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Vistapane is now available. Signage, screen sharing, alerts and room signs on your own network.

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Vistapane Panel for Android

Lock an Android tablet to a room sign with the free Vistapane Panel app, using Android's own kiosk mode.

Vistapane Panel is a free kiosk app for Android tablets, such as room signs by meeting-room doors. It shows the Vistapane player full-screen, finds the server on the network by itself, and locks the tablet to the app. You don't need a paid kiosk browser.

  • Runs full-screen, keeps the screen on, and reopens after reboots and crashes.
  • Finds the Vistapane server automatically, or you type the address.
  • Pairs like any screen: it shows a code, and you enter it under Room signs → Add room sign or Screens → Add screen.
  • Touch works, so people can book, check in, extend and end meetings on the sign.
  • Shows "Connecting to the Vistapane server…" and tries again every 10 seconds when the server can't be reached.

It needs Android 7.0 or later. Any brand works.

The full lock makes the app the tablet's device owner, Android's own kiosk mode. The status bar, Home, Recents and the lock screen are all blocked. The tablet starts straight into the sign and installs Android updates overnight, between 2 and 4 am.

You need a Windows PC with a USB cable, and setup-tablet.ps1 from your Vistapane download.

  1. Factory reset the tablet, or start with a new one. During Android setup, connect to Wi-Fi but don't add a Google or Samsung account. Android refuses the lock while any account exists.
  2. Go to Settings → About tablet → Software information and tap Build number 7 times.
  3. Go to Settings → Developer options and turn on USB debugging.
  4. Plug the tablet into the PC with USB and tap Allow on the tablet.
  5. On the PC, run:
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File setup-tablet.ps1 -Server vistapane-server:8080
  1. On the tablet, confirm the server, set an exit PIN, and tap Save and start.
  2. In the admin, go to Room signs → Add room sign, enter the code on the tablet and choose the room.
  3. Tap the top-left corner of the tablet 5 times, enter the PIN, choose Unlock for maintenance, and turn USB debugging off in Developer options. Press Home to go back to the sign, which locks again.

Lighter lock, no cable

  1. On the tablet, open http://vistapane-server:8080/downloads/VistapanePanel.apk in Chrome and install it. Allow installing from Chrome when Android asks.
  2. Open Vistapane Panel and set it up.
  3. Go to Settings → Apps → Default apps → Home app and choose Vistapane Panel.

The tablet then opens the sign at every start-up and every press of Home. Someone could still pull down the status bar and reach Settings, so use the full lock for tablets in public places.

The settings menu

Tap the top-left corner 5 times within 3 seconds, then enter the exit PIN.

OptionWhat it does
ReloadReloads the sign
Change server or PINOpens the setup screen
Unlock for maintenanceOpens Android Settings. The sign locks again when you press Home.
Erase panel settingsDeletes everything the app saved. The tablet then pairs as a new screen.
Remove kiosk lockTurns the tablet back into a normal device so you can uninstall the app. Locking it again needs a factory reset.

Updating the app

Most changes don't need an app update, because the sign itself comes from your Vistapane server. When there is a new version of the app, plug each tablet in with USB debugging on and run:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File setup-tablet.ps1 -UpdateOnly

Privacy

The app sends nothing to us or any third party. It talks only to the Vistapane server it was set up with. See the privacy policy.