How to set up a website kiosk for Android devices?

When you need to restrict a user from entering websites that are not required for work or allow the users to access only a required set of websites while using a device, the Website Kiosk comes into play. Hexnode’s Website Kiosk mode is the perfect solution for users to access only a set of websites approved by the organization.

Set up a Website Kiosk

With Hexnode, you can easily set up a Website Kiosk for Android devices that restricts users from accessing the websites other than the organization approved ones.

To setup website kiosk,

1. Login to your Hexnode portal, navigate to Policies.
2. Select an existing policy or create a new one by clicking New Policy.
3. From Kiosk Lockdown > Android Kiosk Lockdown, select Website Kiosk Settings and click Configure.

You’ll have the following options to be configured.

Hexnode Browser Lite

The Hexnode Browser Lite is a single tabbed browser that opens the web apps added in either single app/multi-app kiosk mode. It can also open the external URL’s within the web app, provided the URLs are whitelisted.

1. Login to your Hexnode portal.
2. Navigate to Policies.
3. Select an existing policy or create a new one by clicking New Policy.
4. From Kiosk Lockdown > Android Kiosk Lockdown, select Single App / Multi App, and click on Configure.
5. Click on the + icon and add the required web app or web apps in the kiosk mode.
6. Next, choose Website Kiosk Settings and click Configure.
7. Choose the option Hexnode Browser Lite.
8. Check the option Open web apps in full screen to enable opening the web apps in full screen on the device.
9. Enter the URLs to be whitelisted in the Whitelist websites column. The users can access only the whitelisted external links within the web app. All other websites will be blocked on the device.

Hexnode Browser

Hexnode’s Browser enables safe browsing by restricting access to a few websites permitted by the organization. It allows limiting the access to either single tabbed browsing/multi-tabbed browsing. Learn more.

Another Browser

If you want to opt for any browser other than the Hexnode Browser, you can choose the option Another Browser.

To add the browser in the multi-app kiosk policy,

1. Login to your Hexnode portal.
2. Navigate to Policies.
3. Select an existing policy or create a new one by clicking New Policy. Provide a suitable name and description if you are creating a new policy.
4. From Kiosk Lockdown > Android Kiosk Lockdown, select Multi App and click on Configure.
5. Click on the + icon and add the required web apps and the browser in Multi app kiosk mode.
6. Next, go to Website Kiosk Settings and click Configure.
7. Choose the option Another Browser.
8. Select the browser and save the policy.

To lock a website in the single app kiosk mode and to open it using another browser, add the web app in the single app mode and the web browser in the background app policy.

1. Login to your Hexnode portal.
2. Navigate to Policies.
3. Select an existing policy or create a new one by clicking New Policy.
4. Navigate to Kiosk Lockdown > Android Kiosk Lockdown and select Single App.
5. Click on Configure and add the web app by clicking the + icon.
6. Next, choose Website Kiosk Settings and click Configure.
7. Choose the option Another Browser.
8. Go to Android Kiosk Lockdown, select Background Apps and click on Configure.
9. Add the required browser by clicking on the + button.
10. Select the browser and save the policy.

Associate Policies with Devices

If the policy has not yet been saved,

1. Navigate to Policy Targets.
2. Click on +Add Devices.
3. Select the devices and click OK.
4. Click on Save to apply the policies to devices.

Apart from devices, you can also associate the policies with device groups, users, user groups and domains from Policy Targets.

If the policy has been saved, you can associate it with another method.

1. From Policies, check the policies to be associated.
2. Click on Manage > Associate Targets and select the device.
3. Click on Associate.