Kiosk solutions for iPad: single-app stands, locked apps and shared devices

In most cases, yes. If they were not bought through Apple or a participating reseller or carrier, Apple Configurator can add them to your Apple Business account; they are erased in the process, then enrol automatically and become supervised, which Single App Mode needs. For 30 days after that enrolment, someone holding the iPad can still release it from management, so we keep newly added stands supervised by staff during that period. Older models may not run the iPadOS version your kiosk app targets, so we check the models first. For a quick trial, Guided Access works on any iPad without any of this setup.

With Single App Mode, the iPad reopens the kiosk app automatically after a restart, so there is nothing for staff to do. With Guided Access, Apple does not promise that a session survives a restart, so staff may need to start it again, which is one reason we avoid it for unattended stands. Our kiosk apps also save unfinished entries locally and report crashes to the console, so repeated problems get fixed rather than hidden.

Yes, through a payment provider's own flow: a UPI QR code or payment link shown on screen, or a card reader paired with the iPad through the provider's SDK. Card data then stays inside the provider's certified components, not in our kiosk app. Which options work depends on the provider and reader you choose, so we confirm them before design. Many visitor and feedback kiosks need no payment at all.

The MDM installs the new version over the air, usually outside opening hours. The app closes briefly during the update and, under Single App Mode, the iPad returns to it automatically. Content changes such as menus, forms or languages need no app update at all: the app downloads them from the kiosk console. We also keep one pilot stand on the new version for a day before updating the rest.

We design the kiosk so personal data does not linger. Entries go to your server over an encrypted connection and are deleted from the iPad once confirmed, the screen clears after each visitor, and a supervised iPad can be set to block AirDrop, account changes and erasing by users. The consent text, purpose and retention period are shown on screen, in line with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Health and ID data need extra review, which we plan with your compliance team.

Single App Mode is for exactly one app. For a small set of apps, we hide every other app on a supervised iPad, arrange the Home Screen and block app downloads, so staff see only their tools. It is less locked down than a single-app kiosk, because users can switch between the allowed apps, so we use it for staff devices rather than public stands.