It becomes almost a daily occurrence that a sneaky student likes to create mischief and lock a classroom iPad with a Passcode. Let’s face it. It’s not hard for anyone to do, especially when the Settings app is constantly exposed, and any technical mishaps during instructions can often become discouraging to the classroom teacher.

Although iPads and other Apple products are designed for the individual user, there may be a slight way around this so a device can be more securing when needing to be shared. Keep in mind, an iPad can house at least three different passcodes for three different services. In another post, we’ll discuss a summary of tips, security features, accounts, and other information to keep an iPad healthy.

Lock Screen Passcode

Teachers often don’t add a lock screen passcode to their iPads for a few reasons:

  • The need to share their passcodes with other teachers. So they need to send a passcode to next teacher in addition to the iPad itself…annoying!
  • They don’t like to memorize passcodes.  Heck, I can barely remember my children’s names at times.
  • They have to enter them every single time a student needs to use an iPad.

Try this option instead

Turn on the passcode options. Sticking with a 4-digit passcode will be fine and easier to memorize. To help you remember the passcode we usually recommend using your class room phone extension, the last 4 digits of the campus phone number, or last 4 digits of the campus fax number.  Yes, you will still have to enter the passcode for each iPad at the beginning of the day, but if they’re going to be used consistently, then you won’t have to do it that often.

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Scroll down to Touch ID & Passcode in the left-hand side menu and tap on it.
  3. Tap on the Turn Passcode On option
  4. Before entering the difficult 6-digit passcode option, tap on Passcode Options above the onscreen number pad and then tap on 4-Digit Number Code
  5. Proceed with enter a 4-digit passcode. You’ll need to enter it a second time to for confirmation purposes
  6. Once the passcode is set, tap on Require Passcode. It’s default setting is to Immediately. This requires a passcode every time the iPad is turned back on
  7. Instead of the Immediately setting, choose the longest settings. Some devices might say After 4 hours other devices might say After 1 hour. To a normal user this might not seem very secure, but for a classroom setting it’s a setup for less future headaches

Setting the passcodes up this way will prevent students from creating a passcode or enter the passcode menu and change other settings like Touch ID (thumb print access) and other options.

Other options in the Touch ID & Passcode menu are below. These don’t necessarily turn the functions or services off. Rather, users are not able to access them at the lock screen.  Depending on the device, you may not see all these options.

  • Today View
  • Recent Notifications
  • Control Center
  • Siri
  • Home Control
  • Return Missed Calls
  • Erase Data option

If you have any further questions, consult your CITS!