For me, there are basically two kinds of panic in life. The first is sending a risky text to the wrong person. The second is handing my unlocked phone to someone and instantly remembering that my entire digital life lives inside it. Unfortunately, I have experienced the second one far too many times. Most of the time, the reason is completely harmless. A friend wants to click a quick picture, my cousin asks to watch a reel, or someone just wants to place a food order or check the cricket score. But the second my iPhone leaves my hand, my brain starts speed-running through everything stored inside it — personal chats, banking apps, work emails, private notes, passwords, photos, and those screenshots I always forget to delete.
Smartphones are no longer just phones. They are essentially tiny, portable vaults that hold years of personal information, habits, conversations, and memories. Lending someone your device can feel like handing them a small extension of your brain for a few minutes. And honestly, that thought alone is enough to make me uncomfortable. That is exactly why one iPhone feature has become essential for me. It is called Guided Access, and I use it almost every single time someone asks to borrow my phone.
My iPhone now comes with invisible boundaries
The easiest way I can explain Guided Access is this: it temporarily traps your iPhone inside a single app. So if I hand my phone to someone to watch an Instagram reel, they can just watch the reel. What they cannot do is casually swipe into my gallery, open WhatsApp, peek at notifications, or start wandering through apps I never intended to show them in the first place. It creates boundaries without turning the situation awkward.
And honestly, that balance is important. Most of us are not being rude when someone asks to borrow our phone. You do not want to hover over their shoulder the entire time or snatch the device back every few seconds like an overprotective raccoon guarding treasure. But at the same time, smartphones today hold far too much personal information to hand over carelessly. Guided Access removes that weird tension entirely because the phone physically cannot leave the app you locked it into.
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I actually started using it after one very specific incident that permanently changed how I share my phone. I handed my iPhone to someone just to show them a single photo. Within seconds, they started swiping through my camera roll like they were casually touring a museum exhibition. Nothing disastrous happened, thankfully, but the experience reminded me how casually we treat personal data until somebody almost stumbles into something private by accident.
That was the moment I realized most phone privacy issues do not come from hacking or malware. Sometimes they come from completely normal social situations where boundaries simply do not exist. Since then, enabling Guided Access before handing over my phone has become second nature to me. It takes only a few seconds, removes the anxiety completely, and lets me stay relaxed instead of mentally preparing for a potential privacy disaster every time my phone leaves my hand.
This triple-check has saved me so much unnecessary stress
What I genuinely love about Guided Access is how absurdly simple it is to set up. Here is how to enable it:
Shimul Sood / Digital Trends
Open the Settings app.
Head to Accessibility.
Scroll down and tap GuidedAccess.
Turn the feature on.
Set a passcode or enable FaceID for authentication.
Once you do this, the experience becomes incredibly seamless. Whenever you are about to hand your phone to someone, just open the app you want them to use and triple-click the side button. Then tap “Start,” and Guided Access immediately locks the iPhone into that single app. The feature also gives you an unusual amount of control if you want to get more specific. You can disable certain parts of the screen, turn off touch input entirely, block keyboard access, or even disable the volume buttons. It feels oddly powerful for something buried so quietly inside Accessibility settings.
Guided Access prevents all of that chaos before it even begins. It is one of those features you do not care about until you really do.
The calmest my brain has ever felt while sharing my phone
The funny thing about privacy features is that they rarely feel important during normal moments. You do not think about them when everything is going smoothly. They matter during unexpected moments, and suddenly your brain starts imagining worst-case scenarios. That is exactly where Guided Access quietly shines for me. It gives me peace of mind in situations that used to make me subtly uncomfortable. I can hand someone my iPhone to scan a QR code, check directions, queue up music in the car, place a food order, or make a quick call without mentally preparing for accidental oversharing. I no longer have that anxiety where I keep wondering if somebody might accidentally swipe into something personal.
Shimul Sood / Digital Trends
That is probably why I have come to appreciate it so much. In a world where our smartphones contain everything from payment apps and work emails to private conversations, having a simple way to create temporary boundaries feels incredibly underrated. We spend so much time talking about online privacy, hackers, and data leaks that we forget one very real truth: sometimes privacy is just about feeling comfortable when another human being is holding your phone. That alone makes it one of the most useful iPhone features I use daily.
When it comes to content, there’s little I love more than a good, gritty crime drama. From their dark, cynical, often realistic portrayals of criminal underworlds, violence, and justice systems to their heavily flawed, obsessed, anti-hero protagonists and intense, gritty tones, it all sucks us in, and it’s why we can’t look away. These types of criminal shows have carved out a powerful space in television by refusing to glamorize the worlds they depict and being willing to confront uncomfortable truths.
This weekend on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S., we’re exploring three immensely popular, critically acclaimed criminal shows that will hook you from the get-go with their honesty, and my top pick is a must-see that reinvented the police procedural genre.
3
City on a Hill
A Wire-like look at corruption, race, and justice
Based on a story by Ben Affleck and author Charlie MacLean, the underrated crime drama City on a Hill revisits a charged moment in Massachusetts history known as The Boston Miracle. For 18 months in the mid-90s, gang-related violence dropped 63% as the result of a community-wide initiative developed in collaboration with the Boston Police Department, street workers, juvenile corrections officers, churches, and neighborhood programs. Kevin Bacon (Footloose), Aldis Hodge (Cross), and Jonathan Tucker (Kingdom) headline the cast.
Set in early 1990s Boston, corruption, violent criminals, and racism are normal parts of life, and to make matters worse, they’re backed by local law enforcement agencies. The series focuses on an unlikely alliance between hardened, corrupt, charismatic FBI agent Jackie Rohr (Bacon) and idealistic Assistant District Attorney Decourcy Ward (Hodge) as they work together to navigate the city and take down a family of armored car thieves, aiming to overhaul the broken criminal justice system.
Quiz
8 Questions · Test Your Knowledge
Prime Video movies Trivia challenge
From thrillers to tearjerkers — see how well you know these Amazon Prime Video films.
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In Crime 101, what profession does the main character use as cover while pulling off elaborate heists?
That’s right! The protagonist poses as a real estate agent, using the job’s access and mobility as a convenient front for criminal activity. The film plays with how ordinary professions can mask extraordinary deception.
Not quite — the correct answer is real estate agent. The film uses this cover cleverly, showing how a respectable-seeming profession can provide the perfect camouflage for a career criminal operating in plain sight.
In Saltburn, which prestigious English university does protagonist Oliver Quick attend when he befriends Felix Catton?
Correct! Oliver and Felix meet at Oxford, where the stark class divide between scholarship student Oliver and the aristocratic Felix is immediately established. That university setting is crucial to the film’s themes of privilege and obsession.
Not quite — it’s Oxford where Oliver and Felix first cross paths. Director Emerald Fennell deliberately chose Oxford’s world of old money and social stratification to set up the film’s exploration of class envy and manipulation.
In The Tender Bar, based on J.R. Moehringer’s memoir, who plays Uncle Charlie, the bartender who becomes a father figure to young J.R.?
Spot on! Ben Affleck plays the warm and charismatic Uncle Charlie, earning considerable praise for the role. Affleck’s performance was seen as one of the film’s greatest strengths, bringing real depth to a man who shapes a fatherless boy’s entire worldview.
The correct answer is Ben Affleck. His portrayal of Uncle Charlie was widely praised as a career highlight, capturing the rough charm of a bartender who becomes the most important male role model in J.R.’s life.
In the 2024 Prime Video remake of Road House, who plays ex-UFC fighter Elwood Dalton, the new bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse?
That’s right! Jake Gyllenhaal steps into the role made famous by Patrick Swayze, playing a disgraced MMA fighter hired to clean up a rowdy bar in the Florida Keys. Gyllenhaal underwent intense physical training to prepare for the action-heavy role.
The correct answer is Jake Gyllenhaal. He took on the iconic role previously played by Patrick Swayze in the 1989 original, with the remake shifting the setting from Missouri to the Florida Keys and updating the protagonist’s fighting background to MMA.
Thirteen Lives depicts the dramatic 2018 rescue of a youth soccer team trapped in a cave in which country?
Correct! The film recreates the harrowing rescue of the Wild Boars youth soccer team from the Tham Luang cave in Thailand. The real-life operation captivated the world and involved expert cave divers from across the globe.
The answer is Thailand. The real rescue took place in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai province, where 12 boys and their coach were trapped for 18 days before a multinational team of divers managed to bring them all out safely.
In Manchester by the Sea, what unexpected event forces Lee Chandler to return to his hometown and become guardian of his teenage nephew?
That’s right! Lee’s brother Joe dies suddenly from congestive heart failure, pulling Lee back to a town filled with painful memories. Casey Affleck won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the grief-stricken, emotionally closed-off Lee.
Not quite — Lee returns because his brother Joe dies of congestive heart failure. The film, written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, won two Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay, and is celebrated for its unflinching portrayal of grief and guilt.
In American Fiction, what pen name does frustrated author Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison use when he writes a satirical novel pandering to racial stereotypes?
Correct! Monk writes his outrageous satirical manuscript under the pseudonym Stagg R. Leigh, a name that itself plays on stereotypes. The film, based on Percival Everett’s novel Erasure, won Cord Jefferson the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
The pen name Monk uses is Stagg R. Leigh. The choice of pseudonym is itself part of the satire — a name loaded with cultural baggage. Jeffrey Wright received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his nuanced portrayal of Monk.
In Air, the film about Nike signing Michael Jordan, which actress plays Jordan’s mother Deloris, who plays a pivotal role in negotiating his landmark deal?
That’s right! Viola Davis plays Deloris Jordan with commanding presence, portraying her as the savvy negotiator who helped secure the revolutionary contract that gave Michael unprecedented royalties. The real Deloris Jordan is widely credited with shaping the deal that changed sports marketing forever.
The correct answer is Viola Davis. She received widespread praise for capturing the intelligence and determination of Deloris Jordan, whose behind-the-scenes negotiations were instrumental in creating the Air Jordan brand that would go on to generate billions of dollars.
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Expect a thick atmosphere of 90s Boston authenticity, compelling power dynamics, character-driven narratives, and exceptional acting, particularly from Bacon, who gives a career-best performance. The show offers a serious, slow-burn exploration of one city’s criminal justice system while blending police corruption with family drama and social issues. Though fictionalized, it’s a fascinating look at Boston’s transition from a corrupt era to a new system and is executive produced by Affleck and Matt Damon.
2
River
A traditional “whodunit” investigation
Boasting a perfect critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, River is a six-part British police procedural and psychological crime drama about a haunted detective investigating his partner’s murder while also struggling with his mental health. Stellan Skarsgård (Good Will Hunting) and Nicola Walker (Unforgotten) star.
Detective Inspector John River (Skarsgård) is brilliant at what he does, but his fractured mind keeps him trapped between the living and the dead, haunted by “manifests,” or visions of murder victims, including his recently deceased partner, Stevie. Under enormous pressure from the media and psychiatric evaluation for his hallucinations, River works hard to navigate his guilt and, in the process, discovers the shocking truth about Stevie’s death.
Unlike typical crime shows, River focuses heavily on its protagonist’s mental states in the wake of his criminal experiences. The slow-burn, dramatic crime thriller is characterized by intense psychological scenes, a traditional “whodunit” investigation, and a masterful performance from Skarsgård. Expect a deeply human study of loss with smart writing, a genuinely creepy atmosphere, and a unique, emotional take on the police procedural drama.
1
The Shield
One of the best cop shows ever made
One of this century’s best crime dramas, The Shield is a multi-Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy Award winner. Michael Chiklis (The Commish), Walton Goggins (The White Lotus), Kenny Johnson (Ray), and Michael Jace (The Replacements) star alongside an enormous cast that includes Forest Whitaker, Katey Sagal, Kurt Sutter, CCH Pounder, Glenn Close, Benito Martinez, and more.
The hit FX show follows the corrupt activities of rogue cop Vic Mackey (Chiklis) in an experimental criminal division task force of the Los Angeles Police Department. He’ll go to any lengths to take down the criminals he and his team are chasing, including breaking the law and working with other criminals, and eventually he ropes his team into doing the same. Everything is set in a district rife with gang-related violence, drug trafficking, and prostitution.
Highly regarded for reinventing the police procedural and setting the standard for modern anti-hero dramas, the show paved the way for “prestige” television on basic cable with its raw, unflinching tone full of twists and thrills that explores the fine line between right and wrong. Over the course of 88 episodes, you’ll experience fast-paced action, moral ambiguity, high-stakes tension, and more riveting, gritty crime drama in one continuously solid storyline than you can stand. When viewing turns to obsession, don’t say I didn’t warn you. This one is a true gem.
Each of these hit criminal shows stands out for its realism and complexity, offering a much darker, thought-provoking take on crime storytelling that burrows into our brains and leaves us craving more. The platform has plenty of excellent crime dramas to choose from, so once you finish these three, stick around and see what else is there to transport you to the criminal underworld. Before you leave, though, be sure to check out everything coming to Prime Video in May 2026.
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