Allow phone calls and SMS in Android multi-app kiosk modeSolved

For Android kiosk mode, the default Phone/Dialer and Messages apps usually need two types of configuration:

1. Add the user-facing apps to the kiosk policy

– Find the package name of the default Phone/Dialer app from the device app list.

– Add that app to the Hexnode app repository if it is not already available.

– Add the Phone/Dialer app to the Multi App kiosk section so that it appears on the device.

– Do the same for the default Messages app if users need to send and view SMS.

2. Add required system services as Background Apps

Native calling and messaging depend on Android system components that may not have visible icons. If these are blocked by kiosk mode, incoming calls, outgoing calls, call UI, SMS handling, or telephony services may not work correctly.

For Samsung devices, make sure the related phone, dialer, call UI, telephony, telecom, and call background provider packages are added under Background Apps in the kiosk policy. The exact package names can vary by model and Android version, so use the package names shown in the device’s app inventory.

A common mistake is adding the dialer only as a Background App. Background Apps are allowed to run silently, but they do not appear as launchable kiosk apps. To show the dialer icon, add the dialer package under the Multi App kiosk apps as well.

Regards,
Mary Romero