iPad Mini 6 - Unable to Disable Guided Access

Solution!! (for now at least)

End a Guided Access session

Triple-click the Side or Home button, enter your Guided Access passcode, then tap End. Or if you turned on Touch ID or Face ID for Guided Access, double-click the Side or Home button.

I just got the iPad Mini 6 and have been experiencing this issue as well. I am currently using Touch ID, and even though the iPad states “Triple Click to End Guided Access”, my iPad will freeze up if I do that.

My solution that has worked every time since discovering it, is to double-click the Top Button(TouchID/Lock/Home Button), follow the second click with immediately resting(not clicking) your TouchID enrolled finger. iPad Mini then seems to unlock without an issue.

Update: I have noticed if you wait too long after the second-click of the TouchID/Lock Button, that this workaround is less consistent with being successful.

I’m sure in the next few weeks, we will see a supplemental iOS update that will fix this bug so guided access works normally again.

I made this short clip to help demonstrate this workaround. (YouTube link below)

https://youtu.be/WbMNPNRu0no

I faced this issue and I was ready to let the device to go flat and reboot on charging. I was even tempted to erase the device via Find My app.

Then I realised I have one more option which I thought could work.

I already had a Bluetooth mouse paired with my iPad. When I was facing the issue, my mouse wasn't connected.

So this time, I connected my mouse and I was able to use it while the app was under Guided Access mode. I triple-clicked the Power button and the passcode panel came up. To my surprise, I could actually use my mouse and clicked on the digits to my passcode and I got out of that buggy Guided Access mode.

Finally..

Do take note. This only works if you have already paired a Bluetooth mouse beforehand. I don't think you can pair a Bluetooth mouse whilst in Guided Access mode.

I had the same issue. Tried all the suggestions here, nothing worked. I let the iPad battery go flat, put it on to charge and it unlocked itself once it turned back on. Thankfully this worked, as my son uses it as a communication device as he is nonverbal, it would have been a major issue if I couldn’t get it to work again

found an easier solution.. i activated the assistive touch first.

rest the registered finger to unlock the ipad on the power button then click the assistive touch home button shortcut.. no need to triple click the power button 🥲

As to whether you have identified a bug with Guided Access with iPadOS15, I cannot immediately comment - but hope that the following may be of help…

The only way to get out of Guided Access is to press the Home and Power button together for 15 seconds. This should turn off Guided Access by forcibly rebooting your device. Once your device is restarted, you can then go to Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access > Guided Access - and turn off Guided Access if needed.

Use Guided Access on iPad - Apple Support

Use Guided Access with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support

Yes! This has been happening to me from day one. Have had to get into the iPad with “find my” to erase because even the hard restart wouldn’t work. Very frustrating. Contacted apple support and one said it was a known issue and the another seemed like they didn’t know anything about it. New update to iOS 15.0.1 didn’t fix the problem.

Also, it didn’t happen with iOS 15 on my previous iPad Pro 11.

iPhone XS here, same issue, but iOS 15.1 has not resolved it.

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I have the exact same issue. It’s very annoying

Same problem here with a 9th gen iPad I just purchased, set up from scratch. Only way to leave guided access is to reboot.

Thank you! This helped a bunch. I am having the same issue.

Dayum.. your method sounds like some cheat code move while playing some console games!

thank you so much! this saves me from going to apple store and from returning the ipad 🤣🤣🤣🤣