Auto/Lock Not working under Guided Access

My 5yr old uses his 9.7" iPad (MP2J2LL/A) as an AAC speech device. It's in essence his voice because he is non verbal. We have his speech app under guided access so it is the only app installed on his ipad. After the last OS update, the auto sleep/lock function (which was working before we updated to the latest OS) has stopped working which is draining his battery and making it a challenge for his voice to last through the day. (with the auto sleep, a single charge would work 2-3 days). My son is unable to manually lock/sleep his device. All the settings are correct and have not changed. Is there a fix in the works? This is his voice after all. Please advise!


***I just tested before positing ... The auto/lock setting in display is set to 2minutes ... 20 minutes later , it has not gone to sleep.***

Posted on Jun 20, 2018 9:34 AM

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59 replies

Sep 24, 2018 10:55 AM in response to betiux

I have 14 iPads that I uses as 'kiosks' for user feedback at our company. These iPads stay on 24/7 in Guided Access mode. After the iOS 12 upgraded, all of the iPad screens go dark after 15 minutes of inactivity (even though I have the auto-lock set to 'never'). I rolled them back to iOS 11.4 and they're all working fine again. Sure seems like a bug in iOS12 to me.

Oct 3, 2018 10:31 AM in response to rfuller783

Per Engineering, this is the way guided access is supposed to work... So I guess they consider it fixed and are not working on it anymore. I tend to disagree, since pre 11.4 upgrade in May, it used to sleep/lock at the minute mark set in display brightness Settings. So Guided Access Support submitted a feature request for me asking for a change to have the sleep/lock control minute control function within Guided access... we'll see how that goes since I am sure they receive millions of feature requests. At this point, if we all could submit a feature request to have the sleep/lock control minute control function within Guided access that would be great. That would really be our best course of action unless if you know anybody who has Tim Cooks phone on speed dial. I am really disappointed. It makes absolutely no sense for Guided Access to ignore those settings.

Oct 3, 2018 3:02 PM in response to rfuller783

That's what they told me in May. Good luck with that . :-) Read previous posts. Just wondering, did you call the Accessibility support or main tech support. If it's main tech support, your complaint is not going to get routed correctly. I have had the experience of talking to them and even the Accessibility support team to only find that they did not record my conversation. They really have no power to solve things (especially something that engineering has to fix) so I think alot of times they just mouthpiece complaints, but really don't do anything. Last I heard from them, I got a call when they got an update from engineering on the matter. According to engineering, the lock/sleep controls in display brightness settings are disabled on purpose and that's how it's supposed to work (I completely disagree ... that makes no sense). Per that conversation, Engineering had stated that they consider the matter fixed and they do not consider it a bug anymore (device lock/sleeps at 12minutes no matter what). Unless things have changed, they submitted a feature request and that was that. I can say that there is a huge community of families who have non verbal disabled children who use the Guided Access feature to assist their kids in using the ipad as a speech device (it is in essence their voice). You can imagine the frustration levels when these ipads don't make it through the day since they end up being continuously on. I hope you are right in what they told you, but at this point, I no longer trust them. We all just seem to get the run around. I do hope they fix this.

Oct 5, 2018 11:57 AM in response to cyphersoft

We've all been getting alot of double talk. Now did you talk to Accessibility Support or Tech Support (yes there is a difference). The Accessibility support deals wholly with Guided Access issues and I spoke with them yesterday confirming the information they had gotten from engineering that the way it is working on iOS 12 is the way it was intended and engineered to work (don't ask me whose bright idea that was since it makes no sense). But apparently Apple has "engineered"their current itteration of iOS12 to ignore the autosleep lock settings. So I am not saying you are wrong... what I am saying is that Apple tech support unfortunately is giving alot of double talk, and honestly I don't trust what they are saying since it sounds like it's just PR talk to keep things quiet ... or until there are enough disgruntled users that they actually have to invest time and money to resolve the issue (and I know it's not tech supports fault ... they can't do anything but pass down our complaints). So a bug or a feature request ... either way, until it is a big enough stink, doubt they will fix it.

Oct 3, 2018 9:34 AM in response to betiux

I am having the same issue since upgrading to iOS12. I have three iPad mini's in conference rooms at work that are connected to all the AV equipment. I use the Logitech Harmony Hub app so people that walk in only have to tap on screen and it turns on the correct equipment and they are good to go. Before iOS 12, I had it set to never lock and had no issues. I updated all the iPads when iOS 12 came out and now they all keep falling asleep after 5 minutes, when all set to Never.


I wiped all the devices and started from scratch and re-setup thinking that may fix it. Nothing. They all still go to sleep in guided access mode. This is a major bug I think as I know iPads are used as kiosks everywhere now that need to stay on 24/7.


Anything from Apple on this?

Oct 5, 2018 12:22 PM in response to LauraGSLP

I completely agree. It becomes a safety issue if the child's battery runs out before the end of the day and they in essence have no voice. How to ask for help? How to ask to go to the bathroom? How to tell someone they don't feel good? If you have any iPads running 11.3.1 they should still work fine ... anything post 11.4 won't so don't upgrade them if they are still pre 11.4. Thank you... any additional pressure for a fix will help.

Oct 3, 2018 5:04 PM in response to betiux

I know they won't contact me when issue is fixed, but when I explained how I use iPads and once I said "when I installed iOS 12,m my guided access and lock screen stopped working" she acted like she knew exactly what I was talking about and did sound sincere. I know they are first level support and don't have much say so, but it could be one of those things where if they get enough people calling in and them creating tickets for same thing it may make a difference.


I'm not holding breath by any means on a fix coming soon, but wanted to call to confirm my suspicions that it is software related and not something I was doing wrong for all three iPads to start doing the same thing all at once. For now, I've let everyone know where I work how to use iPad until fixed. Small inconvenience but not a huge deal right now.


Hope they are able to fix for the people that really need this fixed and rely on it.

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Auto/Lock Not working under Guided Access

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