Android multi-app kiosk: silent app install, Phone/Contacts system apps, and remote kiosk unlockSolved

Hi @richard_hank ,

For this type of deployment, Android Enterprise enrollment is recommended. It provides better control over kiosk devices and supports silent installation of managed apps.

Regarding your other questions:

• Kiosk policies: It’s generally easier to maintain a single multi-app kiosk policy containing all the apps needed for that particular use case. Multiple overlapping kiosk policies can make management and troubleshooting more difficult.
• Phone and Contacts: These are system apps, so they need to be added to the kiosk app list under System Apps. If an app doesn’t appear automatically, you can add it using its package name. Keep in mind that package names for native apps may vary between manufacturers.
• Disabling kiosk remotely: Yes. As long as the device is online and communicating with Hexnode, you can use the Disable Kiosk Mode remote action while testing.
• Different kiosk passwords: Kiosk exit passwords are configured through the policy. Devices associated with the same kiosk policy will share the same password. If different passwords are required, you would need separate kiosk policies.

A typical setup would be:

1. Enroll the device using Android Enterprise.
2. Create a dedicated Android policy for kiosk use.
3. In the policy, go to Kiosk Lockdown and configure Multi-App Kiosk.
4. Add all required apps to the same kiosk policy.
5. Add the apps under Required Apps as well if they need to be installed automatically.
6. Associate the policy with the test device or device group.

Best Regards,
Isabel Lora
Hexnode UEM

That helps. I actually created one kiosk policy for testing and then another one afterward, so I wasn’t sure if I should keep both.

Also, regular apps showed up fine, and Phone appeared in kiosk mode, but Contacts didn’t, even though the policy status showed as successful.

If both policies are meant for the same use case, I’d recommend keeping a single kiosk policy and removing the older test policy. That makes future changes much easier to manage.

As for Contacts, if the policy has been applied successfully but the app still doesn’t appear, the most likely reason is that the Contacts app package name differs on your device. Some manufacturers use their own Contacts applications instead of the stock Android one.

You can verify the Contacts app package name from the device’s app inventory and then add that package under System Apps in the kiosk configuration. After updating the policy, push it again or run a device scan to force a sync.

Best Regards,
Isabel Lora
Hexnode UEM

One more thing. If I accidentally lock myself out while changing the app list, can I disable kiosk remotely? I don’t want to reset the device every time I make a mistake.

Yes. If the device is online and checking in with Hexnode, you can use the Disable Kiosk Mode remote action to temporarily exit kiosk mode, make your changes, and then enable kiosk mode again.

Also, since you asked earlier about kiosk passwords, devices receiving the same kiosk policy will use the same kiosk exit password. If you need different passwords for different sets of devices, the usual approach is to create separate kiosk policies and assign them to different device groups.

Best Regards,
Isabel Lora
Hexnode UEM