How to Remove the Grey Home Bar at the Bottom of an iPhone GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Mobile Phones > iPhone & iOS
How to Remove the Grey Home Bar at the Bottom of an iPhone
Hide the Home Bar when it become a distraction.
By Saikat Basu Saikat Basu Writer University of Pune (India) Saikat has been a technology writer for 12+ years. His writing has appeared at MakeUseOf, OnlineTechTips, GoSkills, and many others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on July 23, 2021 Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email iPhone & iOS Switching from Android What to Know
Go to Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access and toggle on Guided Access.Open an app and triple-click the Power button to enter Guided Access.There's no other way to get rid of the Home Bar. There is no switch to turn off the grey Home Bar at the bottom of an iPhone. This article shows you how to turn it off with a workaround you can use instead. Why Is There a Bar at the Bottom of My iPhone
The home button was a familiar feature on earlier iPhones. The iPhone X brought more screen estate by swapping the iconic Home button for a grayish bar at the bottom of the screen. The screen now shows you more information, and new gestures have made handling the iPhone faster. As you swipe from one screen to the next, you will barely notice the grey Home Bar. You don’t even need to select it or tap on it to browse your phone. The permanent thin bar is just a reminder to swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen. Notice a Swipe up to unlock message appears above the bar when you wait for a moment. It's a visual aid on the screen of every app you open both in Portrait and Landscape mode. But it can be slightly intrusive on some apps (like games and media players) and in Dark Mode. Can You Get Rid of the Bottom Bar on an iPhone
The iPhone does not have a setting you can enable or disable to control the display of the bottom bar. Developers can write code that auto-hides the bar on some apps. But iOS has the final say. Until Apple introduces this setting in a future update, use Guided Access in Accessibility Settings as a quick hack to remove the grey home bar. It has one limitation: Guided Access works only in one app at a time. You'll have to trigger Guided Access for each app you open. How Do I Get Rid of the Bar at the Bottom of My Screen
Guided Access locks the phone to a single app and allows you control over the screen elements on display. It’s an essential child-proof feature to limit what kids can see and use on the screen. Guided Access also works as a temporary fix for the bar at the bottom of the screen. Open Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access. On the Guided Access screen, toggle the switch to On. Select the options that appear when Guided Access is enabled. Tap Passcode Settings. Select Set Guided Access Passcode that the iPhone will require to end a Guided Access session. You can also optionally enable Face ID to end a Guided Access with a double-click on the side button. Toggle the switch to enable Accessibility Shortcut, which later displays a small pop-up with accessibility options on triple-clicking the side button. Note:
The accessibility shortcuts use the triple-click on the Power button to quickly access frequently used accessibility features. Select the shortcuts from Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcuts. How to Use Guided Access to Remove the Home Bar
As Guided Access prevents app switching, pick an app you want to use for a longer time. You also can't take screenshots or return to the home screen without exiting the Guided Access mode. Open the app that you want to use without the Home Bar. Click the Power button on the right side of the phone three times to activate Guided Access. On iPhone 8 or older phones, triple-click the Home button. The iPhone enters the Guided Access mode. Tap Guided Access and then tap again on Start. To exit the Guided Access screen, triple-click on the Power button. Enter your Guided Access passcode, then tap End. To use Face ID for exiting Guided Access, double-click the Side button. On iPhone 8 and earlier, you must double click the home button or use Touch ID to exit. Tip:
Siri is a quicker route to open a Guided Access session. Open the app you want, then tell Siri to "Turn on Guided Access” or “Start Guided Access.” FAQ How do I get rid of the grey bar on my iPhone text messages? First, download and install any available iOS updates. If the bar is still obscuring the text entry field, go to Settings > Messages > turn on the Show Subject Field toggle. Then, tap Settings again > Messages > turn off the Show Subject Field toggle. Why is Clear History grayed out in Safari on my iPhone? Clear History is grayed out when restrictions are on. To turn off restrictions, go to Settings > tap Screen Time and enable Screen Time if it's not already enabled. Then, in the Screen Time section, select Content & Privacy Restrictions > turn off the Content and Privacy Restrictions toggle. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Lock Apps on Any iPhone How to Set Up and Use Touch ID, the iPhone Fingerprint Scanner Prevent Someone From Exiting an iPad App How to Turn On an iPhone XR How to Show Battery Percentage on an iPhone XR How to Get Rid of the Hollow Arrow on iPhone How to Reset Restrictions Passcode on an iPhone The Many Uses of the iPhone Home Button How to Turn Off an iPhone XR How to Easily Fix the iPhone White Screen of Death How to Create Folders on an iPhone to Organize All Your Apps How to Restart an iPhone (All Models) The 15 Best Hidden Features in iOS 16 How to Fix Not Getting Text Notifications on iPhone How to Reset iPhone 12 (Restart & Hard Reset) A Guide to the iPad's Accessibility Settings Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies