Hot take: iPad needs a real Family/Guest mode, not a pile of workarounds
This is not a new complaint, but it is the main reason iPads still feel awkward as a shared household device.
In our house in Canada we have two kids and one iPad. I run the budget and our travel sinking funds on it, so it ends up being borrowed all the time. We always do the same dance:
- Either it is treated like my iPad and everyone borrows it, so my stuff is a swipe away.
- Or it becomes a messy communal device where Safari, Photos, Notes and autofill slowly turn into a junk drawer.
Yes, I know about Screen Time, Guided Access, different Focus modes and using separate apps for different tasks. None of that actually fixes the real problem: Apple markets the iPad as a flexible family device but the software basically assumes one person and one Apple ID for the smoothest experience.
I think Apple is overcomplicating things with the argument that multiple users is only for education. What ordinary households need is simple:
A proper Guest session that is temporary and cannot access my passwords, messages, photos, tabs or Notes.
A Family mode with separate spaces for each person, even if it is limited and uses iCloud Family behind the scenes.
An easy one-tap switch on the lock screen to jump between profiles.
For a lot of families this would be a bigger quality-of-life upgrade than most new hardware features.
If you share an iPad at home, do you just accept the mess, or do you have a setup that actually feels safe and low friction?