We all get irritated when we have to hand over our phone to someone to stream a movie and discover that they moved on to other things like scrolling through our mail or other private apps. Kids are often guilty of this! But we can’t stay mad at them forever, nor can we refuse to give our kids our phones, but there’s a way to control what they can access.
Guided Access helps you regulate what activity is performed on your phone. Whether you want to prevent someone from opening any other apps or you want to stay focused while using your mobile device. Guided Access comes to the rescue!
This article contains everything you need to know about Guided Access and how it works on Android and iOS devices. This article will also treat the benefits and prerequisites of enabling and using Guided Access on your mobile device.
(Related: You’ll understand Guided Access better if you’re familiar with how locking Youtube to your phone screen works.)
Guided Access on iPhone and iPad
Another remarkable thing about Guided Access is that it’s helpful with apps that have ads at the top or bottom, and you do not want to click on them by mistake.
You can even map out specific areas of your screen and prevent them from being tapped. Guided Access allows you to restrict your device to one app and stay focused in plain and simple terms.
Guided Access is a feature that controls what’s on your phone screen. The feature lets you limit your device to one app and block distractions.
Let’s take a brief look at what Guided Access does on your iPhone, Guided Access:
- Allows you to restrict your iOS device to access only one app.
- Disables part of your phone’s screen which you don’t want to be accessed or you don’t want to tap by mistake.
- Disables your device’s hardware buttons.
- Set a timeframe for usage.
Guided Access on Android devices
Guided Access is an accessibility feature also available on Android, and this super cool feature is referred to as Screen Pinning.
Screen pinning helps you to pin a specific app to your device screen. Screen pinning also gives you maximum control over what can be displayed and assessed on your mobile phone.
Although Guided Access for Android is built as an accessibility feature, it’s also used to condition single-purpose devices with a required app.
As stated earlier, while explaining Guided Access on iPhones, you can control your hardware buttons and specific device settings. You can also use Guided Access in Android and enable Access to use the volume buttons, the touch buttons, the sleep or wake buttons, the deputy buttons, and specific shortcuts.
Guided Access for Android
Using screen pinning doesn’t just pin your screen; it also allows you to set up a PIN on your device. You would need this PIN to unpin the app from the screen.
You can set Guided Access in a way that would require you to enter a passcode/PIN before you can disable the feature. Guided Access gives you maximum control because just any person cannot enable and disable it on your smartphone. before
Prerequisites for enabling Guided Access on Android devices
The prerequisite for enabling Guided Access on Android is that you should be set as device owner on your mobile device. You would prevent other people from pinning and unpinning your screen at will, so you must configure your device to identify you as the owner.
Benefits of Android using MDM vs Guided Access
We’ve listed the benefits of manually enabling Guided Access on Android and iOS devices. Let’s check out what Guided Access can do for an Android user or an organization—that prefers and uses MDM over manual Access.
Saves time
MDM beats Guided Access because it eliminates the time and effort taken in manually locking an app to multiple device screens. MDM sets up Kiosk mode in multiple mobile devices within a short timeframe. Hey pal, you don’t even need to stress.😌
MDM also speeds up the onboarding process by making them quick, effortless, and stress-free. This feature has made MDM a must-have for organizations that seek to employ the services of a lot of persons in multiple departments.
Customize settings and enforce restrictions
When using Guided Access on your mobile device, whether Android or iOS, we mentioned earlier that you can not access hardware buttons and basic phone settings such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and even internet connections when switched off.
On the other hand, MDM allows you to configure your mobile device to access whatever settings you might need while using the app.
For example, using Kiosk mode in an examination or class allowed a student to access and adjust the brightness settings. To enable this function, all you have to do is navigate to Custom Settings to allow users to access and modify needed settings.
Likewise, you can set up your device in Kiosk mode and prohibit the user from accessing more critical functions such as exiting the app, shutting down the device, or even preventing something as terrible as a factory reset.
Customize your Home Screen layout
Doesn’t control sound more fun if you can customize and redesign what you have on your screen? Customization also makes it easier to locate apps and access them for a faster user experience. MDM creates shortcuts from the home screen to web pages for ease.
However, users do not have control over what gets on your home screen, and they can only access whatever you display on the home screen that they cannot install or remove. MDM allows you to customize how you want your home screen layout to look, and you can decide what fits your organization best.
Store and Enterprise app support
Store and enterprise app support are only possible with apps installed on the device and supported by the Play Store or App Store. But if you use MDM apps that are not available on the Play store, such as in-house apps specific to the organization, they can be used on your device as a Kiosk app.
MDM helps manage app updates and app removal for apps that are no longer needed. No biggie, it’s just MDM saving us the time of manually uninstalling or managing updates on apps. MDM can also lock a device and prevent Access to specified URL links, protecting it from malware and malfunction.
Remotely troubleshoot
Since self-service Kiosks devices are usually unmounted or unattended, owners can fix any ongoing issues remotely. They execute this by taking Access to the screen. Although it’s possible to troubleshoot a device remotely, it can always be a problem because of the absence of a user.
MDM solves this issue via Remote Access. MDM also has the group chat feature that allows the owner to execute commands through the Kiosk on the device.
Secure devices and protect user data via Geo-tracking and Geo-fencing
Single-app Kiosk devices are given to remote or work-from-home contract employees. This means there’s a high chance of devices getting stolen or missing. MDM activates its remote alarm feature to track the device and retrieve devices. MDM also has a feature that puts the phone in Lost Mode when you cannot retrieve the misplaced phone.
With MDM, you can set up virtual fences through Geo-fencing, which denies the user access to the phone after leaving a specified area. MDM can lock the phone or erase all data to protect your company’s info with the Complete Wipe or Corporate Wipe feature
Can someone please remind me of the definition of control?
FAQs
How long does Guided Access last?
The default settings of Guided Access allow it to last for only 20 minutes. But, you can use the screen lock option on your mobile devices, which ranges from a few seconds to about 30 minutes.
How do I use Guided Access on Android?
Follow the outlined steps below to Guided Access on Android and pin an app to your screen:
- Open Settings on your mobile device. You can do this by swiping down from the top of your phone or using the apps menu or your phone’s home page.
- Navigate around and select Security And Location.
- Select Screen Pinning and toggle it on.
We recommend inputting a unique and easy-to-recall PIN before pinning to exercise maximum control over the Guided access feature.
How does screen pinning work?
With screen pinning, you can hand over your mobile device to anyone. A friend, family member, or a colleague, and the only thing they’re allowed to do with your phone is using the app you pinned to your screen. Screen pinning allows you to keep an app in view on screen for as long as you want.
