Gullu
Guide · updated 2026-11-13

How to Set Up an iPad for a Young Child: Lock It to One App and Stop Purchases

Short answer: To hand an iPad to a young child safely, turn on Guided Access in Settings under Accessibility to lock it to one app, and block in-app purchases in Screen Time, as Apple's support pages describe. On Android, app pinning and Google Play purchase approvals do similar jobs. These steps were checked against Apple's and Google's support pages on November 11, 2026, and menus change, so follow the linked pages if yours look different.

By the Gullu team at SyntyAxis · Sources are linked in the text and listed at the end.

About these steps. Every step below comes from the official Apple or Google support page linked beside it, as those pages read on November 11, 2026. Menu names are written as they appear on those pages. Settings move between software versions, and some options depend on your country and your child's age, so treat the linked page as the final word.

How do I lock an iPad to one app (Guided Access)?

Use Guided Access. Apple says it lets you "temporarily restrict your device to a single app," which "can be useful when you let a child use your device" (Apple, Guided Access).

Set it up once (checked November 11, 2026):

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap Accessibility.
  3. Tap Guided Access, then turn on Guided Access.
  4. Tap Passcode Settings and set a Guided Access passcode. You can also choose Face ID or Touch ID as another way to end a session.

Start a session:

  1. Open the app you want your child to use.
  2. Triple-click the top button on an iPad. On an older device with a Home button, triple-click the Home button instead.
  3. If the Accessibility Shortcuts panel appears, tap Guided Access.
  4. To switch off parts of the screen, circle them with your finger.
  5. Tap Session Settings (or Options) to choose what works during the session. The list includes the top button, the volume buttons, motion, software keyboards, touch and a time limit.
  6. Tap Start.

End a session: triple-click the top button (or Home button), then enter your Guided Access passcode or use Face ID or Touch ID. Apple notes that on iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 and earlier you double-click instead. Then tap End.

Two things to know. First, the time limit shows a full-screen "Time Expired" message when it runs out, which can make stopping easier. Second, Apple warns that Crash Detection and Emergency Services are not available during Guided Access, which matters more on an iPhone than on an iPad at home.

Apple's iPad User Guide has the same steps with iPad wording (Apple, iPad User Guide).

How do I turn off in-app purchases?

Block them in Screen Time. Apple's steps (checked November 11, 2026) are:

  1. Turn on Screen Time first, if it is not on.
  2. Open the Settings app, then tap Screen Time.
  3. Tap Apps & Websites, then tap App Store.
  4. Tap In-app Purchases and select Blocked.

Source: Apple, turn off In-App Purchases. Apple's page was published on September 17, 2026, and older iPadOS versions may show different menu names.

If your child uses your own iPad, Apple suggests a second layer: require a password for every purchase. Open Settings, tap your name, tap Media & Purchases, tap Password Settings, and choose Always Require. If you do not see Password Settings, Face ID or Touch ID is already turned on for purchases (Apple, require a password).

Blocking purchases also blocks the ones you want. To buy something yourself later, set In-app Purchases back to allowed, buy it, and block again.

What is Ask to Buy?

It is Apple's approval system for a child's own Apple Account. When a child tries to download an app or buy an in-app purchase, the parent gets a request and can approve or decline it from their own device (Apple, Ask to Buy).

It needs three things first: Family Sharing set up, a Child Account for your child, and that account added to your Family Sharing group. Apple says a child should have their own Apple Account and not share one with a family member.

Turn it on from your own iPhone or iPad (checked November 11, 2026):

  1. Open the Settings app, then tap Family.
  2. Tap your child's name.
  3. Tap Apps & Websites, then tap Restrictions.
  4. Tap Ask to Buy, then turn on Require Purchase Approval.

Apple notes that Ask to Buy is on by default for children under 13, and that in some countries or regions it cannot be turned off for children under 18 (Apple, parental controls). If you decline a request, nothing is bought. If you do not answer within 24 hours, your child has to ask again.

Which one do I need?

Situation What to use
A toddler borrows your iPad for one app Guided Access, plus Always Require password
A shared family iPad signed in to your account Block In-app Purchases in Screen Time
A child has their own iPad and Child Account Ask to Buy, plus the Screen Time controls on Apple's parental controls page

The same parental controls page covers content ratings, website filtering and time allowances, which matter more as children get older.

How do I do the same on Android?

Android has matching tools, though names vary by device maker.

Lock to one app with app pinning (checked November 11, 2026; Android Help):

  1. Open your phone's Settings app.
  2. Tap Security or Security & location, then Advanced, then App pinning. If you cannot find it, Google says to get help from your device manufacturer.
  3. Turn on App pinning.
  4. Go to the screen you want to pin. Swipe up to the middle of your screen and hold. With 3-button navigation, tap Overview.
  5. At the top of the image, tap the app's icon, then tap Pin.

To unpin with gesture navigation, swipe up and hold. With 3-button navigation, touch and hold Back and Overview. Google says that when app pinning is on, you enter your PIN, pattern or password before you can unpin.

Require approval for purchases (Google For Families Help). If you are a parent in a Google family group, you can require permission for purchases and downloads on Google Play. On a computer, Google's steps are: go to g.co/yourfamily, select your child, select Go to Family Link, select Google Play, and under Purchase & download approvals choose Require approval for All content, Paid content only, In-app purchases only, or Never. Google notes these settings apply only to purchases made through Google Play's billing system.

Ask for verification on your own device (Google Play Help). Open the Google Play app, tap your profile picture, tap Payments & subscriptions, then Purchase verification, and choose an option. Google says verification is always required for purchases in an app or game designed for ages 12 and under.

What is a parental gate inside an app?

It is a small adult-level task that an app shows before certain actions. Apple's guidance for the App Store Kids category describes parental gates as "adult-level tasks that must be completed in order to continue," meant to stop children from buying in-app purchases without permission or following links out of the app (Apple Developer).

A gate is a speed bump, not a lock. An older child who can do the task can pass it. That is why the device settings above still matter.

As one example, in Gullu the parent settings sit behind a parental gate that asks a multiplication question. Gullu has no ads on iPhone, iPad and Mac, and it supports Family Sharing. The Android version shows ads. For what else to check in a children's app, see how to choose a coloring app and coloring apps for toddlers without ads.

A 5-minute checklist before handing over the tablet

  1. Open the app yourself first. Look for ads, links and purchase buttons.
  2. Turn on Guided Access (iPad) or app pinning (Android) and set a passcode your child does not know.
  3. Block in-app purchases in Screen Time, or turn on Ask to Buy for a Child Account. On Android, set purchase approvals or verification.
  4. Set a time limit in the Guided Access session settings if you want a clear end.
  5. Start the session and hand over the tablet.
  6. Stay nearby. The CDC's tips for 2- to 4-year-olds suggest no more than 1 hour of screen time a day, with an adult present (CDC, 3 years). The American Academy of Pediatrics lists parental controls for time, downloads, contacts and purchases as one part of a family media plan (AAP).

For the bigger picture on screens, see screen time and creative apps. If your child draws with a stylus, see Apple Pencil for kids.

FAQ

Does Guided Access block in-app purchases?

Not by itself. Guided Access keeps the iPad in one app, but purchases inside that app are a separate setting. Block In-app Purchases in Screen Time as well.

What if I forget the Guided Access passcode?

Apple's Guided Access page does not cover this. You can turn on Face ID or Touch ID in Passcode Settings as a second way to end a session, which helps. For anything else, contact Apple Support.

Can I use Guided Access on an iPhone?

Yes. Apple's page covers both. On an iPhone you triple-click the side button.

Is Ask to Buy available everywhere?

Apple says the settings and defaults vary by state, country or region and by the child's age. Check Apple's page for where you live.

Do these settings stop ads?

No. They control which app is open and whether purchases go through. Ads depend on the app itself, so check each app before you hand it over.

Why do my menus look different?

Apple and Google rename and move settings between versions. Apple's parental controls page says its newest controls arrived with iOS 27 and iPadOS 27. If your steps differ, open the linked support page on the device itself.

Sources

All pages opened and read on November 11, 2026.

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