The Kiosk mode in Android and iOS locks a device into a single app or set of apps (the latter only for Android), restricting user access to other functionalities, settings, or applications. It ensures the device is entirely focused on its intended purpose.
Use cases:
- Retail & Point of Sale (POS): Devices used for processing payments or checking inventory.
- Customer Self-Service: Information kiosks, ticket booking systems, or self-registration in hotels and airports.
- Education: Tablets for learning apps or exams, preventing distractions.
- Healthcare: Devices used for patient registration or medical applications.
- Workforce Management: Devices for tracking employee attendance or reporting tasks.
- Public Displays: Digital signage or targeted advertising screens.
If any of these apply to your situation, we have put together instructions and more detailed explanations for Android, iOS and Windows devices below.
Android – Single- and Multi-App Kiosk Mode
Android allows you to activate a single- or multi-app kiosk. When the single-app kiosk is activated, the designated app starts, and the users cannot exit the app.
You can also pre-install additional apps and allow users to switch between those without downloading any other apps. In this case, it is recommended to add a "launcher" to the kiosk mode (must not be the kiosk app itself).
For this feature, it is required to enrol the device in Device Owner mode (Fully Managed).
You can find a step-by-step instruction of the setup in our knowledge base.
Alternatively, if you don't want to activate the kiosk mode, you can provide more features to the users and simply look certain functionalities at the same time via the restrictions in the Configuration Profiles.
Good to know:
Even though this is technically speaking not the kiosk mode, many customers refer to this feature as "kiosk" and have opted for this management method.
iOS – Single-App Mode
In iOS, you can activate the so-called single-app mode. In this case, only one single app can be used, and users cannot exit the app. This function can only be activated for supervised devices.
You can find a step-by-step instruction on how to set up the single-app mode here.
Alternatively, you can use the configuration "Application Allowlisting", which allows you to specify in advance which apps are available to the users via the app identifier (e.g., "com.apple.mobilesafari").
Please beware, iPhone and iPad end-users can still access the phone settings regardless of the specified restrictions.
Windows – Kiosk mode via the Configuration Designer
Desktop operating systems like Windows obviously offer more extensive possibilities than modern mobile operating systems such as iOS or Android.
Thanks to the "Windows Configuration Designer", it is possible to install the kiosk mode on a Windows device running Windows 11 Enterprise by deploying a created package, for example by following an automatic login and displaying the Edge browser in full screen mode with a website.
Here are some instructions for the Windows Configuration Designer:
The package file (PPKG) can be installed with the following PowerShell command:
Install-ProvisioningPackage -PackagePath Kiosk.ppkg -QuietInstall
With some additional effort, many of the options that have been developed in Android and iOS in recent years and made available through MDM systems, can also be used in desktop environments. However, the functionality also changes with each update. This is why we refer directly to the manufacturer's resources to keep you up to date on features like scripting, configurations, etc.
For further information on these topics, you can refer to our Knowledge Base.
If you have specific questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Sales team or your Customer Success Manager.
by Andreas Handler
Andreas works as a Senior Technical Consultant and Customer Success Manager at Miradore. He has been part of the Miradore family since 2016 and is passionate about providing value to organizations by showing them how to increase efficiency with Mobile Device Management. Outside of work, you might find him bouldering or playing volleyball.
