate outside of it.

How do you set up Single App Mode on an iPad?

Single App Mode requires a supervised device and can be set up in two ways: locally with Apple Configurator or remotely at scale through an MDM platform.

Here’s how to locally set it up with Apple Configurator (one or more iPads connected to your Mac):

1. Supervise the iPad you’ll use as a kiosk. Supervising with Apple Configurator erases the iPad, so back up any data first.
2. Download and open Apple Configurator on the Mac you’ll use to configure the iPad.
3. Connect your iPad and select it in Apple Configurator.
4. Navigate to Actions > Advanced > Start Single App Mode.
5. Choose the app that’ll be used on your kiosk.
6. Click Options to choose the features available in Single App Mode, click Apply, and then click Select App.

To end Single App Mode, reconnect your device and disable it from Apple Configurator. It’s not possible to disable Single App Mode from the device itself.

If you’re managing fleets, here’s how to remotely set up kiosk mode with MDM and Apple Business:

1. Set up Apple Business and assign your iPads to your MDM server. iPads bought from Apple or an authorized reseller enroll and are supervised during setup, with no USB connection required.
2. Connect your MDM platform to Apple Business so new device purchases are assigned to it automatically.
3. In the MDM console, create a Single App Mode configuration profile and specify the app’s bundle ID.
4. Scope the profile to the relevant device group.
5. Push the profile; supervised devices apply it automatically.
6. To exit or update the kiosk configuration, send a command from the MDM console rather than physically handling each device.

What can you customize in iPad kiosk mode?

Guided Access settings let you toggle the Accessibility Shortcut, so users can triple-click to access Guided Access options and set or disable a Display Auto-Lock timeout.

After you start Guided Access, tap Session Settings (labeled Options on earlier versions) to block the top button, volume buttons, motion and rotation, software keyboards, or touch or to set a time limit.

If you use Single App Mode through Apple Configurator or an MDM platform, the same customizations are available, along with Restrictions payloads that block screenshots, AirDrop, or Siri.

To simplify the entire interface rather than locking to a single app, navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Assistive Access to use Apple’s Assistive Access feature.

What are the best practices for an iPad kiosk?

When setting up an iPad as a kiosk in a business setting, follow these best practices:

• Secure the device physically to prevent theft.
• Cover ports and speakers to protect against dirt and debris.
• Clean the device regularly if the public will use it to maintain hygiene and encourage use.
• Ensure the kiosk software is user-friendly and restricts access to unintended content; unsecured browser windows or links can expose the device to misuse.
• Train employees to troubleshoot the kiosk so they can resolve customer issues promptly.
• For fleets, deploy kiosk mode through an MDM platform connected to Apple Business rather than configuring each iPad by hand so setup is faster and policies stay consistent at scale.
• Schedule app updates for off-hours since the kiosk app can close and reopen during an update.

Manage kiosk devices with NinjaOne MDM

Locking one iPad with Guided Access takes a minute, but keeping dozens or hundreds of kiosks consistent, updated, and secure takes a management platform. NinjaOne MDM manages Apple and Android devices alongside Windows, macOS, and Linux endpoints from one console so your kiosks sit in the same inventory as the rest of your devices.

With NinjaOne MDM, you can:

• Enroll company-owned Apple devices through Automated Device Enrollment for zero-touch deployment
• Apply policies to groups of devices at scale
• Deploy and manage mobile apps for the people who use each device
• Lock Android devices to one app or a set of apps with single-app and multi-app kiosk mode
• Run remote actions such as device lock, wipe, and passcode reset

See how it works on your own devices. Start your free trial of NinjaOne MDM today or book a free demo to walk through kiosk setup.