Support

Need a hand? Most answers are below. If not, email [email protected] and we'll get back to you.

Set up the lock (3 switches, about 2 minutes)

No app can lock your phone on its own. Apple only allows it through Guided Access, which is built into every iPhone and iPad. Do these once and Baby Mode locks itself every time it opens. The app has the same steps with pictures: on the home screen, hold How to set up.

1. Download Baby Mode from the App Store. Pre-order it now, and join the waitlist to be one of the first 300 families who get the full app free.
2. Turn on Apple's baby lock. Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access → On. Then Passcode Settings → Set Guided Access Passcode, and turn on Face ID. Back in Guided Access, set Display Auto-Lock to Never.
3. Triple-click to lock and unlock. Settings → Accessibility → Accessibility Shortcut (at the very bottom) → tick only Guided Access.
4. Lock Baby Mode as it opens. In the Shortcuts app: Automation → New Automation → App → choose Baby Mode, tick Is Opened and Run Immediately → Next → New Blank Automation → Add Action → Start Guided Access → Done.
5. Test it. Open Baby Mode, swipe home, then open it again. It should lock right away. While it's locked, triple-click, look at your phone and tap Options: turn Side Button off and keep Touch on. Turn Volume Buttons off too if little hands like to mute it. Tap Done, then Resume.
6. Babyproof your lock screen too. Settings → Face ID & Passcode → Allow Access When Locked: turn off everything except Siri. Just below, make sure Erase Data is off, so 10 wrong passcode guesses can't wipe your phone.

Now when your baby grabs your phone, say "Siri, open Baby Mode." It opens and locks, the o in "mode" clicks shut into a padlock, and a green Locked pill shows at the top. Your phone needs to be unlocked for Siri to open it. To keep it unlocked more often, set Auto-Lock to 5 minutes (Settings → Display & Brightness).

Want a button too? Settings → Action Button → Shortcut → Start Baby Mode. For Back Tap, add the Baby Lock shortcut from the setup guide in the app (hold Add Baby Lock), then Settings → Accessibility → Touch → Back Tap → Double Tap → Baby Lock.

Want it to open straight into one lock screen? Hold Settings on the home screen and pick a Start screen.

Get out of Baby Mode

Triple-click the side button (or the Home button on older iPhones), look at your phone or enter your Guided Access passcode, and tap End.

Get back to the home screen

From a lock screen, hold the menu button in the top-left corner for 2 seconds, then tap 1, 2, 3 in order. The quick tap check keeps a baby holding the corner from getting in.

Switch lock screens

While playing, hold the button in the top-right corner for 2 seconds. Or go back to the home screen and pick a card. There are ten, from calmest to most playful: Black, Dark, Sky Writing, Light, Beach, Paint, Pop It, Switchboard, Faces and Mod.

Unlock Everything

Black, Sky Writing, Light and Mod are free. Unlock Everything is a one-time purchase that opens Dark, Beach, Paint, Pop It, Switchboard, Faces and every future lock screen. On the home screen, hold Unlock all, or hold any locked card. Restore Purchases and Redeem a code are on the same screen. With Family Sharing on, one purchase covers your family's devices.

Add family faces

1. On the Baby Mode home screen, hold Family faces for a moment.
2. Tap Take a selfie or Choose a photo. The face is found and cut out for you.
3. Type a name, then tap Record hello and say something sweet. You have up to 4 seconds.

On the Faces lock screen, your baby taps a smiley circle to find a face. They can drag it around, and it pops into confetti right after it says hello.

Sound and vibration

On the home screen, hold Settings for a moment and switch Sound or Vibration on or off. Chimes still play when your phone's ring switch is on silent.

Settings

• Start screen: where Baby Mode goes when it opens. Home, or straight into any lock screen.
• Grown-up hold time: how long to hold the menu and switch buttons, 1 to 3 seconds. Make it longer as your little one figures it out.
• Calm mode: slower, fewer bubbles and softer chimes, great for bedtime.
• Grown-up hints: show or hide the small labels at the top of the screen.

Troubleshooting

• Baby Mode opens but doesn't lock? Look for "Tap here to lock" on the home screen. Check that Guided Access is on (step 2), and that your automation says Baby Mode, Is Opened, Run Immediately (step 4). Then open the setup guide in the app and tap Test my lock.
• Siri doesn't open it? Your iPhone has to be unlocked first. Try "Siri, open Baby Mode" while it's unlocked, and check that Siri is on in Settings → Siri.
• Triple-click shows a menu instead of unlocking? Settings → Accessibility → Accessibility Shortcut, and untick everything except Guided Access.
• Locked, but the screen ignores taps? Triple-click, tap Options and turn Touch on.
• The screen turns off when the side button is pressed? Triple-click, tap Options and turn Side Button off.
• No sound? Turn up the volume with the side buttons before it locks, and check that Sound is on in the app.
• Can't record a hello? Settings → Baby Mode → turn on Microphone.
• Camera or photos won't open? Settings → Baby Mode → allow Camera and Photos.
• Bought it on another device? Hold Unlock all on the home screen and tap Restore Purchases.