Android Question Kiosk

[billyrudi]

Hi Erel,
i have some galaxy tab 2 p3100 .
There is a way to create a kiosk application that disable all tablet launch bar?
tank you Paolo

 

[Erel]

Android doesn't really allow you to create Kiosk applications. You can use a solution such as described here: Android "Kiosk mode" tutorial

 

[billyrudi]

ok, i have tried it but if i execute also another application, sygic, kiosk mode dont work.
can i hide with api the default status bar so my users can not disable gps or uninstall my application? tanks

 

[Erel]

You cannot hide the bar with the home button.

 

[billyrudi]

erel no the bar with home button bat the bar with clock and gps on/off airplain on/off etc...

 

[Erel]

You can make your app a full screen app. Also make it the "home application" (see the discussion in the Kiosk thread).

 

[DonManfred]

Even if a app is build with fullscreen = true you can activate the upper bar (the one with clock and so on) and with a second click you can drop it down to see notifications, options. You even can call the OPTIONS to enable WIFI for ex.

He want to disable this bar entirely so a user cannot use it.

 

[billyrudi]

exact i need to find a way to disable this bar!!!! help me please. in google play there are some programs tham make it with no root devices, but some of this are mutch expansive (49 $) for device! !!!!!

 

[Informatix]

exact i need to find a way to disable this bar!!!! help me please. in google play there are some programs tham make it with no root devices, but some of this are mutch expansive (49 $) for device! !!!!!

Could you post links?

 

[billyrudi]

yes,
http://www.42gears.com/surelock/surelockandroid.html

 

[billyrudi]

do you have news for me?

 

[Erel]

Please don't "bump" your threads.

 

[Informatix]

yes,
http://www.42gears.com/surelock/surelockandroid.html

To my knowledge, SureLock needs the root privileges to perform some advanced operations like disabling the system bars on JellyBean or KitKat devices. With older OS (ICS, Honeycomb), being root was not necessary.
It's something that I studied for my own app and it appears there's no way to disable a system bar on unrooted device. You can re-route the Home button with a trick to disable it (that I won't explain because I bricked many times my tablets while trying to make it work properly, so I don't want to take this responsibility with your device), or you can hide the bar until the user clicks on the screen (or do a swipe gesture under Kitkat), but it's the best that you can achieve.

 

[lemonisdead]

Coming back to this thread : this morning I was to a client to whom I've said that locking the Notification bar was impossible without root permissions.
I was disappointed when he showed me the Surelock : it works without any root permissions. And IT LOCKS the notification bar even when you started a "not in full screen" app (you see the bar but you can not activate it with your finger).
I have tried to mimic that behavior with a kiosk app using the Kiosk app tutorial but I was not able to unable access to the notification bar (and the quick settings).
I Wonder how the developers did...

 

[Informatix]

Coming back to this thread : this morning I was to a client to whom I've said that locking the Notification bar was impossible without root permissions.
I was disappointed when he showed me the Surelock : it works without any root permissions. And IT LOCKS the notification bar even when you started a "not in full screen" app (you see the bar but you can not activate it with your finger).
I have tried to mimic that behavior with a kiosk app using the Kiosk app tutorial but I was not able to unable access to the notification bar (and the quick settings).
I Wonder how the developers did...

What's the OS version on your client's device?

 

[lemonisdead]

What's the OS version on your client's device?

It is Android Jelly Bean 4.3.1, Frédéric

 

[RandomCoder]

Although of no help, I also want to state my interest in creating a truely kiosk app. For industrial applications it's a must to ensure the user has limited use of the device.

 

[Informatix]

It is Android Jelly Bean 4.3.1, Frédéric

What SureLock does on an unrooted phone is to replace your launcher so the Home button is redirected to SureLock. I do exactly the same thing in My Playground and it's the only trick at your disposal on a unrooted phone. Then SureLock reproduces other parts of your interface so it looks like your usual launcher but in fact you're in the Surelock app. The only mystery to me here is how it blocks the recent activities list. I don't know the method (for now). EDIT: it's pretty simple with a launcher: you just have to start activities with the intent flag "FLAG_ACTIVITY_EXCLUDE_FROM_RECENTS".
Starting from KitKat or Lollipop (I don't remember) there's a system setting to create a kiosk on your phone.

 

[NJDude]

...Starting from KitKat or Lollipop (I don't remember) there's a system setting to create a kiosk on your phone.

Lollipop, it's called "Screen pinning", you can set it under Settings -> Security -> Advanced

 

[lemonisdead]

What SureLock does on an unrooted phone is to replace your launcher so the Home button is redirected to SureLock

Hello Informatix. Thanks for the tip but : if we create a fullscreen app to replace the home launcher, when an "normal" (not full screen) app runs, the notification bar is again accessible. In the case of the mentioned app, I can swipe my finger from the top of the screen, nothing opens.