Real situations

My kids use my iPhone

Kids are fast. One minute they're playing a game, the next they're in your photos. A few settings keep the phone fun for them and private for you.

Updated 1 November 20262 min readBy the VaultBolt team

Short answerUse Guided Access to lock the phone to one app while they play, lock the Photos app with Face ID, and keep private photos in a vault with its own code so they never appear in Photos at all.

While they play

Turn on Guided Access (Settings → Accessibility) and start it in the game. They can't leave the app.

Lock Photos

Touch and hold the Photos icon → Require Face ID.

Keep private photos out of Photos

Move them into a vault and use the clean-up so nothing private is left in the camera roll, Hidden or Recently Deleted. Kids who know your passcode can't open a vault with its own code.

Turn off Memories surprises

Photos Memories and widgets can surface old photos. Hiding or moving private photos keeps them out.

Frequently asked questions

Can I lock my child into one app?

Yes. Guided Access keeps the iPhone in one app until you triple-click the side button and enter a code.

Sources

Apple: Lock or hide an app on iPhone

VaultBolt team
We build an encrypted photo vault for iPhone and iPad. We check Apple instructions against current Apple Support documentation and update guides when iOS changes.

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