Android kiosk
Which Android tablets and phones run Agoo Kiosk, what the app does, how to set a device up, pinning it to the screen, staff cards over NFC, stands and power.
Agoo is in early access. This page describes the feature as it ships to early-access organisations; screens are illustrative.
Most tablets in Ghana run Android, and Agoo is built to run well on affordable ones. Agoo Kiosk for Android runs on tablets and phones with Android 8.0 or later, with the same screens as the iPad and iPhone app, online or offline.
Download it from the apps page and install it: the device asks once to allow installing from your browser. It will move to Google Play later.
What the app does
Everything the iPad and iPhone app does, on a tablet at the desk or a phone at the gate:
| On the kiosk | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Check-in | Walk-ins say who they're here to see (a person, several people, a team or no one in particular, as each visitor type allows), answer the type's questions, agree to or sign your documents, and have their photo and ID taken when you ask. See Kiosk check-in. |
| Passes | An invited visitor scans their pass, which the kiosk checks itself with no network, or finds their invitation by name. See Signed passes. |
| Check-out | Visitors check out by name, and answer your feedback survey when the kiosk has one. See Check-out. |
| Staff clock-in | A printed badge, the badge on their phone, a staff card, their name and PIN, or the rotating code for the Workspace app, with a selfie when you ask for one. See Clock-in methods. |
| Guest Wi-Fi | Visitors you give your guest Wi-Fi see a code on the welcome screen that joins in one scan, even offline. See Guest and staff Wi-Fi. |
| Feedback stand | Anyone can rate their visit. See Ask visitors for feedback. |
| Guard mode | Each guard signs in at the gate with their own PIN or the badge on their phone, locks the device when they step away and hands over at the end of a shift. See Front desk and guard mode. |
| Deliveries | Couriers log parcels at the Delivery button and guards from Parcels, with the label read by the camera on the device; recipients collect with their code. See Deliveries. |
| Vehicles | Guards log vehicles in and out, with the plate read by the camera. See Vehicles. |
| Offline | Every one of these works through a network or power cut and is sent when the connection returns. See Offline mode. |
Face clock-in and badge printing aren't in the app yet, on Android or on iPad and iPhone. They are planned.
Recommended specs
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| Android version | Android 8.0 | Android 12 or later, still receiving security updates |
| Memory (RAM) | 3 GB | 4 GB or more |
| Screen | Any | 10 to 11 inches for a tablet at the desk |
| Front camera | Any | 5 megapixels or better, for clear visitor photos and reading IDs |
| Back camera | Not needed | A good one on a gate device, for scanning passes, IDs and number plates |
| Storage | 32 GB | 64 GB |
| Connection | Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi plus a SIM slot (LTE) for a backup data connection |
| NFC | Not needed | Needed only if staff will tap cards on this kiosk |
| Google services | Not needed | The kiosk reads QR codes, IDs and number plates itself, on the device |
Agoo Kiosk has a layout for phones and one for tablets, upright or on their side, in light and dark.
A phone works well for guard mode at a gate: something with a good back camera for scanning passes and plates, and a battery that lasts a shift.
Set up the tablet
Do this before you pair it.
- Update Android to the latest version the device offers.
- Set a screen lock (a PIN or password) in Settings → Security. Unpinning the app asks for it.
- If the tablet is signed in to a Google account, use one that belongs to your organisation, not someone's personal one.
- Turn off notifications from other apps, so nothing pops up over the check-in screens.
- Turn on Find My Device or your manufacturer's equivalent, in case it goes missing.
- Download Agoo Kiosk from the apps page, allow the install when the tablet asks, and open it.
Agoo Kiosk keeps the screen on while it's open, so there's no screen timeout to change. The first time a screen needs the camera, the kiosk says what it's for and Android asks you to allow it.
Kiosk lock-down
A kiosk in a public place should only ever show Agoo. Pin it before visitors use it.
Screen pinning
Android's built-in screen pinning (called "App pinning" or "Pin app" on some devices) keeps Agoo Kiosk on screen until someone unpins it.
- Open Settings and search for pin. Turn app pinning on, and turn on Ask for PIN before unpinning (or the similar option on your device), so unpinning needs the device's screen lock.
- In Agoo Kiosk, open the device menu: press and hold your organisation's name at the top for two seconds and enter the device PIN.
- Under Lock-down, tap Pin Agoo Kiosk to the screen. Android asks you to confirm.
The device menu then shows that the kiosk is pinned. To unpin it, tap Unpin in the device menu, or hold Back and Overview together and unlock the device. Menus differ between manufacturers, so the exact names may vary.
A restart (for example, after the battery runs flat in a long power cut) unpins the app until someone pins it again. Check each kiosk when the power comes back.
Full lock-down
Setting a tablet up as a dedicated device, which stays locked to Agoo Kiosk through restarts with nobody pinning it again, isn't available yet: a managed device can be locked to one app, but there's no set-up guide for Agoo Kiosk. Until then, use screen pinning.
Our Kiosk Lite kit arrives set up for your organisation with Agoo Kiosk installed. Pin it to the screen from the device menu once it's in place, and again after a restart, like any pinned tablet.
Staff cards
An Android tablet or phone with NFC reads staff cards for clock-in: the employee taps Staff clock-in, chooses Tap your card and holds the card where the kiosk shows. The kiosk recognises the card itself, even offline.
Many budget tablets don't have NFC. If you plan to use staff cards, check the specification before you buy, or use an NFC-capable phone at the staff entrance. On a device without NFC, staff use their badge or PIN. See NFC and terminals.
Stands and power
- Stands: a lockable desk stand that tilts the screen towards the visitor and leaves the front camera clear, or a floor stand for lobbies without a counter. The Kiosk Lite kit includes a desk stand.
- Placement: away from direct sunlight and with the light in front of the visitor, not behind them.
- Charging: keep the tablet on charge all day, with the manufacturer's charger. Cheap chargers often can't keep up with a screen that's always on.
- Battery care: if your tablet has a battery protection setting that stops charging at about 85% (Samsung calls it Protect battery), turn it on. A tablet kept at 100% for months wears its battery faster.
- Backup power: put the charger, router and printer on a UPS or inverter if you have one. Check battery levels in Console → Devices after a power cut.
iPad kiosk
Which iPad to use, how to set it up, stands and enclosures, power, and locking it to Agoo with Guided Access or an MDM.
Set up a kiosk on a computer
Turn a front-desk computer into a kiosk in its web browser, pair it with a code from the Console, keep it full screen, and know what it can and can't do next to the Kiosk apps.