Guided Access for Mac

Stop accidental toddler input on your Mac.

macOS has no Guided Access. For $9 one-time, Mac Input Lock blocks every keyboard, mouse, and trackpad while videos, calls, and audio keep playing.

Get the official app — $9 How it works

One-time purchase · Open source · Apple notarized · macOS 14 or later

▶Still playing
⌨ Keyboard◉ Trackpad↖ Mouse
Input locked

The short answer

Does Mac have Guided Access?

macOS does not include the same Guided Access feature available on iPhone and iPad. Mac Input Lock solves the part many parents actually need: stopping accidental keyboard, trackpad, and mouse input without pausing what the child is watching or hearing.

It does not trap someone inside a particular app or provide parental controls. It simply makes local input inert until you type your chosen unlock sequence.

Built for ordinary chaos

Useful whenever a toddler shares your screen.

The picture, sound, camera, and microphone continue normally. Only the controls stop responding.

▶

Watching videos

Keep a show, movie, or family video playing when little hands reach for the keyboard or trackpad.

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Family video calls

Prevent accidental hang-ups, muting, window changes, and surprise messages while the camera and microphone stay live.

♫

Music and audio stories

Let music, an audiobook, or a bedtime story continue without skipped tracks, volume changes, or random shortcuts.

▦

Photos and memories

Leave a photo slideshow or shared album on screen without clicks opening something else.

Simple on purpose

Choose. Start. Unlock.

There are no child profiles, accounts, content filters, or complicated modes.

  1. 1

    Choose an unlock sequence

    Enter one or more visible, case-sensitive characters you will remember.

  2. 2

    Press Start

    A five-second countdown gives you time to put the Mac where you want it.

  3. 3

    Type to unlock

    Enter the exact key sequence and every input becomes responsive again.

Clear limits

It is an input lock—not a password.

The unlock sequence is a convenience and can be any length of one character or more. Mac Input Lock is designed to stop accidental toddler input, not to secure your Mac from another person.

If the menu-bar padlock is hidden, open Mac Input Lock again from Applications, Launchpad, or Spotlight to show its full control window. You can optionally keep it visible in the Dock too.

If you cannot unlock, hold the physical power or Touch ID button until the Mac turns off, then restart. Unsaved work may be lost.

Keep the controls predictable.

Choose and test your unlock sequence before sharing the screen. Press Control–Option–Command–D to lock immediately, then press the same shortcut again to unlock. Physical power controls remain under macOS control; the app does not override normal sleep settings.

The same approach helps when a curious pet walks across the keyboard. For other uses, read the keyboard-cleaning guide or compare Mac input locks.

Your calls, videos, and music keep playing.

Open source under MIT. The official ready-to-install app costs $9 once, including automatic updates. You can also build it yourself for free.

Get the official app — $9 View the free source →