Kiosk Designer Policy : A Smarter, More Intuitive Kiosk Configuration Experience
In today’s business environment, managing mobility is not just about control. It’s about providing a consistent, secure, and productive experience for users across all devices. For organizations that rely on dedicated devices like digital signage, retail points of sale, delivery management systems, or field data-collection tools, Kiosk Mode is essential. It makes sure that devices run only the required applications, while restricting access to everything else.
To make this experience easier, we’ve completely redesigned the Kiosk Policy framework. We’ve introduced a smart, visual, and user-friendly interface that allows administrators to configure and preview Kiosk Mode more easily and accurately than ever.
Real-World Use Cases of Kiosk Mode :
Kiosk Mode is used across industries to secure devices, streamline operations, and deliver purpose-built experiences. Below are some of the most common and impactful real-world scenarios—each showing how organizations rely on Single App Mode, Multi App Mode.
Single App Mode – Real-World Scenarios Use Cases
1. Logistics & Transportation – Driver Delivery App
Scenario: Long-haul and delivery drivers use a single locked app for navigation, route tracking, or customer confirmations.
Example:
Ravi, a transport driver, switches on his company tablet. It automatically opens the FleetRoute app. His route, delivery list, and signature screen appear instantly. No distractions, no system menus—just the tools he needs for safe and efficient deliveries.
2. Retail – Self-Checkout Terminal
Scenario: An Android tablet at a retail store runs only a point-of-sale/self-checkout app.
Example:
At a busy supermarket, customers walk up to a small kiosk tablet to scan items and pay instantly. The tablet is restricted to just the QuickPay app. No matter what button customers press, they can't exit the checkout screen. This reduces queues and prevents tampering, keeping operations smooth.
3. Transportation Hubs – Ticketing Kiosks
Scenario: Metro stations and bus depots run a single ticketing app.
Example:
Meera is rushing to catch her metro. She approaches a kiosk tablet that displays only the MetroTicket app. One tap, and she has her QR ticket. The device stays locked so passengers cannot access settings or other apps.
4. Field Workers – Incident Reporting App
Scenario: Government or utility field agents use a locked device for reporting work progress.
Example:
A utility engineer uses her field tablet, which opens directly to the FaultReport app. She records outages, uploads images, and moves to the next site—never worrying about navigating menus or misusing the device.
5. Airport Self-Service Check-In
Scenario: Airport kiosks run check-in and boarding pass apps to streamline passenger movement.
Example:
John walks into the airport and quickly retrieves his boarding pass through the AirCheck-In app. He never sees device settings—only a simple, secure check-in screen optimized for travelers.
Multi App Mode – Real-World Scenarios Use Cases
1. Hospitals & Clinics – Nurses’ Workstation
Scenario: Nurses need quick access to patient records, communication apps, and medicine charts.
Example:
In a hospital ward, nurse Ananya picks up the shared device. The home screen shows a clean set of apps:
· Patient Records
· Medication Tracker
· Emergency Communication
· Barcode Scanner
With Multi-App Kiosk, she can move between clinical apps instantly but cannot open social media or change device settings—keeping patient data secure.
2. Restaurants – Digital Menu + Ordering + Payment
Scenario: Tablets at tables run multiple apps: menu, order tracking, and payment.
Example:
At a modern restaurant, customers browse the digital menu, place an order, check the order status, and pay—all from the same device.The tablet is locked into a set of restaurant apps, ensuring a smooth dining experience without users exiting to YouTube or altering settings.
3. Warehouse Floor – Inventory + Scanner + ERP
Scenario: Warehouse workers use multiple business apps for scanning items and checking stock.
Example:
Arjun works in a warehouse where tablets show three essential apps:
· Stock Check
· Barcode Scan
· Order Dispatch
He can switch between them based on his task. Kiosk Mode ensures the device remains streamlined and prevents workers from installing games or changing system configurations.
4. Schools – Learning Apps for Students
Scenario: School tablets include selected educational apps only.
Example:
In a classroom, students receive tablets configured with a curated set of apps—Math Basics, Science Lab, and Reading Corner. Teachers love it because students stay focused, and children cannot open gaming apps or browse the web freely.
5. Public Information Kiosks (Malls, Stations, Museums)
Scenario: Tablets provide interactive directories and navigation tools for public use.
Example:
In a large mall, a kiosk tablet display only:
· Store Directory
· Mall Map
· Ongoing Offers
Visitors rely on the device to find shops, promotions, and directions—while Kiosk Mode prevents tampering, even during heavy usage.
Introducing the Designer Tab: Visual Configuration Made Simple
A key feature of the new Kiosk Policy experience is the Designer View, a visually rich, interactive canvas that brings your configuration to life.
In the past, configuring a Kiosk policy meant administrators had to imagine how changes would look on a device, deploy them to a test device, and verify results. This trial-and-error process led to inefficiencies and longer testing times.
With the introduction of the Designer Tab, those challenges are a thing of the past.
The Designer View offers a dynamic, real-time preview of the Kiosk home screen — precisely mirroring how it will appear on the actual device. As administrators make configuration changes, the interface updates instantly, enabling them to visualize the layout, validate functionality, and fine-tune the experience before deployment.
App Catalog Tear sheet :
Key Functions in the Designer Tab :
Multi-App Configuration: Easily select and arrange multiple apps for the Kiosk home screen.
o Wallpaper Selection: Choose and apply backgrounds for a cohesive and visually appealing interface.
o Resize Controls : Enables user to control the app size to be shown on the screen.
o Custom Logos: Upload a company logo, adjust its size and position, and make sure the Kiosk reflects your organization’s identity.
o Text and Color Customization: Change app text colors to align with branding or enhance readability.
o Allow Apps from Catalog: Enables administrators to include and manage applications directly from the MaaS360 App Catalog, making it easier to deploy approved apps within the Kiosk environment.
o Widgets Support: Add useful tools like clocks, weather updates, or company-specific apps to improve the Kiosk experience.
o Allow User to Re-arrange Icons: Enables end users to organize app icons on the home screen based on their preferences.
o Allow Auto-Rotate: Lets the device automatically adjust screen orientation for a smoother user experience.
o App Badges: Displays notification badges on app icons, helping users stay informed of important updates.
o System Bar: Provides visibility to the standard Android system bar for easier navigation when required.
o Custom System Bar: Offers flexibility to design or limit system bar features, balancing usability with security needs.
The Designer Preview empowers administrators to easily organize apps through a simple drag-and-drop interface. Users can group apps into a single folder or create multiple folders based on functionality or usage — much like the familiar android experience. This flexibility helps design a clean, intuitive layout that aligns with how end users interact with their devices.Every change in the designer view offers an immediate preview, ensuring that what administrators design will appear exactly as intended.
In the Designer Preview, administrators can seamlessly switch between different device views — from mobile to 7-inch tablet, or even to a 10-inch tablet — ensuring configurations are optimized for various screen sizes. Additionally, the preview supports orientation changes between portrait and landscape modes, along with a customizable zoom level (%), allowing users to fine-tune and visualize their Kiosk layout with precision before deployment.
Kiosk Enabled on device via kiosk policy:
Why This Matters: Efficiency, Accuracy, and Experience
The revamped Kiosk Policy is not just about looks; it also enhances productivity and user experience.
o Faster Configuration: The clear tab layout and real-time preview cut down the time needed to create and validate policies.
o Reduced Errors: With immediate visual feedback, administrators can spot and fix design or configuration errors before deployment.
o Consistent Experience: Uniform branding, layout, and configuration provide users with the same polished interface across all devices.
o Simplified Management: Organizing parameters into logical groups makes it easier to revisit and change configurations as needs shift.
For large enterprises with frequent Kiosk updates across various locations, this means shorter testing cycles and improved consistency. For smaller organizations or new customers, the intuitive structure reduces confusion and minimizes errors, leading to a smoother onboarding process.
Bridging the Gap Between Design and Deployment :
The new Kiosk Policy seamlessly unifies design, configuration, and validation into a single, cohesive workflow — effectively closing the gap between policy creation and real-world deployment.
With this enhancement, IT administrators can now:
o Configure with confidence: Guided settings and intuitive organization simplify every step of policy creation.
o Visualize instantly: Preview the complete Kiosk experience in real time, without relying on test hardware.
o Deliver faster: Build and deploy a polished, brand-aligned Kiosk environment in a fraction of the time.
This advancement not only streamlines the configuration process but also establishes a foundation for more intelligent, adaptive, and user-centric policy management in the future.
Design and Configure Kiosk Mode Without a Physical Device :
With these enhancements, configuring a Kiosk experience no longer requires access to a physical device. The redesigned Kiosk Policy brings every design, layout, and behavioral choice directly into the policy workflow—complete with live previews, instant feedback, and guided settings. Administrators can now build, validate, and finalize an entire Kiosk configuration from the console itself, confident that what they design is exactly what users will see on their devices. This eliminates dependence on test hardware, accelerates deployment cycles, and ensures a consistent, polished experience across all endpoints.
A Unified Kiosk Configuration Experience to enable in Android MDM Policy :
To begin configuring Kiosk mode, administrators can navigate to the Android MDM Policy within the MaaS360 portal. Under Android Enterprise Settings, select the Kiosk Experience Designer option.
An intuitive interface that separates essential configurations into Enablement, Basic and Advanced tabs, along with a visual design preview(Designer), enabling real-time validation of changes before deployment.
Enablement: This option enables administrators to configure and set up devices in either Single App Mode or Multi App Mode directly from the enablement page. This flexibility helps organizations customize the device experience based on their needs.
Single App Mode: This mode is perfect for focused devices like check-in kiosks or data terminals. Administrators can select a single application to auto-launch as soon as Kiosk Mode is enabled, as long as the app is installed on the device.
Multi App Mode: This mode is for cases where users need access to multiple approved apps. It creates a controlled environment while keeping the same level of security and restrictions.
The new Kiosk Policy interface uses clearly defined sections to guide administrators through each stage of configuration without overwhelming them.The configurations section is split into three main categories: Basic , Designer and Advanced. This setup ensures that essential configurations are easy to find, while advanced options are available for users who need more control.
Basic : The Basic Settings tab provides administrators with quick access to the most frequently used configuration options. It is organized into four intuitive sections for easier navigation and setup
1. Apps
o Select and manage the applications permitted in Kiosk Mode . The “Apps to be allowed in background” setting lets administrators specify apps that won’t be directly accessible from Kiosk Mode but will continue running in the background when needed — a feature designed for special use cases and supported from Android App version 7.90 and above.
2. User Permissions
o Control what actions end users can perform while in Kiosk Mode — such as adjusting screen brightness. This helps maintain device security and consistency across deployments.
3. Visual Preferences
o Customize the look and feel of the Kiosk home screen. Configure
§ Keep device on when plugged in,
§ Hide home button,
§ Hide key guard ,
§ Hide system popups ,
§ Hide system UI ,
§ Hide notifications,
§ Show Sign In and Sign Out options for shared devices
Fine-tune visual elements to create a user interface that aligns with organizational needs.
4. General Settings
o Define core operational behaviours such as
§ Auto update kiosk app only when kiosk mode is exited,
§ Auto update kiosk app without exiting kiosk mode,
§ Show introductory hints on first app launch,
§ Admin bypass for kiosk mode, Admin-defined Passcode,
§ Enable dynamic passcode generation,
§ Block hardware keys
Ensuring an optimized experience for end users
Advanced : For organizations aiming to unlock the full potential of their Kiosk setup, the Advanced tab delivers powerful customization and control options
1. Manufacturer Settings: Tailor device behavior with OEM-specific configurations to ensure optimal performance and compatibility.
§ Show settings provided by device manufacturers,
i. Accessibility settings,
ii. Biometrics and passcode settings,
iii. Bluetooth settings,
iv. Location settings,
v. NFC settings
Custom Launch Options: Design unique launch flows or trigger specialized actions to perfectly match your operational needs.
Additional Attributes: Extend functionality with flexible, advanced parameters that support deep integrations and custom business use cases.
This level of control enables administrators to create a truly tailored Kiosk experience — one that aligns seamlessly with enterprise goals and diverse device environments. The clear separation between Basic and Advanced settings ensures a focused, intuitive configuration process, allowing administrators to manage essential and complex options with equal ease.
Conclusion :
The enhanced Kiosk Policy redefines how organizations design, configure, and manage dedicated device experiences. With its interactive designer view, well-structured settings, and real-time preview capabilities, it transforms what was once a complex, reactive process into a streamlined, proactive, and engaging workflow.Whether deploying thousands of field devices or configuring a single kiosk for the first time, this update empowers administrators to create consistent, branded, and user-friendly interfaces — all from one unified console.
The result is a more intuitive configuration process, faster rollouts, and a seamless experience that benefits both IT teams and end users alike.
Authored by @Santosh Kushwah and co-authored by @Vinod Ambekar and @Jyothiraditya S