Kiosk setup guide

Set up the computer once. It runs itself after that.

These steps turn a Mac mini or a Windows PC into a kiosk that turns on, signs in, and opens your interactive full screen with nobody touching it. Visitors only ever see the interactive.

Set up a MacSet up a Windows PC
What you're aiming for

Every morning, the kiosk starts itself.

Turn the power on, or let it come back after an outage. The rest happens on its own.

Before you start

Know which address the kiosk should open.

Connected kiosk

Its private kiosk link

Pair the kiosk once at app.tellcase.com/pair. The browser then jumps to the kiosk's own link. Copy it from the address bar, because that's what the kiosk opens every morning.

Treat this link like a key. Anyone with it can play that kiosk's interactive.

Offline package

The package's index.html file

Unzip the package somewhere permanent, like Documents on a Mac or C:\Tellcase on Windows. The kiosk opens the index.html file inside. The package's README has the exact address to use.

Updating later? Copy the new package to the same place so the address stays the same.

Mac mini or any Mac

Set up a Mac

  1. 1

    Make a kiosk user

    • Open System Settings > Users & Groups and click Add User.
    • Choose Standard (not Administrator) and name it Kiosk.
  2. 2

    Have it sign in by itself

    • In Users & Groups, set Automatically log in as to Kiosk.
    • If the option is missing, FileVault is on. Turn it off in Privacy & Security, or skip this step and sign in by hand each morning.
  3. 3

    Keep it awake

    • In System Settings > Energy, turn on Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off and Start up automatically after a power failure.
    • In System Settings > Lock Screen, set the screen saver and Turn display off to Never.
  4. 4

    Open Tellcase once

    • Sign in as Kiosk and install Google Chrome.
    • Connected kiosk: go to app.tellcase.com/pair, enter the code, and copy the address it opens. Offline package: copy the location of the package’s index.html file.
  5. 5

    Start it at sign-in

    • Open Script Editor and paste the line below, with your address in place of the example.
    • Choose File > Export, set File Format to Application, and save it as Tellcase Kiosk.
    • In System Settings > General > Login Items, click + and add Tellcase Kiosk.
    do shell script "open -a 'Google Chrome' --args --kiosk 'https://app.tellcase.com/kiosk/…'"
  6. 6

    Restart to test

    • Restart the Mac and keep your hands off. It should sign in and open the interactive full screen.
    • To close it later, plug in a keyboard and press Command+Q.
Windows 10 or 11 PC

Set up a Windows PC

  1. 1

    Make a kiosk user

    • Open Settings > Accounts > Other users and click Add account.
    • Choose I don’t have this person’s sign-in information, then Add a user without a Microsoft account. Name it Kiosk and give it a password.
  2. 2

    Have it sign in by itself

    • In Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options, turn off For improved security, only allow Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts on this device.
    • Search the Start menu for netplwiz and open it. Select Kiosk, clear Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer, click Apply, and type the Kiosk password.
  3. 3

    Keep it awake

    • In Settings > System > Power, set Screen and sleep to Never.
    • In the PC’s BIOS or UEFI setup, set Restore on AC power loss to Power On. The name varies by maker.
    • In Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options, set Active hours to your open hours so updates restart it overnight.
  4. 4

    Open Tellcase once

    • Sign in as Kiosk and install Google Chrome.
    • Connected kiosk: go to app.tellcase.com/pair, enter the code, and copy the address it opens. Offline package: copy the location of the package’s index.html file.
  5. 5

    Start it at sign-in

    • Press Windows+R, type shell:startup, and press Enter. A folder opens.
    • Right-click in it, choose New > Shortcut, and paste the line below with your address in place of the example. Name it Tellcase Kiosk.
    "C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --kiosk "https://app.tellcase.com/kiosk/…"
  6. 6

    Restart to test

    • Restart the PC and keep your hands off. It should sign in and open the interactive full screen.
    • To close it later, plug in a keyboard and press Alt+F4.
Finishing touches

Four small things that keep it visitor-proof.

Put the keyboard and mouse awayYou only need them for setup and the odd fix.
Lock the screen’s buttonsMost commercial screens have a menu lock, so nobody can switch the input.
Turn off pop-upsTurn on Do Not Disturb so notifications never cover the interactive.
Keep a USB port reachableOffline packages update by USB stick, and staff may need a keyboard.

Windows also has a built-in kiosk mode (Settings > Accounts > Other users > Set up a kiosk) that runs Microsoft Edge. It works, but it browses in a private session, so a connected kiosk may not keep its saved copy between restarts. For kiosks that need to ride out Wi-Fi drops, use the steps above.

Good to know

Setup questions

Do I need to lock down the kiosk computer?

Yes, we recommend it. Give the computer its own standard user that signs in by itself and opens Tellcase full screen. Visitors then only see the interactive, and staff never have to start it by hand. Our kiosk setup guide walks through it for Mac and Windows.

What happens after a power outage?

If the computer is set to start after a power failure and to sign in by itself, the kiosk comes back on its own and opens the interactive again. A connected kiosk plays its saved copy even if the network takes longer to come back.

Does a touchscreen work with a Mac mini?

Yes, as long as the screen supports macOS. Tellcase only needs taps and swipes, with no pinch or multi-finger gestures, so a touchscreen that works on a Mac works with Tellcase. Check the screen maker lists macOS support before you buy.

Do I need a keyboard and mouse?

Only while you set the computer up. After that, unplug them or tuck them away. The kiosk signs in, opens Tellcase, and shows its own on-screen keyboard when a visitor fills in a form.

Will Windows or macOS updates interrupt the kiosk?

Set the update hours to outside your open hours so any restart happens overnight. Because the kiosk signs in and opens Tellcase by itself, it is back before visitors arrive.

How do staff close the interactive to fix something?

With a keyboard plugged in, press Command+Q on a Mac or Alt+F4 on Windows to close the full-screen browser. Restart the computer to bring the kiosk back.

Stuck on a step?

Tell us what you see on the screen and we'll help you get the kiosk running.

Talk to us