Kiosk mode makes the CompleteVantage app the "device owner" of an Android box. The box then runs CompleteVantage and nothing else. It's the most reliable way to run screens you can't easily reach.

What you get

  • Starts by itself after power cuts, restarts and updates, even on Google TV.
  • Locked to CompleteVantage. Home and Back can't take anyone out of the app.
  • Silent app updates. No "Update?" prompt on the TV.
  • Reboot device works from the dashboard.
  • Display power control for display hours.
  • The box's timezone is kept in step with the screen's timezone (app 1.3.1 and later).

Before you start:

  • The box must have no accounts signed in (no Google account) and only one user. The easiest way is a freshly reset box where you skip the Google sign-in.
  • The CompleteVantage app installed on the box. See Install the Android app.
  • A computer on the same network as the box, with adb installed. adb is part of Google's free Android SDK Platform-Tools for Windows, Mac and Linux.
  • The box's remote.

Step 1: Turn on developer options

  1. On the box, open Settings.
  2. Go to Device preferences, then About (on some boxes: System, then About).
  3. Select Build seven times. You'll see a message that you're now a developer.

Step 2: Turn on network debugging

  1. Go back to Device preferences (or System) and open Developer options.
  2. Turn on USB debugging.
  3. If there's an option called Network debugging or ADB over network, turn it on too.
  4. Find the box's IP address under Settings, Network & Internet, then your connection. For example 192.168.1.50.

Step 3: Connect from your computer

  1. On your computer, open a terminal (Command Prompt or PowerShell on Windows) in the Platform-Tools folder.
  2. Run this, with your box's address:
adb connect 192.168.1.50:5555
  1. The TV asks Allow USB debugging? Tick Always allow from this computer and select OK.
  2. Check it's connected:
adb devices

You should see your box's address followed by device.

Step 4: Make CompleteVantage the device owner

Run:

adb shell dpm set-device-owner com.tvdashboard.player/.AdminReceiver

If it works, you'll see a line starting Success: Device owner set to package.

Step 5: Start the app

  1. Open the CompleteVantage app, or restart the box.
  2. The app makes itself the box's permanent home screen and pins itself on screen.
  3. Pair the screen if you haven't already. See Pair a screen.

You can now turn off USB debugging and Network debugging in Developer options if you prefer. Leaving network debugging on lets you set things like the timezone from your computer later, but anyone on the same network could connect to it, so only do that on a trusted network.

Troubleshooting

"Not allowed to set the device owner because there are already some accounts on the device". Remove every account under Settings, Accounts and try again. If you can't, factory reset the box and skip signing in.

"Not allowed to set the device owner because there are already several users on the device". Remove the extra users, or factory reset the box.

"Unknown admin" or "Bad admin". The app isn't installed, or the package name is different. Check the app is installed and the command matches.

adb connect fails. Check the IP address, that network debugging is on, and that the computer and box are on the same network. Some boxes only accept adb over a USB cable the first time.

The box has no Developer options or refuses the command. A few boxes block device owner mode. Use the home app method instead. See Start automatically after a power cut.

Undo kiosk mode

Factory reset the box from its recovery menu or Settings. This erases everything on the box. Then install and pair the app again. Remove the old screen from the dashboard first. See Screen settings.

What's next