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Wake Lock and Kiosk Mode Best Practices

Wake Lock and Kiosk Mode Best Practices

Keep your displays always on and reliable.

Wake Lock

Wake lock prevents the display from going to sleep or turning off the screen.

On Android/Fire TV

The dotBlast app requests wake lock automatically. For best results:

  • Disable sleep settings in device display preferences
  • Set “Sleep” to “Never” in Android/Fire TV settings
  • Use the official power adapter

On Raspberry Pi with dotKiosk

dotKiosk enables wake lock by default. To configure:

  1. SSH into the device or access local settings
  2. Set WAKELOCK=1 in config
  3. Restart the service

On Browser Kiosk

Browsers don’t have built-in wake lock. Options:

  • Disable sleep in OS display settings
  • Use a kiosk-focused browser like Chrome OS
  • Use a physical timer to control power

Kiosk Mode Best Practices

Hardware

  • Use reliable, commercial-grade displays
  • Provide consistent power (UPS recommended for critical displays)
  • Ensure adequate ventilation
  • Use mounting hardware rated for the environment

Software

  • Enable auto-start for the display app
  • Configure auto-reconnect for network failures
  • Set up monitoring for device health
  • Keep software updated

Network

  • Use wired Ethernet for critical displays
  • Configure backup WiFi for resilience
  • Set up network monitoring alerts

Troubleshooting

If displays go to sleep unexpectedly:

  1. Check device power settings
  2. Verify the power adapter is providing adequate current
  3. Check for software updates
  4. Review logs for sleep/wake events