What is iOS kiosk mode? How to enable & manage Single App Mode

Whether you're a franchise owner with 4,000 point-of-sale iPads or a small business using customer-facing devices, kiosk mode (officially called Single App Mode or SAM) is the best way to lock down the iOS/iPadOS software to a single app for dedicated purposes like POS systems, exams, or digital signage.

What is iOS kiosk mode (Single App Mode)?

Kiosk mode on iOS, also known as Single App Mode (SAM), is a feature for supervised iPhones and iPads that restricts the device to running only one app.

When SAM or "Single App Lock" is enabled:

• The assigned app stays locked in the foreground without exit options.

• The Home button, Settings, and other apps are disabled.

• Admins control SAM via mobile device management (MDM) on supervised devices.

• To exit, an admin must send an MDM command or adjust the configuration profile.

This setting ensures that devices only run a specific, intended app and maintain a secure and focused environment.

Key features of Single App Mode

Admins can configure SAM to:

• Disable screen touches, rotation, or hardware buttons (volume, sleep/wake).

• Prevent auto-lock or enable accessibility features (VoiceOver, Zoom).

• Restrict app switching until an MDM command exits SAM.

When to use Single App Mode

As a sysadmin, I can't tell you the number of times I'd come into work one morning to find that some users in one of my departments (rhymes with "smales") had taken an entire conference room offline the night before in their attempts to watch golf off the iPad. Tale as old as time.

But no matter your industry, Single App Mode is a simple trick that alleviates device frustrations and improves business use compliance.

Not convinced? Fine, then I'll dazzle you with my use cases: 

1. Enterprise

   • Zoom Rooms: End users, like six-year-olds, will start to press buttons if you put them near an idle iPad with nothing to do. This is where SAM comes in clutch. Enabling SAM for Zoom in your Zoom Rooms is the best way to remove that temptation while maintaining your video conference rooms with minimal upkeep.

2. Retail

   • Point of sale: Suppose you're a small business or restaurant owner using an iPad as your POS system alongside a payment app. With SAM, iOS devices become POS terminals in Single App Mode, only running necessary payment or inventory apps — and preventing accidental switches during training or peak hours.

3. Education

   • Web kiosks: SAM is ideal for keeping learning devices browser-focused. Sprinkle in 10–15 allowed websites with a web content filter configuration profile and a principle of least privilege management approach for content control, and perhaps you can minimize unexpected tech issues from computer-savvy students.

   • Exams: Lock tablets in SAM to restrict students to the testing app, preventing access to other apps, search engines, and settings.

4. Public kiosks

   • Digital signage: Display interactive menus or ads without interruptions.

   • Guest devices: Limit hotel/event iPads to survey or check-in apps.

What is Autonomous Single App Mode (ASAM)?

Autonomous Single App Mode (ASAM) lets apps enable or disable Single App Mode autonomously (without intervention from an MDM solution) in specific scenarios.

ASAM allows the app to programmatically lock the device into single-app mode and unlock it after the user has completed the task.

Example use case:

• A testing app locks itself during a standardized examination.

How to enable kiosk mode

You can activate kiosk mode with an MDM or without an MDM, depending on your needs.

Option 1: Guided Access (no MDM)

If you don't have an MDM, a poor man's kiosk mode is already integrated into Apple's iOS Accessibility features. This feature is called Guided Access Mode.

Here's how to set it up on an iOS device:

1. Navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access.

2. Toggle the switch to On to enable.

3. On an iOS device, navigate to the application to which you'd like to lock the device.

4. Triple click [home] button [model specific] to start Guided Access Mode and click Start.

5. Set and verify the Guided Access Mode passcode to lock the application to your screen.

To stop Guided Access Mode, triple-click the [home] button [model specific] and enter the Guided Access Passcode you set previously. Then click End.

Limitation: This feature gives you a locked application screen, but no further remote management capabilities — ideal for single devices.

Option 2: MDM (recommended for businesses)

With SimpleMDM:

1. Create a SAM profile:

   • Navigate to Configs > Profiles > Create Profile > Single App Lock.

   • Enter the App ID (e.g. Set the App Identifier field to Chrome (com.google.chrome.ios).

2. Deploy to devices:

   • Assign the profile to device groups via Devices > Groups.

Example: Watch me build a Single App Lock profile for Chrome in SimpleMDM below.

How to manage kiosk mode

• Exit SAM: Send an MDM command or disable the profile.

• Update apps: Temporarily disable SAM with an MDM command to install updates.

• Monitor devices: Use MDM to track kiosk device status.

With SimpleMDM:

1. Click Devices > Groups and select a device group to view the group details screen. 

2. Click the Profiles tab, select the desired Single App Lock profile from the existing profiles list, and click Save.

Once you complete these steps, your supervised devices will enter Single App Mode or grant specified apps Autonomous Single App Mode permissions.

Now, what are you waiting for? Get your kiosk on!

If you don't already have a SimpleMDM account, you can start a free trial today.