iPad kiosk mode · setup guide

Turn your iPad into a video message station.

About 15 minutes the day before. You bring the iPad, a stand and a charger. Guests tap Start, record up to a minute, and tap Send.

Works on an iPad with iPadOS 15 or newer, in Safari. Use the newest iPadOS you can for the best video recording. Test it once at home before the event.

1. Turn on kiosk mode in your dashboard

1. Open your dashboard and find the iPad kiosk mode card.
2. Set a host PIN (4 to 8 digits). You need it to leave kiosk mode on the iPad. Don’t share it with guests.
3. Add a welcome line if you like, such as “Step in and leave us a message!”. It shows on the iPad’s start screen.
4. Tick Kiosk mode on and press Save. Your kiosk link and its QR code appear.

2. Open the kiosk on the iPad

1. On the iPad, point the Camera app at the QR code in your dashboard and tap the link, or open the kiosk link in Safari.
2. When Safari asks to use the camera and microphone, tap Allow. To stop it asking again: Settings › Apps › Safari › Camera › Allow, and the same for Microphone. (On iPadOS 17 and earlier it’s Settings › Safari.)
3. Optional: tap the Share button, then Add to Home Screen. The kiosk then opens full screen without Safari’s address bar. If the Home Screen version keeps asking for the camera on your iPad, just use it in Safari. Both work with Guided Access.
4. Record one test message and check that it shows up in your dashboard. You can hide it there afterwards.

3. Lock it with Guided Access

Guided Access keeps the iPad on the kiosk, so guests can’t switch apps or close it.

1. Go to Settings › Accessibility › Guided Access and turn it on.
2. Tap Passcode Settings › Set Guided Access Passcode. It can be the same as your kiosk PIN.
3. In the same screen, set Display Auto-Lock to Never, so the screen stays on.
4. Open the kiosk, then triple-click the top button (or the Home button on older iPads). Tap Options and turn off the top or side button (it may be called Sleep/Wake Button) and Volume Buttons, then tap Start.
5. To finish: triple-click the same button, enter the passcode and tap End.

4. On the day

• Plug it in. The camera and screen use a lot of battery. Keep the iPad on its charger the whole time.
• Turn on Do Not Disturb (Control Center › Focus) so notifications don’t pop up over the kiosk.
• Turn the volume up so guests hear their preview. Turn off Silent Mode if it’s on.
• Wi-Fi: use the venue Wi-Fi or a phone hotspot. If it drops, videos wait safely on the iPad and upload when it’s back. A small note in the bottom-left corner shows how many are waiting.
• Storage: a one-minute video is roughly 15 to 25 MB. Leave at least 2 GB free.
• Host panel: press and hold the top-right corner of the kiosk for 2 seconds, then enter your PIN. From there you can retry uploads, save waiting videos to the iPad, or exit kiosk mode.
• Before you pack up: open the host panel and check it says Every video has uploaded. Keep the kiosk open on Wi-Fi until it does.

5. Setting up a booth

A phone booth, a draped corner or a quiet nook makes guests more relaxed and makes the audio much better.

• Mount: use a stand that locks the iPad in place. A floor stand puts the camera at about eye level for standing guests (roughly 5 feet). A tabletop stand works for seated guests. Tilt it slightly down toward faces.
• Power: run the charging cable through or along the stand, with an extension cord taped down so nobody trips. Check the outlet works before guests arrive.
• Lighting: light the guest, not the wall behind them. Put a lamp or a small ring light behind the iPad, facing the guest. Avoid a bright window or spotlight behind them, which turns faces into silhouettes.
• Portrait or landscape: portrait fits one person and matches the vertical video show for phones. Landscape fits couples and groups better. On many newer iPads the front camera is on the long edge, so landscape also puts the camera in the middle, where people look. Either works with the kiosk.
• Sound: keep the booth away from the speakers and the dance floor. Curtains, rugs and cushions soak up echo. Guests should stand or sit about an arm’s length from the iPad and speak normally.
• Sign: print the “Step in and leave a message” sign below and put it on or next to the booth.

If something goes wrong

• “The camera is blocked”: allow the camera and microphone for Safari (step 2), then tap Try again.
• “This kiosk link has changed”: someone made a new link in the dashboard. Open the new link on the iPad.
• The screen went dark: check Display Auto-Lock is Never in Guided Access, and the charger is plugged in.
• Anything else: email support@getgoodreception.com.