freekiosk

FreeKiosk is an open-source kiosk platform for Android tablets, built for teams that want full control without license costs.

Instead of burying everything in one long page, this README gives you the essentials and points to complete docs in docs/.

Why teams choose it

• ✅ Free and MIT licensed
• ✅ Device Owner support for true lockdown
• ✅ Works in WebView mode or External App mode
• ✅ Native REST API and MQTT integration
• ✅ Headless ADB provisioning for mass rollout
• ✅ Privacy-first: no mandatory tracking layer
• ✅ Available in English, French and Brazilian Portuguese

✨ Key capabilities

📦 Install in 60 seconds

1. Install FreeKiosk from Google Play, or download the latest APK from Releases.
2. Install on Android 8.0+ tablet.
3. Configure URL/app + PIN.
4. Start kiosk mode.

For production lockdown, use Device Owner mode:

adb shell dpm set-device-owner com.freekiosk/.DeviceAdminReceiver

👉 Full setup guide: docs/installation.md

🧩 Docs map

☁️ FreeKiosk Cloud (open beta)

FreeKiosk Cloud is a companion service that manages a fleet from a web dashboard: live status, configuration pushed to devices or groups, remote commands and screenshots. A tablet can be enrolled by scanning a QR code, and a factory-reset tablet can be provisioned end to end from the Android setup wizard.

The cloud is in open beta, with self-service sign-up at cloud.freekiosk.app: the first device is free, then it is priced per device (see freekiosk.app/cloud and the cloud guide). The free device has the whole service except APK distribution, remote screenshots, the scheduler, renaming the organization and additional team members, which come with the first paid licence. The app itself, v2.0.0, is stable. Some cloud paths (over-the-air app updates, QR provisioning, Lock Mode behaviour on every model) have not been proven across enough real hardware for us to call the cloud finished.

Digital signage is in beta on both sides: build a playlist of videos, images, web pages and YouTube videos in the dashboard and a screen plays it, with schedules and from an offline cache (web pages and YouTube need the network). It needs the app v2.1.0-beta.1, a GitHub pre-release (Google Play still has 2.0.0), and also runs on Android TV, Google TV and Fire TV, tested on emulators only so far. Details and limits: Digital signage.

The app itself is unaffected. FreeKiosk stays free and MIT licensed, and the cloud is entirely opt-in: nothing leaves the device until you enroll it. Every kiosk feature, the REST API and the MQTT integration work exactly as before without a cloud account, and always will.

[!NOTE] The management server will be released as open source in 2027, so you can self-host it. That is the intended end state, not an afterthought: a kiosk platform you cannot host yourself is only half free. We are holding it back until it is stable and feature-complete rather than publishing something that would be painful to run.

🛠️ Tech stack

• React Native + TypeScript
• Kotlin native modules (Android policy and system control)
• Android SDK 26+ (Android 8+)

🗺️ Roadmap snapshot

• v1.2.x: reliability and operational hardening (shipped)
• v2.0.0: stable app, with optional cloud enrollment (shipped)
• FreeKiosk Cloud: open beta, until the OTA update path, QR provisioning and Lock Mode behaviour are proven on real fleets
• 2027: the management server released as open source for self-hosting

Detailed notes: docs/roadmap-and-changelog.md

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome.

• Guidelines: CONTRIBUTING.md
• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions

📄 License

MIT License. See LICENSE.