Make a touch kiosk

A touch kiosk is a screen that plays your normal playlist until somebody touches it. A visitor taps a button, does what they came to do, and walks away. When nobody touches the screen for a while, it goes back to the playlist on its own. Use this guide to add buttons to a design, open a web app full screen, and set when the screen goes back.

What you can do

• Add buttons to a design: any box in a design can respond to a tap.
• Open a web app full screen: a check-in form or an order page opens over the playlist. A bar with Close stays on top.
• Show another scene or design: a button shows another scene of the same design, or a different design. The screen goes back on its own.
• Go back on its own: set how long the screen waits with no touch. Then it goes back to the playlist.
• Keep a design out of the rotation: a design that only appears when somebody taps a button.
• Choose the on-screen keyboard: show it, hide it, or let the screen decide.
• Count taps: see how often people tap each button, in Proof of play.

What you need

• A screen with a touch screen: a Windows touch panel, or an Android touch display.
• For a web app: an HTTPS address that allows display inside another page.

Note: Streaming sticks such as the Amazon Signage Stick and the onn 4K stick do not have a touch screen. On these screens, a design with buttons plays as a normal slide.

Add a button to a design

1. Open the design.
2. Select the box you want people to tap. Any box can be a button.
3. Open the Box tab on the right.
4. In When tapped, select what happens when somebody taps the box.
5. Fill in the address, the scene or the design.

The box shows a small orange tag on the canvas, such as WEB or DESIGN.

Open a web app full screen

1. Select the box.
2. In When tapped, select Open a webpage.
3. Type the HTTPS address of the app.
4. Select a time in Close after, or keep the screen default.
5. Keep Show a bar with Close at the top on, so a visitor can always leave.

The app opens over the playlist. The playlist waits while the app is open.

Note: The app must allow display inside another page. Do not send X-Frame-Options: DENY. If the app sends a frame-ancestors rule, the rule must allow the Brix player.

Keep the app open while people type

A screen cannot see key presses inside another site. If a visitor types for longer than the idle time, the screen can close the app too early. To stop this, the app tells the screen about each key press. Add this line to the app, and run it on each key press or tap:

window.parent.postMessage({ type: "brix:activity" }, "*");

If the app does not send this message, the screen keeps the app open while a text field has focus, for up to 5 minutes.

Set when the screen goes back to the playlist

1. Open Screens and select the screen.
2. Open the Touch row.
3. Turn on Let people touch this screen.
4. Select a time in Go back to the playlist after.

The screen goes back after that time with nobody touching it. A box that sets its own Close after or Go back after time uses its own time.

The Touch row shows when the screen has a touch screen, or when the screen plays content with buttons.

Choose the on-screen keyboard

1. Open Screens and select the screen.
2. Open the Touch row.
3. Select an option in On-screen keyboard:

• Automatic: the keyboard shows only when the screen has no keyboard.
• Always: the keyboard shows for every text field.
• Never: the keyboard never shows. Use this for a barcode scanner.

The keyboard setting needs the newest Brix player app on Android and Windows.

Show a design only when somebody taps

1. Open the playlist.
2. Select the design.
3. Turn on Play only when tapped.

The design leaves the rotation. A button that shows the design still works.

See how often people tap

1. Open Proof of play.
2. Find the design in the table. The Taps column shows the total.
3. Select the design to see the taps for each button.

Brix counts taps on buttons only. Brix does not record what a visitor types.

Troubleshoot

• A tap does nothing. Check that the screen has a touch screen. Then check that Let people touch this screen is on.
• The app shows a blank page. The app does not allow display inside another page. Ask the app's owner to allow the Brix player.
• The screen goes back while somebody types. Add the brix:activity line to the app. Or select a longer time.
• The keyboard covers the text field. Update the player app to the newest version.