moss vs Assistive Access
An Apple accessibility mode that some people use as a home-made simple phone.
Checked 11 November 2026 against Apple's own pages. We make moss, so we have linked every source below.
What Assistive Access is
Assistive Access is an iPhone mode with a simplified interface and a smaller set of features. Apple designed it so that people with cognitive disabilities can use an iPhone more independently. Some people repurpose it to strip their own phone down. It is free and applies to the whole phone, all or nothing. It was not built for switching on and off several times a day, and we could not read Apple's page on leaving the mode in full, so the exit steps are not described here.
What moss is
moss is an iPhone app that comes with a small physical stone. You choose the apps that distract you, tap your phone on the stone, and those apps stay locked until you tap the stone again. People who live together can link their phones to share schedules and put their phones down at the same time, while each person keeps control of their own phone. Locking is free in the app, the stone is a one-time purchase, and the household features are a paid add-on.
Side by side
| Feature | moss | Assistive Access |
|---|---|---|
| Price | US$49 stone, free app | Free |
| Subscription | None to lock your own phone. Household features are a paid add-on | None |
| Works on | iPhone only, iOS 17 or later | iPhone |
| How you lock | Tap the stone, or start from the app, a Shortcut, the lock screen or the Action Button. Schedules by day of week | The whole phone switches to a simplified interface |
| How you unlock | Tap the stone, in the app | Exit the mode on the phone. Exact steps not verified |
| If you need back in | 3 emergency unlocks a month, refilled automatically | Not stated |
| Locking together as a household | Yes, as a paid add-on. Shared schedules, sessions others join in one tap, a view of whose phone is down, a streak. Nobody controls anyone else | None. It is set on each device |
| Whose key opens your phone | Only your household's own stone, card and sprigs unlock your phones | Not verified |
Where Assistive Access is better
- It is free and made by Apple, with nothing to install.
- It simplifies the whole phone, not a list of apps.
- It stays on until you leave the mode, with no session to start each day.
Where moss is better
- It is built for this job: tap to lock, tap to unlock, as often as you like.
- You pick which apps lock, up to 10 modes, and the rest of the phone is untouched.
- 3 emergency unlocks a month, refilled automatically.
Who should pick which
Pick Assistive Access if
You want your iPhone reduced to the basics most of the time and do not mind a clumsy way in and out.
Pick moss if
You want a normal iPhone that locks certain apps at certain hours.
Sources
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
moss is a stone that locks the apps you choose.
Tap to lock, tap to unlock. One price, and locking needs no subscription.
