User profile for user: PaulBoerdonk
PaulBoerdonk Author
User level: Level 1
9 points

iPads in Kiosk mode stuck on lock screen after each iOS updates

Hi all,


We’re running into an issue with our Apple iPad Minis, which are managed by Intune. The devices are configured with a Kiosk profile that runs a navigation application, and we’ve set them to require no PIN.

There is only one active device restrictions policy applied to these devices, which enforces the Kiosk mode — no additional policies are in place.


So far, so good, but there’s one major problem:

  • After every iOS update, the devices get stuck on the iOS lock screen.
  • The lock screen does not respond to any input (touch doesn’t work).
  • The only way to regain access is to reboot the device — either via a hard reboot or remotely through Intune.


This behavior occurs consistently after each iPadOS update.


Has anyone experienced this issue before? And is there a way to prevent or fix it so the devices don’t require manual intervention after every update?


Thanks in advance!

iPad mini

Posted on Sep 3, 2025 12:50 AM

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User profile for user: PaulBoerdonk
PaulBoerdonk Author
User level: Level 1
9 points

Posted on Sep 19, 2025 2:46 AM

Hi all,


Quick update on this topic.


I couldn't find a direct fix within Intune or Apple's settings, so I've developed a reliable workaround to automatically resolve the issue. I wanted to share the concept for anyone else experiencing the same problem.


The solution is an automated PowerShell script that runs as a Runbook in Azure Automation. This script periodically checks my Kiosk iPads and reboots them automatically if it detects they have been updated, which resolves the frozen lock screen issue.


Here’s a high-level overview of how it works:


  • Scheduled Trigger: The runbook is scheduled to run automatically every hour


  • State Persistence: The script uses an Azure Automation Variable to store a list of all my target iPads and their last known iPadOS version. Think of this as its "memory."


  • Authentication: On each run, the script authenticates to the Microsoft Graph API using a registered Enterprise Application (App Registration) in Entra ID with a certificate for secure, non-interactive sign-in.


  • Device Check: It fetches all devices from a specific Entra ID group I created for these iPads.


  • Version Comparison: For each iPad in the group, it compares the current iPadOS version (retrieved via the Graph API) with the version stored in its "memory" from the last run.


  • Remote Reboot Action:
    • If the current version is different from the stored version, it means the device has been updated. The script then sends a remote reboot command (Restart-MgDeviceManagementManagedDeviceNow) to that specific device via the Graph API.
    • If the versions are the same, no action is taken.


  • Update State: After checking all devices, the script saves the current list of devices and their OS versions back to the Azure Automation Variable, updating its "memory" for the next run.


As an optional extra, I've configured it to send a notification to a Microsoft Teams channel with a list of all the devices that were automatically rebooted.


This approach has been working perfectly for me and has eliminated the need for manual intervention after every iPadOS update.


Hope this helps anyone else struggling with this frustrating issue!


Best regards,

Paul

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User profile for user: PaulBoerdonk
PaulBoerdonk Author
User level: Level 1
9 points

Sep 19, 2025 2:46 AM in response to PaulBoerdonk

Hi all,


Quick update on this topic.


I couldn't find a direct fix within Intune or Apple's settings, so I've developed a reliable workaround to automatically resolve the issue. I wanted to share the concept for anyone else experiencing the same problem.


The solution is an automated PowerShell script that runs as a Runbook in Azure Automation. This script periodically checks my Kiosk iPads and reboots them automatically if it detects they have been updated, which resolves the frozen lock screen issue.


Here’s a high-level overview of how it works:


  • Scheduled Trigger: The runbook is scheduled to run automatically every hour


  • State Persistence: The script uses an Azure Automation Variable to store a list of all my target iPads and their last known iPadOS version. Think of this as its "memory."


  • Authentication: On each run, the script authenticates to the Microsoft Graph API using a registered Enterprise Application (App Registration) in Entra ID with a certificate for secure, non-interactive sign-in.


  • Device Check: It fetches all devices from a specific Entra ID group I created for these iPads.


  • Version Comparison: For each iPad in the group, it compares the current iPadOS version (retrieved via the Graph API) with the version stored in its "memory" from the last run.


  • Remote Reboot Action:
    • If the current version is different from the stored version, it means the device has been updated. The script then sends a remote reboot command (Restart-MgDeviceManagementManagedDeviceNow) to that specific device via the Graph API.
    • If the versions are the same, no action is taken.


  • Update State: After checking all devices, the script saves the current list of devices and their OS versions back to the Azure Automation Variable, updating its "memory" for the next run.


As an optional extra, I've configured it to send a notification to a Microsoft Teams channel with a list of all the devices that were automatically rebooted.


This approach has been working perfectly for me and has eliminated the need for manual intervention after every iPadOS update.


Hope this helps anyone else struggling with this frustrating issue!


Best regards,

Paul

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User profile for user: mrazzari
mrazzari
User level: Level 1
14 points

Sep 23, 2025 12:29 PM in response to PaulBoerdonk

Confirmed issue. On iOS 26, if in "Single App Mode", the device gets stuck on the lock screen.


RE: @PaulBoerdonk's fix, doing a forced boot on the device (manually or via MDM) will restore the device to the SAM app. But as soon as the device is locked (by the user, or auto lock) the device is stuck on the lock screen again.


Do not update to iOS 26 if using SAM or ASAM.



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User profile for user: Howard Rees
Howard Rees
User level: Level 1
21 points

Sep 18, 2025 1:05 AM in response to PaulBoerdonk

We are experiencing this issue at scale across our deployment.


We manage over 1,000 iPads via Intune, all configured in kiosk mode without a PIN requirement. Since updating to iPadOS 26, every single device that locks becomes completely unresponsive at the lock screen. Touch input does not work, and the only way to regain access is to reboot the device — either through a hard reset or remotely via Intune.


This is causing significant disruption for our operations, as these iPads are business-critical and are expected to remain accessible at all times. Having to manually intervene with reboots across such a large fleet is not a sustainable workaround.


So far, the only temporary mitigations we’ve found are:

  • Preventing devices from locking by disabling the power button (not ideal, as screens must stay on).
  • Exiting kiosk mode (which defeats the purpose of our deployment).


Given the number of organisations this must be affecting, it appears to be a widespread iOS 26 bug affecting kiosk/ASAM mode.


Can we have an official statement or confirmed workaround from Apple Support or Engineering?

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User profile for user: SvenARB
SvenARB
User level: Level 1
8 points

Sep 23, 2025 10:43 PM in response to PaulBoerdonk

I just spoke to Apple and Microsoft support.


Apple support wasn't able to tell me anything about known bugs or something like that!

Due to this I've opened case at Intune support. They told me that Apple is aware of this bug and they're expecting fixed version by the end of this month (sounds like iPadOS 26.0.1 will be released soon)


It's unfortunate that Microsoft support can give me more information than Apple support about this.

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User profile for user: Chrisyvfwc
Chrisyvfwc
User level: Level 1
8 points

Sep 17, 2025 11:25 AM in response to goingthedistance08

We’re experiencing the same issue following the automatic installation of iOS 26 last night. Since the update, several iPads have become unresponsive at the lock screen—users are unable to unlock their devices once the screen locks, effectively locking them out.

We've identified two temporary workarounds:

  1. Rebooting the iPad restores functionality, but only until the device goes to sleep again.
  2. Exiting kiosk mode allows the device to function normally without lock screen issues.

We're hoping Apple releases a patch for iOS 26 soon to resolve this behavior.



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User profile for user: SvenARB
SvenARB
User level: Level 1
8 points

Sep 17, 2025 2:17 AM in response to PaulBoerdonk

We're facing same problem here.

Every iPad which was updated to iPadOS 26 which is getting locked can't be unlocked anymore.


I assume that settings app starts additonally in background or something like that. At the moment I've activated the kiosk settings via Intune I saw the Settings icon appearing.


Were you able to solve the problem already? Or any ideas?



Edit: Just upgraded an iPhone to iOS 26 and set it to Kiosk mode - same problem here!

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iPads in Kiosk mode stuck on lock screen after each iOS updates

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