How to Put an iPad in Kiosk Mode (2026 Step-by-Step Guide)

iPad kiosk mode locks a device to a single app — visitors can sign in, place an order, or interact with your content, but they can’t exit the app, open Safari, change settings, or see anything you haven’t put in front of them.

This guide explains exactly how to put an iPad in kiosk mode using three methods, starting with the fastest (30 seconds, no tools required) and working up to the managed approach used for multi-site fleet deployments. Pick the method that matches your situation, follow the steps, and your iPad will be locked down before you finish your coffee.

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Reception · Building 1

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How to put an iPad in kiosk mode: choose your method

There are three ways to put an iPad in kiosk mode. The right one depends on how many iPads you’re locking down and whether the kiosk needs to recover from reboots without anyone touching it.

Start with Guided Access if you’re trying things out or running a single front-desk iPad. Jump straight to MDM-based Single App Mode if you have multiple locations or unattended iPads that need to recover on their own.

Method 1: How to enable Guided Access on iPad (free, no MDM needed)

Guided Access is built into every iPad. It takes about 30 seconds to set up and works without a Mac, MDM, or Apple Business Manager account.

One-time setup

1. Open Settings on the iPad.
2. Tap Accessibility, then scroll down and tap Guided Access.
3. Toggle Guided Access on.
4. Tap Passcode Settings → Set Guided Access Passcode. Enter and confirm a 6-digit code. This passcode ends sessions — keep it separate from the device unlock passcode.
5. (Optional but recommended) Enable Face ID or Touch ID so authorized staff can end the session with biometrics instead of typing a code in front of visitors.

Starting a kiosk session

1. Open the app you want to lock the iPad to (for example, InstaCheckin’s visitor sign-in screen).
2. Triple-click the side button (or the Home button on older iPads).
3. The Guided Access setup screen appears. Tap Options in the bottom-left to configure the session:
   • Disable the Sleep/Wake and Volume buttons so visitors can’t power off or mute the device.
   • Disable Motion to prevent screen rotation.
   • Draw circles over any screen areas you want to make touch-dead (useful for blocking a back button).
   • Set a Time Limit if you want sessions to auto-end after a fixed duration.
4. Tap Start in the top-right corner.

The iPad is now in kiosk mode. The Home Screen is unreachable, swipes from the bottom are blocked, and Control Center is disabled. The visitor sees only the app.

Ending a Guided Access session

Triple-click the side or Home button, enter the passcode (or use Face ID/Touch ID), and tap End in the top-left corner.

The one limitation to know

Guided Access does not survive a reboot. If the battery drains, an update installs overnight, or someone force-restarts the device, the iPad boots back to the Home Screen. For a single lobby iPad with staff on site each morning, that’s manageable — someone re-engages Guided Access when they arrive. For an unattended kiosk in a remote office or warehouse, it’s a problem. That’s what Single App Mode solves.

Method 2: Single App Mode via Apple Configurator (persistent, free)

Single App Mode is the production-grade version of iPad kiosk mode. The iPad boots directly into the locked app after every restart, OS update, or battery drain — with no staff intervention. It requires the iPad to be supervised, which means erasing it and re-preparing it through Apple Configurator 2 (a free Mac app).

Step 1: Supervise the iPad

1. Download Apple Configurator 2 from the Mac App Store (free).
2. Connect the iPad to your Mac via USB.
3. Click Prepare in Apple Configurator, check Supervise devices, and complete the wizard. This factory-resets the iPad — back up anything on it first.
4. Reinstall your kiosk app after preparation is complete.

Step 2: Enable Single App Mode

With the supervised iPad still connected via USB:

1. In Apple Configurator, click the iPad.
2. Choose Actions → Advanced → Start Single App Mode.
3. Select the app to lock to (it must already be installed).
4. Click Select.

The iPad immediately relaunches into the chosen app, locked. Home button, app switcher, Control Center, Notification Center — all disabled. Every reboot returns to the same app automatically.

Step 3: Tighten the kiosk profile (recommended)

Push a Restrictions configuration profile to disable features that Single App Mode doesn’t cover on its own: screenshots, AirDrop, AirPrint, Siri, Bluetooth pairing changes, and iPadOS update prompts. These take five minutes in Apple Configurator and meaningfully reduce the attack surface of a public-facing kiosk.

Exiting Single App Mode

Connect the iPad back to the same Mac, open Apple Configurator, and choose Actions → Advanced → Stop Single App Mode. There is no on-device way out.

Method 3: MDM kiosk mode — Jamf, Intune, Mosyle, ManageEngine, Kandji

For any deployment larger than about 20 iPads, or any deployment where you can’t periodically connect iPads to a Mac, an MDM (mobile device management) platform pushes Single App Mode over the air. You configure the lock once in a web dashboard, scope it to a device group, and every iPad in that group locks within minutes — no USB cable, no per-device touch.

The core configuration is identical across MDMs: create a Single App Mode payload, enter the kiosk app’s bundle ID, and scope to your supervised iPads.

Microsoft Intune: Devices → Configuration → Create profile → iOS/iPadOS → Templates → Device features → App Single App Mode → enter bundle ID (e.g. io.instacheckin.app) → assign to group.

Jamf Pro: Configuration Profiles → New → Single App Mode payload → bundle ID → scope to a smart group filtered on Supervised = Yes.

Mosyle: Profiles → iOS/iPadOS → Single App Mode → choose app → assign.

ManageEngine MDM: Profiles → Apple → iOS Profile → Restrictions → Single App Mode → bundle ID.

Kandji: Library → Single App Mode → choose app → assign to the kiosk Blueprint.

Production tips that apply to all MDMs:

• Pair the Single App Mode profile with a Restrictions payload — block screenshots, AirDrop, AirPrint, Siri, and the App Store.
• Add a Web Content Filter if your kiosk app uses an embedded browser for redirect flows; allowlist only the domains it needs.
• Use deferred software updates so iPadOS updates apply only after you’ve validated the kiosk app works on the new version.
• Enable lost mode so stolen or misplaced kiosk iPads can be remote-wiped.

Apple iPad kiosk mode for visitor sign-in

One of the most common real-world deployments of Apple iPad kiosk mode is the front-desk visitor sign-in station. A wall-mounted or stand-mounted iPad running a visitor management app greets guests at the lobby, collects their name and host, captures a photo or signature if required, and notifies the host via SMS or Slack — all without a receptionist needing to be present.

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Reception · Building 1

The iPad kiosk mode setup for visitor sign-in follows the same steps above, with one addition: most purpose-built visitor sign-in apps — InstaCheckin included — support Autonomous Single App Mode (ASAM). The app locks itself between visitor sessions and unlocks briefly for staff (for admin settings or overrides) without anyone touching Settings or entering a passcode. This means the iPad stays locked in kiosk mode automatically across the entire business day.

For a single office, Guided Access is enough to get running in under five minutes. For a multi-site organization where lobby iPads sit unattended overnight, the right setup is Single App Mode via MDM, a Restrictions profile blocking screenshots and AirDrop, and deferred updates managed from the MDM console.

InstaCheckin’s visitor check-in app is built for iPad kiosk mode deployments in offices, schools, manufacturing facilities, and events. It runs in Guided Access out of the box and supports ASAM for MDM-managed fleets. Start a free trial to see it running in kiosk mode on your own iPad.

How to exit iPad kiosk mode

The exit procedure depends on which method you used:

• Guided Access: Triple-click the side (or Home) button → enter the Guided Access passcode → tap End. If Face ID or Touch ID was enabled, double-click and authenticate.
• Forgotten Guided Access passcode: Force-restart the iPad. On Face ID iPads: press and release Volume Up, press and release Volume Down, hold the top button until the Apple logo appears. On Home button iPads: hold Home and the top button together. The reboot ends the session.
• Single App Mode (Apple Configurator): Connect the iPad to the Mac via USB → Apple Configurator → Actions → Advanced → Stop Single App Mode.
• Single App Mode (MDM): Remove the Single App Mode configuration profile from the device’s scope in your MDM console, or push an updated profile with Single App Mode disabled. The iPad relaunches to the Home Screen within minutes.
• Autonomous Single App Mode: The app’s own admin flow exits ASAM programmatically. Removing the com.apple.app.lock allowlist profile from the MDM also disables it.

Common questions about putting an iPad in kiosk mode

Does iPad kiosk mode work with Bluetooth printers?

Yes. Bluetooth printer pairing is unaffected by Guided Access or Single App Mode as long as the kiosk app has Bluetooth permission. Pair the printer first in Settings → Bluetooth, then start kiosk mode. For supervised deployments, an MDM Restrictions payload can prevent users from disconnecting or re-pairing devices.

Can I lock the iPad to a specific website?

Yes. Open the URL in Safari (or a dedicated kiosk browser), then start Guided Access. For a managed deployment, combine a Web Content Filter payload (allowlisting the target URL) with Single App Mode locked to Safari or the kiosk browser.

Will an iPadOS update break my kiosk?

Single App Mode and Guided Access both survive iPadOS updates. The two ways an update can break a kiosk are: (1) the kiosk app becomes incompatible with the new iPadOS version, or (2) a new system UI element appears that the user can now reach. Mitigate both by deferring iPadOS updates in your MDM until you’ve validated the new version.

Can visitors take screenshots while the iPad is in kiosk mode?

By default, yes — Guided Access does not block screenshots. Push a Restrictions configuration profile via Apple Configurator or your MDM to disable screenshot capture if your kiosk displays content that shouldn’t be captured.

Is iPad kiosk mode the same as iPhone kiosk mode?

Functionally yes. Guided Access and Single App Mode work identically on iPhone (iOS) and iPad (iPadOS), and the MDM payloads use the same keys. Most kiosk deployments use iPad rather than iPhone because the larger screen is better suited to sign-in forms, ordering flows, and self-service interactions.