Kiosk management

A tablet with one job, doing one job, all day.

Android kiosk management software runs a whole fleet of kiosk tablets and phones from one console: the same setup rolled out to every device in a group, each kiosk's health on one dashboard, and an alert when one stops working. NounDesk builds the kiosk in a four-step wizard, works with a Play Store app, a package name or any web URL, applies it to a single device or a whole group, and reports each kiosk as Ready, Installing app, App missing or Offline so a dead counter tablet is known before customers notice. Setting up a single device? The kiosk mode feature page covers that step by step.

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A tablet locked to a single appapp.noundesk.comOrder DeskKiosk health: ReadyHome buttonOffSettingsBlockedStay awakeWhile chargingVolumeLockedBrightnessFixedUpdatesOvernight

Single app, several apps, or a web page

A kiosk is a device that should do one thing. What that thing is varies, so NounDesk takes the app from wherever it actually lives.

  • Single-app kiosks show one app full screen with nothing else reachable.
  • Multi-app kiosks show a simple launcher holding only the apps you picked, which suits a classroom.
  • Any URL becomes an installable web app, which is how most order screens and intake forms run.

Four steps, done by the manager

The wizard is four screens and the result applies to one device or a whole group, so every tablet at the counter behaves identically.

  • Pick the app, then set behaviour: Home button, clock and battery, power button, settings access, error dialogs.
  • Set the screen: fixed or automatic brightness, timeout, and stay awake while charging.
  • Apply to a group so a replacement tablet is running the menu ten minutes out of the box.

Locked down for a device nobody owns

A shared tablet is handled by customers, students and staff who have no reason to be careful with it. The lockdown settings exist so curiosity cannot break the thing.

  • Turn off the Home button and block settings so nobody can leave the app or change the Wi-Fi.
  • Lock the volume and fix the brightness so the device looks the same every morning.
  • Block Bluetooth, calls, SMS, USB storage, wallpaper and account changes.

Kiosks that report their own health

The worst kiosk failure is a silent one: a tablet showing the Android home screen for two hours because an update knocked out its app. Each kiosk reports its own state instead.

  • Ready, Installing app, App missing and Offline, per device, on the dashboard.
  • An alert goes out when a tablet loses its app or goes quiet during opening hours.
  • Re-push the app from the device page and it returns to the order screen untouched by anyone.

A kiosk is still a company device

Kiosk mode decides what is on screen. The Kiosk security policy template decides everything else about the tablet, and the two are edited in the same place.

  • Encryption on, apps from Google Play only, system updates scheduled overnight when the counter is closed.
  • Lost mode and erase work on a kiosk tablet the same way they do on a phone.
  • Group tablets by location so each shop's kiosks carry their own Wi-Fi and app list.

Where kiosks earn their keep

The pattern repeats across trades: a device on a counter, in a van or in a charging cart that should show one thing and resist everything else.

  • Restaurants and retail

    Order screens, kitchen displays, check-in and loyalty sign-up.

  • Clinics

    Intake forms on a front-desk tablet.

  • Schools

    Shared tablets that stay on the lesson.

  • Delivery and warehouses

    Scanner apps on phones that live in a van.

Restaurants and retail →Clinics →Schools →Delivery →Single-device kiosk setup →

Inside the product

The features behind kiosk management

Dashboard & inventory

An Android device dashboard and inventory for small fleets: see which phones are online, offline or need attention, and filter by group, employee, policy.

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Security policies

Android security policies in plain English: pick a template, set screen lock, updates, camera, Wi-Fi and encryption, and preview changes before publishing.

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App management

Install and manage apps on company Android phones: mark Google Play apps required, available or blocked per policy, and spot missing or outdated apps.

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Kiosk mode

Android kiosk mode with no kiosk app to install. Lock a tablet or phone to one app, a few apps or a web page in a four-step wizard, and see each kiosk's health.

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Industries

Kiosk Management by trade

The businesses that lean on this most, each with its own scenario and recommended policy template.

Construction

Crew phones and site tablets you can actually see.

Crew phones and rugged site tablets that move between trailers and job sites. Group devices by site, push each site's Wi-Fi, and see honestly which ones have gone quiet.

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Cleaning & home services

Simple phones for a team that's always at someone's home.

Staff phones that carry the schedule and a client's gate code into someone's home. A simple PIN rule, an app allow-list, and reassignment in seconds when the team changes.

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Delivery & logistics

Driver phones that navigate, scan, and lock when they go missing.

Driver phones running navigation and proof of delivery all day. Keep the dispatch app on the version you tested, get told when a phone goes quiet, and lock it the moment it is lost.

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Restaurants & retail

The order tablet shows the menu. Nothing else. All day.

Order screens and check-in tablets that should show one app and nothing else. Kiosk mode blocks the settings menu, keeps the screen awake, and tells you before the lunch rush if a tablet dies.

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Clinics & small healthcare

Front-desk tablets and staff phones that would pass an audit.

Front-desk tablets and staff phones that hold appointment details. Encryption, a real screen lock, patching on a schedule, and reports you can export for a compliance review.

Read more →
Small schools & training

Classroom tablets that stay on the lesson.

Shared classroom tablets used by a hundred students and supported by a teacher. A multi-app kiosk per room, blocked app stores, and updates that run overnight.

Read more →

See every industry →

Why NounDesk

Why small businesses choose NounDesk for Android device management

Ten minutes, not a project

Guided onboarding with a live checklist. Scan a QR code on the phone's welcome screen and it enrolls itself. NounDesk runs on Google's Android Enterprise, so there is no agent app to install and nothing of ours to keep patched on the device.

Plain English everywhere

"Screen lock does not meet policy", not a compliance code. Every setting explains what it does and names the Android version it needs, so nothing fails silently on an older phone.

Safe by default

Erasing a device needs its name typed out, and bulk erase is never offered. Policy changes show what will change and how many devices it hits. Nothing is wiped automatically when an employee leaves.

Status you can believe

A command reads "waiting for device" until the phone confirms it, rather than claiming success on send. Offline means not seen in 24 hours, not broken.

Privacy you can explain to your team

No call or message monitoring, no browsing history, no keylogging, and no location outside lost mode. You can tell staff exactly what the phone reports, and point them at the page that says so.

Priced for small fleets

$1.50 per device per month. One price, every feature, any number of devices (over 50, email support@noundesk.com first), no minimum and no annual contract. A 14-day trial covering up to 50 devices with no card, and a free demo fleet before you touch a real phone.

Other solutions

Device Management

Enroll, secure and recover every company phone

Read more →

Application Management

Put the right apps on every phone, and keep them there

Read more →

Work Profile & BYOD

What we support today, and what is coming

Read more →

Tablet Management

Counter, clinic, classroom and van tablets

Read more →

Rugged Device Management

Scanners, handhelds and site-proof tablets

Read more →

All solutions

Every way small businesses use NounDesk, side by side.

See all →
From the blog
ArticleHow to Lock an Android Tablet to One App (Kiosk Mode Guide)Turn a company Android tablet into a single-purpose device: what kiosk mode locks down, how to set it up, and the three settings people forget.ArticleSetting Up Order Tablets for Restaurants Without an IT PersonA practical setup for restaurant order and counter tablets: kiosk lockdown, the settings that survive a busy service, and what to do on a power cut.ArticleShared Classroom Tablets: Setup Guide for Small SchoolsHow a small school or training centre sets up shared Android tablets: identical every morning, locked to the right apps, and safe for students.

Read the complete guide to Android MDM for small business →

User guide
Guide · Setup and accessThe dashboardWhat each NounDesk dashboard tile means, how fleet health sorts devices into Healthy, Needs attention or Critical, and how to open the matching list.Guide · DevicesFind and manage devicesSearch and filter the NounDesk device list, read the Trust column, open a device and use bulk actions to assign, move, lock or reboot many devices.Guide · DevicesThe device pageA tab-by-tab tour of a device's page: who uses it, its policy, apps, security, activity history and hardware details.Guide · DevicesDevice statusHow NounDesk describes a device: its lifecycle, whether it's online, whether it follows its policy, and whether it can be trusted.Guide · PoliciesSecurity policiesCreate a NounDesk security policy from a template, edit the settings, preview what changes, publish it and restore an earlier version.Guide · PoliciesPolicy settings referenceEvery setting in the NounDesk policy editor: the options, what each does, which Android versions support it and the Standard Business default.

Browse the full user guide →

Kiosk Management: questions answered

What is Android kiosk mode?

It is a managed state where a device runs only the apps you allow, usually one, with the Home button, settings menu and other escape routes switched off. Android calls this a dedicated device.

Can customers get out of the app?

Not if you turn the Home button off and block settings access in the wizard. The tablet shows your app until an administrator changes it.

Will the screen turn off on the counter?

Only if you want it to. Turn on stay awake while charging and set a fixed brightness, and a docked tablet stays on through service.

Can a kiosk run a website instead of an app?

Yes. Enter the URL and NounDesk turns it into a full-screen web app. Update the site and every kiosk has the new version immediately.

How do I know if a kiosk tablet has failed?

Each one reports Ready, Installing app, App missing or Offline on the dashboard, and an alert is raised when it stops being ready.

What hardware do I need?

Any Google-certified Android tablet or phone running Android 8 or newer that can be factory reset at enrollment. Inexpensive Samsung and Lenovo tablets are common choices.

Ten phones. Ten minutes. Protected.

Start a 14-day free trial, no card required. Or load a sample fleet in demo mode first.

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