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Configure additional kiosk settings on ChromeOS devices from Hexnode UEM
While the single/multi app kiosk mode in Hexnode creates a controlled environment on devices, there are several additional settings that allow for further customization to better suit the organization’s needs. These kiosk settings on ChromeOS include device-specific options such as power (AC/battery) settings, accessibility features, and restrictions like URL allowlisting/blocklisting, among others. Additionally, you can also set up alerts to notify administrators about the device’s status while it is in kiosk mode.
Through Hexnode UEM, you can use Kiosk Settings on ChromeOS devices to configure specific device settings including power (AC/battery) settings, accessibility options, and usage restrictions. The restrictions include URL allowlisting/blocklisting, control over WebUSB and Web Serial access and more. Additionally, you can also set up alerts to notify administrators about the device status while it is in kiosk mode.
To take effect, Kiosk Settings must be configured alongside Single/Multi App Kiosk Lockdown.
Configuring kiosk settings
To configure the kiosk settings in ChromeOS devices enrolled in Hexnode UEM, follow the steps below:
- Log in to your Hexnode portal.
- Go to Policies > New Policy to create a new policy or select an existing policy from the list and click on Manage > Modify.
- Navigate to Kiosk Lockdown > ChromeOS Kiosk Lockdown > Kiosk Settings and click on Configure.
You will have the following settings to configure,
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Device status alerts | When enabled, alerts will be sent via email or SMS whenever the device is powered off.
|
| URL blocklist | Enter the URLs to be blocklisted in kiosk mode. |
| URL allowlist | Enter the URLs to be allowlisted in kiosk mode. |
| Virtual keyboard functionality | You can enable virtual keyboard functionalities for web apps. The functionalities available are:
|
| Kiosk troubleshooting tools | If enabled, kiosk troubleshooting tools such as Developer tools and Task manager will be accessible for users on the kiosk device. |
| Allowed WebUSB Devices | When enabled, you can specify the URLs of websites that can access specific USB devices connected to the kiosk device via WebUSB API.
Note:
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| Anonymized data collection | When enabled, the URLs of pages visited by users are anonymously sent to Google. |
| Remote access file transfer | When enabled, admins can perform file transfers on the kiosk device during remote access sessions. |
| Enterprise Hardware Platform API | When enabled, the Enterprise Hardware Platform API gets activated on the device. |
| Allowed Web Serial Devices | When enabled, you can specify the URLs of websites that can access specific serial devices connected to the kiosk device.
Note:
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| Lid close action | Specify the device action that should occur when the lid of the device is closed. The options available are:
|
AC/Battery power settings
The following settings can be configured for ChromeOS devices in kiosk mode when connected to AC or battery power:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Idle timeout | Set the duration of inactivity after which the device goes into idle mode. |
| Idle action | Specify the device action that should take place when the device becomes idle. Options include–Log out, Suspend, Shut down, or Do nothing. |
| Idle warning timeout | Specify the period of idle time after which a warning is displayed notifying the user that an idle action is about to occur on the device. |
| Screen dim timeout | Set the amount of idle time after which the device screen dims. |
| Screen off timeout | Specify the amount of idle time after which device screen turns off. |
Accessibility Settings
The following accessibility settings can be configured for ChromeOS devices in kiosk mode:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Scheduled Sleep | When enabled, you can set schedules where the device can be put into sleep mode automatically. |
| Show floating accessibility menu | When enabled, the floating accessibility menu will be shown on the device. |
| Kiosk spoken feedback | Specify whether ChromeOS devices can read aloud text on the screen in kiosk mode. The available options include—Enabled, Disabled, or User can choose. |
| Select to speak | Specify whether users can select on-screen items to hear the corresponding text read aloud. The available options include—Enabled, Disabled, or User can choose. |
| High contrast | Specify if high contrast mode is enabled in the kiosk device to improve screen visibility. The available options include—Enabled, Disabled, or User can choose. |
| Sticky Keys | Specify whether sticky keys is enabled on the device or not. The available options include—Enabled, Disabled, or User can choose. |
| Virtual keyboard | Specify whether virtual on-screen keyboard can be displayed on the screen. The available options include—Enabled, Disabled, or User can choose. |
| Dictation | Specify whether the dictation feature can be used on the device. The available options include—Enabled, Disabled, or User can choose. |
| Keyboard focus highlight | Specify whether on-screen items are highlighted when users move through them using keyboard navigation. The available options include—Enabled, Disabled, or User can choose. |
| Caret highlight | Specify if the area around the caret is highlighted while editing text. The available options include—Enabled, Disabled, or User can choose. |
| Autoclick | Specify if the Autoclick feature is enabled or not. The available options include—Enabled, Disabled, or User can choose. |
| Large cursor | Specify if the mouse cursor should be displayed in a larger size. The available options include—Enabled, Disabled, or User can choose. |
| Cursor highlight | Specify whether a highlight should appear around the mouse’s cursor. The available options include—Enabled, Disabled, or User can choose. |
| Switch primary mouse button | Specify whether to switch the primary mouse button on the kiosk device. The available options include—Enabled, Disabled, or User can choose. |
| Mono audio | Specify whether to enable mono audio on the device, ensuring the same sound plays through all speakers. The available options include—Enabled, Disabled, or User can choose. |
| Screen magnifier | Configure the screen magnifier feature on the kiosk device. The available options include:
|
| Accessibility shortcuts | Configure access to accessibility keyboard shortcuts for users on the kiosk device. The available options include—Enabled, Disabled, or User can choose. |
Associating the policy to Organizational Units (OUs)
Policies cannot be directly associated with ChromeOS devices; they can only be applied through Organizational Units (OUs).
To associate a ChromeOS policy to the devices upon configuration,
- Navigate to Policy Targets > Domains/OUs.
- Click on +Add Domain/OUs. From the list, select the Google Workspace account integrated with Hexnode, indicated by the (Google) tag.
- The parent OU will be listed here and is indicated with a briefcase icon to differentiate it from domains.
- Click the dropdown next to the parent OU to view its child OUs. Select the required Organizational Units and click OK.
- Note that a policy assigned to a parent OU will automatically apply to all its child OUs. Associate the policies to the OUs to which the target devices are assigned.
- Click Save to associate the policy to the devices under the selected Organization Units.
