With the amount of data that is present on an iPhone, iPad (Mini), and iPod Touch, it is extremely important to set a passcode lock. A passcode lock prevents someone from unlocking your device and accessing your content without first entering a 4 digit passcode (you can also set a longer passcode lock if you want). The frustrating thing with the passcode lock comes when you lock your iDevice and then need to unlock it again a few minutes later only to be required to enter the password over again. There is a feature that can help with this – the Passcode Lock Delay.

Here is how to set the passcode lock and how to enable the passcode lock delay on your iOS device:

1. Open the Settings App and navigate to General –> Passcode Lock. Once in the passcode lock settings, you can turn Passcode on and off. You can also toggle Simple Passcode on and off. If you turn Simple Passcode off, you will be able enter a longer and much more secure passcode that includes letters and numbers.

2. To set the passcode lock delay, locate the button where you see Require Passcode. By default you will see “Immediately” next to Require Passcode. This means that as soon as your device locks, your passcode will be enabled. If you want to delay this, tap on the button and select After 1 minute, After 5 minutes, or After 15 minutes. When you select any of these three time intervals, your device will not require you to reenter your passcode for the respective time you selected.

One of the other features that you can turn on in the Passcode Lock settings is Erase Data. If you have this enabled, your device will automatically erase all data if the passcode is entered incorrectly 10 times. The only caution when Erase Data is enabled is to make sure you don’t let your toddler play with your locked iPhone, iPad (Mini), or iPod Touch as it is highly likely they will try to enter the passcode 10 times and inadvertently erase all the data. If you let your kids play with your iOS devices, I highly recommend enabling Kid Mode. This keeps your iDevice locked into one app and prevents your kid from using any of the hardware buttons (Home Button, Volume Buttons, On/Off Button). To read more about how to enable Kid’s Mode (also known as Guided Access), click here: How to enable Kids Mode on your iPhone, iPad (Mini), and iPod Touch.