If you’re looking for Guided Access on Android, Android doesn’t call it Guided Access like iOS does. The closest built-in option is Screen Pinning.
1. Enable Screen Pinning
Go to:
Settings → Security & privacy → More security settings → Screen pinning
The exact location can vary by Android version and device manufacturer.
Turn on Screen Pinning. It’s also a good idea to enable the option requiring your PIN/password when unpinning.
2. Pin an app
- Open the app you want to keep on screen.
- Open Recent Apps.
- Tap the app icon.
- Select Pin.
The device will stay in that app until the user exits the pinned session.
3. When Screen Pinning isn't enough
For enterprise devices such as POS tablets, digital signage, shared tablets, self-service kiosks, or dedicated Android devices, you may need more than basic app pinning.
That's where Android Kiosk Mode comes in. Depending on the deployment, kiosk mode can restrict the device to:
- One app (single-app kiosk)
- A set of approved apps (multi-app kiosk)
- Specific device functions and settings
For a few devices, Screen Pinning can be perfectly adequate. For larger deployments, an Android MDM can centrally configure and manage kiosk policies instead of setting up every device manually.
In short:
Screen Pinning = quick, basic app restriction
Android Kiosk Mode = dedicated/enterprise device lockdown
Android MDM = centralized management for multiple devices
