My son is experiencing problems using his Ipad now that Apple has introduced the App Library. The App Library cannot be hidden so he can now easily access it and open any app that it is in it, including Safari, so he also “browses” the internet! I have phoned up Apple Support and complained. They said that all they could do would be to put in a Features Request, which they did for me. I also went to apple.com/feedback and submitted a Features Request myself. There is a word limit here so I wrote:
“My adult son has a severe learning disability. He has difficulty in selecting his favourite apps. To help him select appropriate apps we used to hide apps so that only a few were available on his home screen.
Now that Apple has introduced the App Library my son just swipes to the right to the App Library screen and randomly selects any app.
So, the App Library is making it impossible for my son to use his Ipad in a way that is beneficial to him. It means that he has paid a lot of money for a tablet that is no longer suitable for his needs.
I would like to request that you make it possible to hide this feature as soon as possible or else that you give us a way that would make everything in it inaccessible to him apart from the apps that he is using.”
Apple probably will take no notice of one request, so if any of your sons/daughters are experiencing the same problem please contact Apple Support on 0800 107 6285 and/or send feedback using the link above.
If any of you have already found a way to overcome this problem I would be really pleased to her from you!
You haven’t said what your concerns are about him browsing the internet, does he not have the capacity to use the internet? Or are you concerned about specific web sites? You can block websites (i think a google search will tell you how)
So sorry for my delay in replying! You are right that my son doesn’t have the capacity/ability to browse the internet without support. However, that wasn’t really my concern. I wanted to be able to hide the app library but this is currently not possible.
I had no response from Apple Feedback to my request that they would make it possible to hide the App Library or else make a way to stop my son access any apps in it other than the ones he was currently using.
I had already disabled the camera (to stop him taking thousands of photos!) and everything in the Allowed Apps apart from Safari and CarPlay. I realised he needed Safari to get to his favourite web-sites e.g. Multi-me, You Tube, but he is still going to random web-sites, so I think I will have to switch that off too, and ask staff to switch it back on when he needs to access the web. I had also already set up Guided Access. This allows you to control certain things once you have opened an app, and stops the user leaving the app and going to another app – so it is really helpful.
I rang Apple Support again and spoke to at least 2 advisors who could only suggest that I used App Restrictions. This is a time-consuming and cumbersome process!
Finally I got through to a lovely lady who was one of the Senior Advisors who understood exactly what the problem was! We spent ages going through all the Screentime Options to make sure I had selected the right ones for my son. I’m guessing she was a mum herself as several times she said that she would never advise allowing a child to have access to certain things.
However, in the end she could find no other way to deal with the problem of the All Library other than to simply delete all the apps apart from the few that he is using. This means they definitely disappear from the Library! Then, every week or so, when he is ready to try using some different apps she advised deleting one or two he is currently using and instead re-installing one or two from his Purchased Apps list.
She was really good and took onboard my complaint that they have dealt with accessibility for a lot of disabilities but have not really considered people with learning disabilities or others who have conditions that affects their cognition – like dementia. She also agreed that there needs to be more apps that are specially designed for adults with a learning disability. She promised to take my comments back to the developers of the hardware and software.
In the meantime please ALL contact Apple and ask them to make it possible to hide the App Library. There are lots of other people who don’t like it either! If we all make a noise Apple will have to listen!
Go here: Feedback - iPad - Apple and where it asks for Feedback Type select “Features Request”. I intend to try and write to them every week until they respond!!