Anticode Open builder

Build a tablet kiosk app for a stand or reception, and know its limits

A tablet kiosk app does one job on a stand, a reception desk or a shop counter: collect a sign-up, a visitor's details or a quick rating, then reset for the next person. Anticode can build that as a full-screen app whose forms reach you through its form pipeline. It fits sign-ups well; it isn't a visitor management system, and a weak connection needs planning.

Updated · By the Anticode team

What kiosk use changes

A kiosk is used by strangers, standing up, for twenty seconds, often while someone else waits. Everything follows from that:

  • An attract screen. When idle, a large, simple invitation ("Join our mailing list", "Signing in? Tap here") so passers-by know what it's for.
  • Three to five fields at most. Every extra field loses people.
  • Huge tap targets and the right keyboards. Use proper input types so the tablet shows an email keyboard for email.
  • A clear finish. A thank-you screen for a few seconds, then automatic reset.
  • An inactivity timeout. If someone walks away half way, the form clears after a minute or so, so the next person never sees their details.
  • No way out. No links that lead off to other sites; the app stays on its own screen.

Three common kiosks

Stand sign-up
Name, email, company and one interest question, sent to you as an enquiry. Pair with a short quiz or game to draw people in (see lead capture app for events).
Reception sign-in
Name, email, who they're visiting and a tick to confirm they've read the site rules. Reaches the right person by email or a Slack alert through a connector.
Feedback
A few faces or a 1 to 5 scale and an optional comment. Note that each submission needs a name and an email to be sent through the form pipeline, so feedback kiosks either ask for them or keep anonymous ratings on the tablet only.

How submissions reach you

Contact, enquiry, booking and newsletter forms in an Anticode app are sent to the owner through Anticode's form pipeline: you get each one by email and in the dashboard, and form connectors can pass them on to Slack, Google Sheets, Airtable, Notion, HubSpot or a webhook. A contact submission needs a name, an email and a message; other fields you ask for are added to the message. A newsletter sign-up needs only an email.

Free sites have a monthly allowance of visible submissions, and the rest are held until you upgrade. A busy stand can pass that in a day, so check pricing before an event.

When the Wi-Fi is bad

Exhibition halls are notorious for weak Wi-Fi, and every submission needs a connection to be sent. The app shows a message and keeps what was typed if a send fails, but at a kiosk the visitor has usually walked away by then. Plan for it:

  1. Use a mobile hotspot you control rather than venue Wi-Fi.
  2. Send yourself a test submission at the venue before the doors open, and check it arrives.
  3. Ask for a visible connection indicator on the staff side of the screen.
  4. If you want sign-ups saved on the tablet and sent later, ask for it explicitly and test it by turning Wi-Fi off and on. Until you've seen it work, keep a paper backup.

Every published site can be installed as an app with an offline fallback, which helps the kiosk open full screen. Whether your form works offline is a separate question; test it.

Setting up the tablet

Lock the tablet to the app with the device's own tools: guided access on iPads, screen pinning on Android, or a kiosk mode in the device management you already use. Turn off auto-lock while it's on display, mount it so it can't walk off, and keep it charging.

Limits

  • No badge printing, ID scanning or photos. The sandbox has no camera access and can't talk to printers or scanners.
  • No visitor log on the tablet for others. Sign-ins aren't shared between devices; your record is the submissions in the dashboard.
  • No sign-out tracking or fire-roll lists unless they're in your own system. A real visitor management product handles that.
  • No QR code scanning of tickets. That needs the camera and a ticket database.

Questions people ask

Can I use the tablet kiosk app on a phone too?

Yes. It's a web page, so it works on any device. Design for the tablet, then check it on a phone.

Can staff see sign-ups during the event?

Yes, in the dashboard or wherever a connector sends them, such as a Slack channel or a Google Sheet.

Is visitors' data stored on the tablet?

Only if the app is built to keep them. Ask for the form to clear after each person and keep no list on the device, then check that it does.