Show someone one photo without letting them scroll
Handing over your phone exposes your whole camera roll. Guided Access stops the swipe, and a few simpler habits help when you have no time to set it up.
Use Guided Access. Open the photo, start a session with Siri, Control Center or the Accessibility Shortcut, turn off Touch under Session Settings and tap Start. They can look but cannot swipe, and you end the session with your passcode or Face ID. You have to turn the feature on in Settings once, so do it before you need it.
It happens at dinner, at work, at a family party. You pull up a picture, hand your phone across the table and watch a thumb start moving.
Set up Guided Access once
- Open Settings, tap Accessibility, then tap Guided Access.
- Turn on Guided Access.
- Tap Passcode Settings and turn on Face ID or set a Guided Access passcode.
Use it when you hand over the phone
- Open the photo.
- Start Guided Access: ask Siri, use Control Center if you added it there, or use the Accessibility Shortcut.
- Tap Session Settings, turn off Touch, then tap Done.
- Tap Start.
To get out, triple-click the side button, or the Home button on iPhone SE, and use your passcode or Face ID. Apple warns that Crash Detection and emergency calling are unavailable during a session, so end it once you have your phone back. Our Guided Access guide has more detail.
When you have five seconds and no setup
- Keep hold of the phone. Turn the screen toward them and keep your thumb on it. It feels slightly awkward and works every time.
- Send it. AirDrop or Messages gets the one picture across. In the share sheet, tap Options and turn off Location if you would rather not send where it was taken.
- Use a small album. A dedicated album limits what is next to the photo when they swipe, though the Back button still leads to everything else.
Reduce what a swipe can find
Guided Access covers a single moment. If your camera roll holds things you never want someone to swipe into, move them. The Hidden album takes them out of the main library, behind Face ID or your passcode. Backroom keeps them in a separate encrypted vault behind a pattern, and the picture does not appear in Photos at all once you delete the original there.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a setting that blocks swiping in Photos?
Apple offers no such setting inside Photos. Guided Access works across the whole phone, which is why it does the job here.
Do people notice Guided Access?
They will find that swiping does nothing. Most people will not think much of it, but anyone paying attention can tell the phone is restricted.
Can I send the photo to their phone instead?
Yes, and that keeps your phone in your hand. Remember that they then keep a copy, along with its location if you leave that on in the share Options.