Toddler Mode · Compare
How Toddler Mode for iPhone compares to other toddler locks
Several good iPhone apps lock a phone into toddler-safe play, and they share plenty of ground. This table compares the iOS apps only. The Mac app has no counterpart in this category, so it sits outside the table.
Scroll the table sideways to see every app. iPhone apps only. Based on public App Store listings, August 2026. A dash means not offered or not advertised. App names belong to their owners.
| Feature | Toddler Mode | Baby-mode phone: ToddlerLock | BabyPhone | BabyScroll | Baby Screen Lock | Kids Mode (Suzy) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Freeno ads, no in-app purchases | Variesfree + paid tiers common in this category | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Full-screen toddler play scenes | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sounds & animations for small hands | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Works with iOS Guided Access | ✓wizard verifies the lock live | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Curated sensory videos | — | — | — | ✓high-contrast infant content | — | — |
| Mac version too | ✓free & open source | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kid-safe family photo slideshow & gallery | ✓display-only by design | — | — | — | — | — |
| Parent-scoped photo sources hand-picked · albums · all-except | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pretend phone dialer, play calls, fake Messages | ✓ | Pretend home screen | — | — | — | — |
| Camera play real viewfinder, zero photos saved | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — |
| Letters in six alphabets | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — |
| Guided Access setup wizard | ✓verifies the lock live | Mentions pairing | — | — | — | — |
| Parent gate | Math quiz + PIN + Face IDrate-limited; device passcode also works | — | — | Lock feature | Math quiz | — |
| Optional play timer calm break screen when time ends | ✓off by default | — | — | — | Timers | — |
| Calm wind-down mode | ✓Chill scene | — | — | — | — | — |
| No ads & no data collection | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — |
| Open source | ✓Mac app, MIT | — | — | — | — | — |
Common questions
What is the best free toddler lock app for iPhone?
Several apps lock an iPhone into toddler-safe play, including BabyPhone, Baby-mode phone ToddlerLock, BabyScroll, and Toddler Mode. Toddler Mode is free with no ads or data collection. It is the only one of these that adds a kid-safe family photo viewer, a pretend phone with a fake Messages app, and a camera play mode that cannot save a photo.
Which toddler lock app also works on Mac?
To our knowledge, Toddler Mode is the only toddler lock available for both Mac and iPhone. The Mac app is free and open source and blocks the whole keyboard. The iOS companion has the same play modes plus photo, phone, and camera play.
Do toddler lock apps really keep kids inside the app on iPhone?
The hard lock on iPhone is Guided Access, Apple's system-level single-app mode. Toddler apps pair with it. Toddler Mode adds a built-in wizard that walks parents through Guided Access and verifies live that the lock engaged.
Try the one made in the nest.
Free on Mac today. iPhone version coming to the App Store.
Download for Mac (free)