The use of touch-sensitive surfaces as input devices for computers and other electronic computing devices has increased significantly in recent years. Exemplary touch-sensitive surfaces include touch pads and touch screen displays. Such surfaces are widely used to manipulate user interface objects on a display.
At times, it may be desirable to restrict interactions with the user interface of an electronic device. For example, a parent or teacher may want to disable certain icons on a touch screen, hardware buttons, sensors, and/or other parts of the user interface so that a young child can use a particular application on the device without accidentally accessing other applications and system functions or deleting files. Similarly, a caregiver for a person with a cognitive impairment (e.g., autism) may want to restrict interaction with the device by disabling and/or hiding certain icons on a touch screen, hardware buttons, sensors, and/or other parts of the user interface that would distract the person with the cognitive impairment from the task at hand. As another example, a person may want to configure the device for a kiosk mode that restricts access to applications and system functions on the device.
But existing methods for configuring a user interface for restricted interaction are cumbersome and inefficient. A user typically has to navigate through multiple menus and/or screens to configure the restrictions. In addition, existing methods take longer than necessary to configure the device, thereby wasting energy. This latter consideration is particularly important in battery-operated devices.
In addition, while in a restricted interaction mode, the device typically does not inform users of incoming voice or video calls, which may cause a user (e.g., a parent, caregiver, or even a child) to miss an important call. This problem also needs to be addressed.