5 Best Kiosk Apps for Android (Free&Paid)
Are you looking for an application to lock Android device for specific purpose? This method of setting a device to allow only a particular app or browser is commonly known as kiosk mode.
There are many kiosk apps available on the market that offer these features, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. You should choose the software that best suits your needs and areas of concern.
We tested several popular Android kiosk apps in the market, and selected five apps that performed well in different key areas of kiosk functions.
(Please note that unlike the Android built-in screen pinning feature, a kiosk app provides a long-term lockdown environment and prevents users from leaving the interface without a pre-set password)
Best Free App for Kiosk Lockdown on Customer Devices
| Browser lockdown | ✔️ |
|---|---|
| App restrictions | Single-app/Multi-app mode |
| Features limitations | ✔️ |
| Remote Management | ✔️ |
| Customization & Branding | ✔️ |
- Lockdown mode supports interactive web content, non-interactive digital signage, single-app, and multi-app modes.
- During setup, users aren't clearly informed about setting a kiosk exit password, making it challenging to exit without looking up KioWare's default password (3523). The exit button is also hard to click.
- The software allows apps to start on boot and prevents screen sleep.
- Demo mode pop-ups impact user experience.
Best Affordable App for Lockdown Kiosk Mode at Scale
| Browser lockdown | ✔️ |
|---|---|
| App restrictions | Single-app/Multi-app mode |
| Features limitations | ✔️ |
| Remote Management | ✔️ |
| Customization & Branding | ✔️ |
- Comprehensive kiosk lockdown features, including single/multi-app mode, kiosk browser, and branding...all you need is here.
- Purchase a minimum of 10 licenses.
- MDM policy and remote support features facilitate large-scale device management.
- Direct video lockdown is not supported, but you can lock down a web app for video demonstration.
- It is highly compatible with Android devices, supporting versions 4.0 and above.
Best Kiosk App Suites for Single Demand & Small License Purchases
| Browser lockdown | ✔️ |
|---|---|
| App restrictions | Single-app mode |
| Features limitations | Limited |
| Remote Management | ✔️ |
| Customization & Branding | ✔️ |
- Quick start settings allows you to launch kiosk mode within 3 minutes.
- Ideal for businesses with a small number of devices, with sales starting from a single license.
- The "Quick Start Settings" enable to launch kiosk mode in just three minutes.
Best Kiosk App for Interactive Touch Screen Building
| Browser lockdown | ❌ |
|---|---|
| App restrictions | ❌ |
| Features limitations | ❌ |
| Remote Management | ✔️ |
| Customization & Branding | ✔️ |
- It provides free version with 3 screen limit.
- OptiSigns primarily focuses on digital signage creation and does not provide app or website lockdown functions.
- The reporting and analytics features help businesses better understand and optimize their content performance.
- The content design process can be a bit challenging and requires some learning effort.
Best Kiosk App with Third-party Intergrations
| Browser lockdown | ✔️ |
|---|---|
| App restrictions | Single-app/multi-app mode |
| Features limitations | ✔️ |
| Remote Management | ✔️ |
| Customization & Branding | ✔️ |
- Comprehensive Android kiosk management features.
- More expensive compared to other kiosk solutions.
- Extensive third-party tool integration.
- The management dashboard is not user-friendly and requires time to locate specific features.
Why is a Kiosk App Needed?
- Using an Android Tablet as an always-on single app kiosk
The kiosk app can lock the Android tablets to a single app, while preventing access to all other apps. The application running in single-app kiosk mode cannot be closed or minimized.
If a device restarts after power interruption, it will automatically relaunch the selected app. This feature of the kiosk app is ideal for retail stores, self-service kiosks, information terminals, and airports to facilitate customers, improve user experience, and optimize efficiency.
- Restrict devices to only access specific websites
Kiosk app can enforce URL whitelisting, allowing users to access only the approved websites, specifically the business-critical ones.
This feature prevents employees or users from accessing unnecessary and harmful websites, which can compromise security. Other supported features include content filtering, secure browsing with HTTPS protocol, and customizable settings.
- Turn Android devices into digital signage
Kiosk apps turn Android devices into digital signages for playing slides, HD videos, images animations as required for advertisements, updates, promotions, sales, and new openings.
Kiosks offer remote content management and scheduling to display dynamic content with reduced efforts and costs. It increases brand visibility and allows seamless content management from remote locations.
- Block access to non-work apps and websites to prevent misuse
The biggest problem for businesses is the low employee productivity rate due to excessive and unnecessary mobile usage. Kiosk apps enforce device restrictions by disabling access to social media, gaming, and other unauthorized apps and websites.
This prevents unnecessary device usage by employees during working hours and keeps them focused on work. Usage analytics help admins track app usage patterns by employees, custom device configurations, website and app whitelisting, and blacklisting features to ensure restricted device usage.
Our Advices
💡Free kiosk app can be risky
Free kiosk apps are often vulnerable to cyber-attacks due to insufficient security measures. They may lack standard security protocols leading to non-compliance. Additionally, these apps frequently contain numerous in-app advertisements.
Granting extensive device permissions to a free app poses further risks. Compromised security can result in reputational and financial losses for an organization. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to use kiosk apps that meet standard security requirements.
💡Try a free trial before purchasing
Although most of the kiosk apps offer a money-back guarantee but, it will waste much time. So, choose an app which provides a free trial.
Before purchasing paid services, try its free trial to better understand its features and analyze if it matches your requirements.
💡Choose a kiosk app with remote management capabilities
Remote management helps to optimize device performance and security. Continuous monitoring of the kiosk app helps to ensure high security.
It also reduces the downtime of devices by remotely identifying the issues and troubleshooting them. So, enterprises should choose a kiosk app with remote management capabilities for seamless operations.
