iOS Kiosk mode

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Kiosk mode is a LABS feature in the iOS Companion app, available starting with version 2026.4.0. Behavior and settings may change as the feature evolves.

Kiosk mode turns an iPhone or iPad into a dedicated Home Assistant display. It is designed for wall-mounted tablets, kitchen displays, bedside panels, and any setup where the device is meant to stay on and display a Home Assistant dashboard.

When kiosk mode is on, the app hides system UI for a more immersive look, prevents the screen from auto-locking, lets the kiosk control display brightness, and shows a screensaver after a period of inactivity. Kiosk settings can be opened from Companion app settings > Kiosk Mode or with a configurable secret exit gesture, and Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode can be required for extra protection.

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Kiosk mode is iOS-only. Android users can achieve a similar setup with the Home App (launcher) feature.

Requirements

• An iPhone or iPad running iOS or iPadOS 17.0 or later.
• The Home Assistant Companion app, version 2026.4.0 or later, from the App Store.
• Face ID, Touch ID, or a device passcode set up on the device, if you want to require authentication to change kiosk settings.

Enabling kiosk mode

1. Open the Home Assistant app.
2. Go to Companion app settings > Kiosk Mode.
3. Turn on Enable Kiosk Mode.

For best results, navigate to the dashboard you want the device to display before enabling kiosk mode. That dashboard remains visible when the screen wakes from the screensaver.

What happens when kiosk mode is on

• The iOS status bar (clock, battery, signal) is hidden by default for a cleaner look.
• The device does not auto-lock, so the screen stays on.
• The kiosk can control display brightness.
• After a period of inactivity, the screensaver activates. Touching the screen wakes it.
• A secret exit gesture appears on the screen as a hidden corner tap target, providing a quick way to open kiosk settings without going through the Companion app settings. If device authentication is enabled, Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode is required to open the settings.

Security and exit options

The Security & Display section controls how kiosk settings are protected and how you get back to them.

Device authentication

Turn on Device Authentication to require Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode before kiosk settings can be changed. With this setting on, even if someone discovers the secret exit gesture, they cannot exit kiosk mode or alter any settings without your biometrics or passcode.

Secret exit gesture

The secret exit gesture is a quick way to open kiosk settings without using the Companion app settings. By default, you tap the bottom-right corner three times in a row to bring up the settings.

You can configure:

• Secret Exit Gesture: Turn the gesture on or off.
• Exit Gesture Corner: Choose which screen corner to tap. Options are Top Left, Top Right, Bottom Left, and Bottom Right.
• Taps Required: Set how many taps in a row are needed to trigger the gesture.

A higher tap count makes accidental triggers less likely but takes a little longer to perform.

You can still reach kiosk settings through Companion app settings > Kiosk Mode even when the secret gesture is off. The gesture is mostly useful when the device is mounted out of easy reach and you want a single-tap way back to the settings.

Hide status bar

Turn off Hide Status Bar if you would rather see the iOS status bar (time, battery, Wi-Fi indicator) at the top of the screen during kiosk mode. It is hidden by default.

note

On iPad, when the app is running in Split View or Slide Over, iOS does not allow apps to hide the status bar. Run Home Assistant full-screen for the most immersive kiosk experience.

Prevent auto-lock

Prevent Auto-Lock stops iOS from turning the screen off after the system idle timeout. This is on by default and is what keeps the screen on all the time.

If you turn this off, your device will follow its normal Auto-Lock setting from iOS Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock.

Brightness

The Brightness section lets the kiosk control how bright the display is.

• Brightness Control: Turn on to let kiosk mode set the brightness. Turn off to leave brightness control to iOS.
• Manual Brightness: When brightness control is on, choose the brightness level from 0 to 100 percent.

This is useful for wall tablets in a dark room, where the default iOS auto-brightness can make the display too bright at night.

Screensaver

After a period of inactivity, the screensaver replaces the dashboard with a lower-power display. Touching the screen wakes it back up to the dashboard.

Modes

In the Screensaver section, choose a Mode:

• Clock: Shows a full-screen clock. The look of the clock can be customized in the Clock Display section.
• Dim: Keeps the dashboard visible at a low brightness. Useful when you want to glance at the dashboard without fully waking the screen.
• Blank: Shows a black screen. The most power-efficient option, and the best choice for OLED displays.

Timeout

Timeout sets how long the device must be untouched before the screensaver activates. The available values range from 30 seconds to 30 minutes.

Dim level

When Mode is set to Dim, Dim Level controls how bright the display stays. Lower values save more power and are easier on the eyes at night.

Pixel shift (OLED)

Pixel Shift (OLED) slightly moves the screensaver content over time to help prevent burn-in on OLED displays. Leave this on for OLED iPhones and iPads. There is no harm in leaving it on for LCD devices.

Clock display options

When Mode is set to Clock, the Clock Display section lets you adjust the clock:

• Clock Style: Choose Digital, Analog, Large, or Minimal.
• Show Seconds: Display seconds on the digital clock styles.
• Show Date: Show the current date below the time.
• 24-Hour Format: Switch between 12-hour and 24-hour time.

Disabling kiosk mode

1. Open kiosk settings using either method:
   • Companion app settings > Kiosk Mode.
   • The secret exit gesture, if enabled. By default, tap the bottom-right corner three times.
2. If device authentication is on, authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode.
3. Turn off Enable Kiosk Mode.

Troubleshooting

I can't get back to kiosk settings

• Open Companion app settings > Kiosk Mode. This works whether or not the secret gesture is enabled.
• If you are using the secret gesture, tap the correct corner the required number of times in quick succession. By default, this is three taps in the bottom-right corner. The corner and tap count are configurable in kiosk settings.
• If device authentication is on, you must authenticate after opening kiosk settings. If Face ID or Touch ID isn't working, you can fall back to your device passcode.

The status bar isn't hiding

• iOS does not allow apps to hide the status bar when running in Split View or Slide Over. Make sure Home Assistant is running full-screen.
• Make sure Hide Status Bar is on in the Security & Display section.

The screen still turns off

• Make sure Prevent Auto-Lock is on. With this setting on, kiosk mode overrides the system Auto-Lock setting while kiosk mode is active.
• If the device is plugged in but still sleeping, check for any device management profiles or Screen Time limits that might be forcing the screen off.