Weakness in Single App Mode

[utahman130]

Yes, I know this is a beta. But, that being said, I don't think Apple is going to change this by the GM or release.

When you go into Single App Mode, lock it on a app, and then push home or try to lock the device, a message pops up saying

Guided Access is enabled. Triple-tap the home button to exit.

When you try to exit, it pops up with the passcode. But there is a loophole. If you hard reset the device (hold home and power together for 10 seconds, the device will restart) while in Guided Access mode, it hard resets and then you can do whatever with the device.

I found out that within my first 2 minutes playing around with Guided Access. Yes, you can set a passcode for the device, but then when the device restarts from the hard reset, iit is useless and the teacher has to come over and enter it and get them to the right app and enable Guided Access again.

The only solution I can think of is this: The only way to get out of Guided Access without the passcode is DFU mode. It is the only way we can have iDevices in schools. Disable the power button, even disable hard reset, and make the only way to get out of GA without the passcode DFU. It has to be able to be reset somehow if things go way wrong, so just disable the power and home buttons unless it detects DFU.

Just my two cents if we want to use iDevices seriously in schools.

 

[ct2k7]

You do realise what Guided Access is for, right? In most cases, the user won't want to even risk doing a hard reset.

It's intentional that it is disabled after hard reboot.

If you want to use it seriously in schools, then you have to trust the kids to use it.

 

[dejo]

Yes, I know this is a beta. But, that being said, I don't think Apple is going to change this by the GM or release.

Apple won't be able to do anything about it unless they know about it. Submit a bug report.

 

[WordMasterRice]

I'm hesitant to even call this a software bug. It's a bit like saying that locking you into a program on your computer is useless because you can hold the power button and it still turns off, or if you pull the plug out of the wall it resets.

 

[Small White Car]

I found out that within my first 2 minutes playing around with Guided Access. Yes, you can set a passcode for the device, but then when the device restarts from the hard reset, iit is useless and the teacher has to come over and enter it and get them to the right app and enable Guided Access again.

I'm confused. If a kid was trying to cheat on a test or something wouldn't this be what you'd want to happen?

 

[utahman130]

I'm confused. If a kid was trying to cheat on a test or something wouldn't this be what you'd want to happen?

I'm saying that you should not be able to get out of GA at all except through DFU mode.

 

[Small White Car]

I'm saying that you should not be able to get out of GA at all except through DFU mode.

Seems awfully inconvenient when one of them locks up. It's certain to happen fairly often with such a large number being used all at once. I'd rather have a quick fix if I were a teacher.

 

[8a22a]

I think the main weakness in only been able to disable an fixed area of the screen rather than individual buttons and features.

 

[Vizin]

.

 

[ajvizzgamer101]

Yes, I know this is a beta. But, that being said, I don't think Apple is going to change this by the GM or release.

When you go into Single App Mode, lock it on a app, and then push home or try to lock the device, a message pops up saying When you try to exit, it pops up with the passcode. But there is a loophole. If you hard reset the device (hold home and power together for 10 seconds, the device will restart) while in Guided Access mode, it hard resets and then you can do whatever with the device.

I found out that within my first 2 minutes playing around with Guided Access. Yes, you can set a passcode for the device, but then when the device restarts from the hard reset, iit is useless and the teacher has to come over and enter it and get them to the right app and enable Guided Access again.

The only solution I can think of is this: The only way to get out of Guided Access without the passcode is DFU mode. It is the only way we can have iDevices in schools. Disable the power button, even disable hard reset, and make the only way to get out of GA without the passcode DFU. It has to be able to be reset somehow if things go way wrong, so just disable the power and home buttons unless it detects DFU.

Just my two cents if we want to use iDevices seriously in schools.

The target consumer mostly are kids. I doubt this will be a major problem and if the app is broken the thing you don't want is to go back into is the app.

 

[butterwt]

its not just schools

there are other uses for single app mode. Hotels are using iPads in rooms and this feature is really important to stop previous guests leaving traces of their stay on the Ipad. So its important that the hotel guest can't get out of the App and the whole purpose of this feature is surely is to stop this - so the ipad should be coded to a device - like a Mac with an app like the iPad configuration tool on the App store.