Digital signage on iPad / iPhone
Works well, and the player installs as a proper full-screen app. One catch: the lock doesn't survive a reboot.
Also sold as: Any iPad or iPhone on a recent iOS or iPadOS (a retired iPad makes a good small screen)
Browser built in
The browser
Safari. Safari runs the player fully. Better still, the player is a progressive web app, so Add to Home Screen installs it as a standalone app with no address bar or browser chrome. That's what you want on a wall, and what you'd otherwise spend effort hiding.
Opening the player
- Open Safari and go to play.sheencast.com
- Tap Share, then Add to Home Screen. This installs the player as a standalone app rather than a browser tab.
- On your computer, sign in at app.sheencast.com, open Screens, choose this screen, and click Generate Pairing Code. Type the digits it shows into the box on the TV. Codes last 10 minutes. If one runs out, use New Code.
- Settings → Display & Brightness → Auto-Lock → Never, and leave the device on a charger.
- Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access → on, and set a passcode. Open the player, then triple-click the side or Home button to lock the device to it.
Settings that keep the screen on
| Setting | Where | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-Lock | Settings → Display & Brightness → Auto-Lock → Never | Without this the screen blanks after a couple of minutes. Never is only offered on some devices when Low Power Mode is off. |
| Low Power Mode | Settings → Battery → Low Power Mode → Off | It dims the screen and can re-enable auto-lock. Keep the device on a charger and this stays off. |
| Guided Access | Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access | Locks the device to the player so a passer-by can't swipe out of it. Triple-click the side or Home button to start and stop it. |
| Night Shift and True Tone | Settings → Display & Brightness | Both shift the color temperature through the day, so brand colors drift. Turn them off on a screen showing your own artwork. |
Known quirks
- Guided Access does NOT survive a restart. After a power outage or an iOS update the device comes back unlocked, on the Home Screen. Someone has to re-arm it by hand.
- For a permanent installation, use Apple Configurator or an MDM to put the device in Single App Mode instead. That does survive restarts, and is the difference between a kiosk and a demo.
- Keep it plugged in. Auto-Lock set to Never drains a battery quickly, and a dead device is an off screen.
- iOS can unload a background web app under memory pressure; the player reloads and resumes on its own when it comes back to the foreground.
Next
Once the player is open, pairing a screen takes four steps. Setting up a different device: Amazon Fire TV, LG (webOS), Samsung (Tizen), Google TV / Android TV, Roku and VIZIO.
Try it on this device
Three screens are free with no time limit and no credit card, so you can find out whether this device works in your building before spending anything.