Venue & Settings
Kiosk Mode and Shared Devices
Last updated 19 May 2026
Kiosk Mode and Shared Devices
Kiosk mode turns a shared iPad or tablet into a secure front-desk station where team members can manage bookings and waitlist without exposing sensitive venue settings or client lists.
Where to find it. Web: The kiosk header bar appears at the top of the screen when kiosk mode is active.
Mobile: The kiosk header bar appears at the top of the screen when kiosk mode is active. Enable it from More → Settings.
TL;DR
- Two modes: Display Mode (single-user) and Shared Device Mode (multi-staff, attributes actions to each person).
- A 4-digit venue PIN is required before enabling kiosk mode. Recovery codes are emailed to the venue owner.
- The most common mistake is not setting personal PINs for team members before enabling Shared Device Mode, staff cannot claim the device without a PIN.
- Set personal PINs for each staff member in Team → staff profile → Shared-device PIN (web only).
Overview
Kiosk mode lets you:
- Lock a shared device to booking and waitlist operations only, hiding sensitive settings, reports, and management screens
- Require a 4-digit venue PIN to unlock or exit kiosk mode
- Let team members claim the device with their personal PIN so actions are attributed to the right person (Shared Device Mode)
- Give managers temporary 5-minute management access without exiting kiosk mode
- View a full activity log of who did what on the shared device
- Recover access via a 6-digit code emailed to the venue owner if the PIN is forgotten
Two Kiosk Modes
OpenChair offers two kiosk modes. Choose based on how your front desk operates.
| Mode | Best for | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Display Mode | Single-user front desk, check-in screen | Locks the device to allowed screens. Anyone can use it, no operator claim needed. Unlock with the venue PIN. |
| Shared Device Mode | Multi-staff tablet at reception | Locks the device AND requires each team member to claim the device with their personal 4-digit PIN before making changes. Actions are attributed to the claimed operator. |
Setting Up Kiosk Mode
Setting up kiosk mode takes three steps: set a venue PIN, choose a mode, and (for Shared Device Mode) set personal PINs for each team member.
Step 1: Set a venue PIN
Before enabling kiosk mode, the venue needs a 4-digit PIN. Only Owners and Managers can set the PIN.
- Start the kiosk setup flow (enable kiosk from your device settings or header bar).
- The "Set Venue PIN" dialog appears.
- Enter a 4-digit PIN.
- Confirm the PIN by entering it again.
- If the PINs match, kiosk mode activates. If they don't: "PINs do not match. Please try again."
Step 2: Choose a mode
- Display Mode: After the PIN is set, the device locks immediately. A confirmation alert reads: "Display Mode Active": "Long-press the lock icon in the top-right corner to unlock."
- Shared Device Mode: After the PIN is set, the device locks and requires operator claims. A confirmation alert reads: "Shared Device Mode Active": "The device is now locked to shared-device operations. Use the header chip to claim an operator or unlock management mode."
Step 3: Set personal PINs for team members (Shared Device Mode only)
Each team member who uses the shared device needs their own 4-digit PIN.
- Go to Team on the web app.
- Open a team member's profile.
- Set or change their Shared-device PIN (4 digits).
Team members without a shared-device PIN cannot claim the device. Only staff with a PIN set appear in the operator claim list.
Tip
If only one team member has a shared-device PIN set, the device auto-claims for that person without requiring PIN entry.
The Kiosk Header Bar
When kiosk mode is active, a persistent header bar appears at the top of the screen showing:
| Element | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Venue name | Left side of the bar |
| Status badge | Display mode: "Display mode". Shared mode (locked): "Shared device locked". Shared mode (claimed): "Claim active - [time] left". Management unlock: "Manager unlock - [time] left" |
| Current time | Displayed in your venue's timezone |
| Last updated | "Just now", "1m ago", "5m ago", etc. |
| Lock icon | Long-press (2 seconds) to open the unlock dialog |
| Operator button | Shared mode only, tap to claim or view the current operator |
Claiming the Device (Shared Device Mode)
In Shared Device Mode, a team member must claim the device before creating or editing bookings.
- Tap the operator button in the header bar (shows "No operator selected" if unclaimed).
- The "Claim this shared device" sheet opens with the subtitle: "Choose your team profile and enter your short PIN so booking and checkout actions are attributed to you."
- Select your name from the "TEAM MEMBERS" list. Only staff with a shared-device PIN appear.
- Enter your 4-digit PIN in the "YOUR PIN" section.
- Tap "Claim device".
After claiming, the header bar shows "Acting as [Name]" and all booking, waitlist, and checkout actions are logged under that operator.
Claim expiry
Each claim lasts 15 minutes. The header bar counts down the remaining time. When the claim expires:
- The device returns to the locked state.
- No mutations (creating or editing bookings) are possible until someone claims again.
- A new claim can be made immediately by entering a PIN.
Switching operator
Tap the operator button in the header bar to open the claim sheet. Select a different team member and enter their PIN. The previous claim ends and the new one begins.
Unlocking for Management (Shared Device Mode)
Managers and owners can temporarily unlock the device without exiting kiosk mode to access settings or restricted screens.
- Long-press the lock icon in the header bar (2 seconds).
- The "Management PIN" dialog opens: "Enter the venue PIN to unlock management mode or exit shared mode."
- Choose "Unlock for 5 min" (toggle at the top).
- Enter the 4-digit venue PIN.
- The device unlocks for 5 minutes. A banner appears: "Management unlocked for [countdown]." with a "Relock now" button.
After 5 minutes, the device automatically relocks to shared mode.
To exit kiosk mode entirely instead, choose "Exit mode" in the toggle before entering the PIN.
What's Restricted in Kiosk Mode
When kiosk mode is active, the device can only access these screens:
| Allowed | Examples |
|---|---|
| Today / Dashboard | Today tab, schedule overview |
| Calendar | View and manage today's bookings |
| Waitlist | View and manage the waitlist |
| Individual bookings | Create, edit, and check in bookings |
| Individual customers | View and create customer profiles |
| Checkout | Process payments for completed bookings |
Everything else is hidden or blocked:
| Restricted | What's hidden |
|---|---|
| Customer list | Full client list / search is not accessible |
| Team management | Staff profiles, invitations, roles, commission, timeclock |
| Services and resources | Service menu, resource configuration |
| All settings | Venue settings, billing, operating hours, booking rules, deposit rules, smart pricing, notifications, security |
| Financial screens | Payouts, invoices, gift cards, products, packages |
| Marketing and comms | Campaigns, automations, inbox, messages, concierge, reconnect settings |
| Reports | All reporting and analytics screens |
| Profile and security | Personal profile, security settings |
| Storefront | Appearance, portfolio |
Shared Device Activity Log
Owners can view a full log of all actions performed on the shared device.
- Go to the Shared Device Activity screen (accessible from venue settings on mobile).
- The screen title reads "Shared Device Activity".
Filters
| Filter | Options |
|---|---|
| Date range | Today, 7 days, 30 days (segmented chips) |
| Operator | All operators or a specific team member (tap to cycle) |
What the log shows
Each activity entry displays:
- Operator name and time (relative, e.g., "5m ago")
- Description of the action (e.g., "Created booking for Sarah Mitchell", "Added John to the waitlist", "Completed checkout for Emma")
- Session owner if different from the operator
The log covers booking events (created, cancelled, arrived, ready to start, completed, no-show, rescheduled, reassigned) and waitlist events (added, offered, promoted to booking, paused, resumed, cancelled, priority changed, reassigned).
Exporting activity
Tap the copy icon in the top-right corner to copy the activity log as plain text. The export includes a header with the venue name and date range, followed by each event as: [Time] | [Operator] | [Description].
PIN Security
PIN security includes automatic lockout after failed attempts and email-based recovery for forgotten PINs.
Failed attempts
After 3 incorrect PIN attempts, the device enters a 30-second cooldown: "Too many attempts. Try again in [countdown]s." A "Forgot your PIN?" link appears during the cooldown.
Forgotten PIN recovery
- Tap "Forgot your PIN?" on the PIN entry screen.
- A confirmation asks: "We'll send a recovery code to the account owner's email."
- Tap "Send recovery code".
- A 6-digit recovery code is emailed to the venue owner.
- Enter the 6-digit code on the recovery screen: "A 6-digit code was sent to [masked email]".
- Tap "Unlock mode" to regain access.
Recovery codes expire after 10 minutes. If expired: "Code has expired. Request a new one."
Removing the PIN
Owners can remove the venue PIN entirely:
- Go to the kiosk settings.
- Choose to remove the PIN.
- Enter the current PIN to confirm.
- Kiosk mode is disabled and the PIN is cleared.
Owners can also force-reset the PIN from their authenticated session without entering the old PIN.
Connected Devices (remote management)
Open Settings → Connected Devices (owner/manager) to see every shared device currently signed in to your venue, ordered by most recently active.
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Device label | Editable inline (click to edit) — name your devices "Front desk iPad", "Backroom kiosk", etc. |
| Platform | iOS / Android / Web with platform icon |
| App version | Useful when troubleshooting (older versions may need updating) |
| Signed in as | The session owner — the staff account whose login put the device into shared mode |
| Last active | Relative time ("5 minutes ago") |
The list auto-refreshes every 60 seconds; the data has a 30-second stale time.
Force sign-out
Tap a device → Sign out this device → confirm.
The device exits shared mode the next time it's opened (or immediately if it's online). To put it back into shared mode, the session owner needs to sign in again on that device.
Useful when:
- A device has been stolen or misplaced
- A team member has left and you want to revoke any device they had signed in
- You're rotating devices and want a clean handover
Empty state
If no shared devices are signed in, the page shows: "No shared devices signed in — Open the OpenChair app on a phone or tablet, switch to shared mode, and the device will appear here."
Role
Owner / Manager only. Stylists don't see Connected Devices.
Access and Permissions
Kiosk mode setup requires Owner or Manager access, staff can claim the device but cannot configure or exit kiosk mode.
| Action | Owner | Manager | Staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Set or remove venue PIN | Yes | Yes | No |
| Enable or exit kiosk mode | Yes | Yes | No |
| Temporary management unlock | Yes | Yes | No |
| Claim device with personal PIN | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| View shared device activity | Yes | No | No |
| Force-reset PIN (no old PIN needed) | Yes | No | No |
Platform Differences
Kiosk mode works on both web and mobile, with some features available only on mobile.
| Feature | Web | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Kiosk header bar | Top of screen with status badge (hidden on small screens) | Top of screen with full status display |
| PIN entry | Dialog overlay | Full-screen numeric keypad |
| Kiosk state storage | localStorage (mode) + sessionStorage (session) | MMKV secure storage |
| Activity log | Not available | Shared Device Activity screen in venue settings |
| Set staff PINs | Team → staff profile → Shared-device PIN | Not available, use web |
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| "No active team members have a shared-device PIN yet" | Team members need a personal 4-digit PIN before they can claim the device. Set PINs from the web app under Team → staff profile → Shared-device PIN. |
| Device locked and I forgot the venue PIN | Tap "Forgot your PIN?" after 3 failed attempts. A 6-digit recovery code is emailed to the venue owner. Enter the code to unlock. |
| Operator claim expired mid-booking | Claims last 15 minutes. If it expires, the booking in progress is preserved but further changes are paused until someone claims the device again. Tap the operator button and re-enter your PIN. |
| I need to access settings but don't want to exit kiosk mode | Long-press the lock icon and choose "Unlock for 5 min". Enter the venue PIN for temporary management access. |
| Activity log is empty | The log only shows actions performed while kiosk mode was active (source: shared device). Check that the date range filter includes the period you're looking for. |
| Can't find the activity log | Shared Device Activity is currently only accessible on the mobile app under venue settings. It is not available on web. |
FAQ
What is kiosk mode?
Kiosk mode locks a shared device to booking and waitlist operations only, hiding sensitive settings, reports, financial screens, and management pages. A 4-digit venue PIN is required to unlock or exit. It is available on both web and mobile.
What is the difference between Display Mode and Shared Device Mode?
Display Mode locks the device for single-user use, anyone can operate it with the venue PIN to unlock. Shared Device Mode requires each team member to claim the device with their own personal 4-digit PIN before making changes, so actions are attributed to the right person.
How do I recover access if I forget the venue PIN?
Tap "Forgot your PIN?" after 3 failed attempts. A 6-digit recovery code is emailed to the venue owner. Enter the code on the recovery screen to regain access. Recovery codes expire after 10 minutes: request a new one if it has expired.
How long does a Shared Device Mode claim last?
Each claim lasts 15 minutes. The header bar counts down the remaining time. When the claim expires, the device returns to the locked state and a team member must re-claim it by entering their personal PIN.