getting out of Single-App Mode (iOS)

ChrisJScott-wor
New Contributor III

Is there ANY way to get an iOS device out of "single app mode" from the device itself (or does it have to be disabled via JAMF before anybody can access the device)? Can't seem to find any documentation on this?

For example, I have an ipad I want to use as a Zoom Room controller and I don't want normal citizens to be able to escape from the Zoom controller app, but I DO want a technician to be able to get into the device when troubleshooting w/o having to first push a config profile update.

6 REPLIES 6

jared_f
Valued Contributor

@ChrisJScott-work If you push single app mode out via a configuration profile, then your techs must remove it by excluding the device from the configuration profile.

If you want single app mode handled on the device, go to settings>general>accessibility and scroll down to "Guided Access", once you enable this, you can triple click the home button while in the app you want it to be and it will be locked with a passcode you set. Triple click if you want to get out of it.

Jared

lindells
New Contributor

One problem with Guided Access on Zoom Room controller iPads: When iOS downloads an update, it will "fall out of" Guided Access, and may lock, requiring an admin to put in an access code. Great if this happens on a schedule, but if someone downloads the update, it will continue to fall out of Guided Access until an admin can run the update, reboot the device, and put it back into what Zoom recommends for kiosk settings.

Does single app mode get around this issue? Can iOS updates run, restart, and immediately open Zoom Room as a single app?

GregE
Contributor

It doesn't get around that problem, as typically an update is followed by a "Welcome to iOS xx.xx - press Continue".

We've set the Restrictions in our Configuration Profile to defer updates for 90 days, then schedule a time with techs on each campus and push the update out via the Action command on the Static Group when we've got tech's lined up to press 'Continue'.

sateshb
New Contributor III

Wanted to share my implementation as it give techs a simple way of getting in and out of single app mode.

Using the "Out for Repair" extension attributes which is one of the built in options, techs will set this to Yes. Once they do, the device becomes a member of a smart group that is excluded from the single app mode config profile, which in turn sends a command to remove the settings. The reverse occurs once the attribute is changed to blank.

Since our Zoom Rooms are critical, this lets everyone know the device is being works on and who is responsible.

Also have a similar implementation for handling software update and taking the device out of Single App Mode to install updates but as @GregE mentioned, there is no bypassing the "Welcome to iOS xx.xx - press Continue" screen yet.

Hope this helps.

JefferyAnderson
Contributor

@jared_f Is it not possible to push the guided access settings with Jamf? We also are using iPads for our Zoom Rooms and it's a real pain when there is a problem with the iPad or if it looses network connectivity, we cannot get into the devices. It may be worth it to remove the single app mode configuration profile from all 125 Zoom Room iPads that we have and manually go to each device to enable Guided Access with a passcode, but if we could do it via Jamf, it would sure be better.

St0rMl0rD
Contributor III

I don't think so, no.