---
title: Hardware and Devices for Room Displays
summary: Supported devices for meeting room displays — tablets, iOS and Android kiosk apps, e-ink, LED status bars, IFTTT, and brightness scheduling.
lastReviewed: 2026-06-10
products:
  - room-displays
status: published
---

# Hardware and Devices for Room Displays

Meeting Room 365 runs on tablets, phones, TVs, and specialty hardware. Most customers deploy a **native kiosk app** (iOS, Android, or Amazon Fire) for always-on operation; any modern browser also works for pilots and non-tablet setups.

See the full [supported hardware](https://www.meetingroom365.com/hardware) catalog for device-specific setup guides.

## Supported devices

### Tablets and touchscreens

| Device class | Typical use |
|--------------|-------------|
| Apple iPad | Most common deployment — wall-mounted outside rooms |
| Android tablets | Cost-effective fleet deployments |
| Amazon Fire tablets | Budget-friendly kiosk option |
| Chrome OS devices | Managed Chromebook or Chrome tablet kiosks |
| Windows tablets | Surface and rugged Windows touch devices |
| Mobile phones | Smaller spaces or temporary setups |

### Smart TVs and digital signage players

| Device class | Typical use |
|--------------|-------------|
| Google Chromebit / Chromebox | HDMI stick or box behind a commercial panel |
| Amazon Fire Stick / Fire TV 4K | Consumer TV with kiosk browser or app |
| Chromecast | Browser-based display on a TV |
| Apple Mac Mini | Browser kiosk behind a large screen |
| Windows PC / Intel Compute Stick / mini PC | Flexible x86 signage |
| Raspberry Pi / Pi Zero / Orange Pi | Low-cost Linux signage |
| Android stick / box | HDMI Android player |
| BenQ corporate and DuoBoard interactive displays | Integrated commercial panels |
| Commercial displays, Airtame, MagTarget LED case | Specialty mounting and LED-integrated cases |

Meeting Room 365 does not require proprietary hardware — if the device runs the kiosk app or a supported browser full-screen, it can serve as a room display.

## Native kiosk apps

Official kiosk apps are available for:

- **iOS** (iPad) — App Store
- **Android** — Google Play
- **Amazon Fire** — Amazon Appstore

Setup flow:

1. Create the display in the admin portal and connect its calendar (room displays) or create a status board / map display
2. Install the kiosk app on the tablet
3. Enter the **display key** (or provision via MDM — see below)
4. Optional: enable kiosk lockdown settings from the admin **Device** panel once the tablet is online

### Recommended OS versions

| Platform | Recommended | Legacy (limited) |
|----------|-------------|------------------|
| **iOS / iPadOS** | **15+** | Older releases may run **v2 themes** only — contact support before large legacy-iPad rollouts |
| **Android / Fire OS** | **5.1+** | Same — **v2 themes** on very old builds; Pin/Kiosk features vary by manufacturer and OS version |

New deployments should standardize on **iOS 15+** and **Android 5.1+**. Meeting Room 365 still supports older hardware in a **limited capacity** (chiefly **v2 display themes**) for repurpose projects — confirm with support if you depend on v3 themes or newer kiosk features.

**Status boards and map displays** use the same kiosk apps. Enter a status board display key and the app opens `statusboard.meetingroom365.com` with your configured theme. **Meeting Room TV** display keys are not supported in the tablet app — use the Chrome/Edge Auto Attendant extension instead.

## Native apps and privacy by design

Meeting Room 365 aims for the **strongest practical security and privacy story** in the category — by **reducing attack surface everywhere we can**, not by asking you to trade features for trust.

That shows up across the product: **no calendar content stored** on our servers; **delegated staff SSO** through Entra ID or Google (included, not upsold); **anonymized analytics at rest** in EU Sovereign datacenters; per-display **Redact / Disable Analytics** toggles; native **kiosk lockdown and MDM**; and optional **calendar-on-device** deployments that skip cloud calendar delegation entirely. See [Administration — Sign-in and identity](../administration/index.md#sign-in-and-identity) and [Analytics and privacy](../administration/index.md#data-and-privacy).

The native iOS and Android apps are a core part of that story — not an afterthought bolted onto a browser tab.

### Standard connection (Admin)

Most displays connect a room mailbox in **Admin** (direct sign-in, service user, or application credentials). The kiosk app stays in sync across your fleet without per-tablet account setup. Calendar data is **fetched when needed and not persisted** on Meeting Room 365 infrastructure — minimal OAuth scope, industry-standard delegation, same posture described in the [Trust Center](https://www.meetingroom365.com/security).

This is the right default for most Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace rollouts.

### Calendar on the device (optional, smaller surface)

Some security teams want to go one step further: **keep the room calendar on the tablet itself** so Meeting Room 365 never acts as a cloud intermediary for meeting content.

1. Add the room’s **Microsoft or Google service user** to the tablet (iOS Accounts, Android Exchange/Google account, or MDM-provisioned profile).
2. Enable **on-device calendar sync** (support-assisted or advanced display configuration).
3. The app reads and writes through **OS calendar APIs** — meeting content stays on the device.

You still get **two-way administration**: themes, toggles, brightness, lockdown, and fleet commands from Admin; device health and analytics back — the same remote ops as any other kiosk, with **one less moving part** in the cloud path.

| Layer | How surface area stays small |
|-------|------------------------------|
| **Staff access** | Entra ID / Google SSO — no parallel password universe ([Sign-in and identity](../administration/index.md#sign-in-and-identity)) |
| **Calendar (standard path)** | Retrieved when needed, **not stored**; optional EU processing lock per display |
| **Calendar (device path)** | Service user on tablet only — **no cloud calendar delegation** to Meeting Room 365 |
| **Physical device** | Kiosk lockdown, Guided Access or MDM Single App Mode, MDM wipe — plan for **theft and decommission**, not vendor OAuth contingency |
| **Analytics** | Internal, anonymized at rest; redact or disable per display |

Both paths are production-ready. Choose Admin connection for operational simplicity; add **calendar on the device** when your policy calls for the smallest possible cloud footprint. Details: [Calendar connections](./calendar-connections.md) · [Evaluating alternatives — FAQ](../faq.md#evaluating-alternatives).

## Kiosk lockdown and MDM

Production tablets should not run as a normal user iPad or Android home screen. Meeting Room 365 supports **manual lockdown**, **MDM-enforced kiosk**, and **remote lockdown from Admin** once the device is online.

### iOS and iPadOS

| Approach | Best for | Notes |
|----------|----------|-------|
| **Guided Access** | Pilots, small offices, no MDM | Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access — locks the iPad to Meeting Room 365 manually. Document the passcode with IT. |
| **Single App Mode (MDM)** | Fleet rollouts | Requires **MDM** (Jamf, Intune, SimpleMDM, etc.). Admin **Device** tab → **Single-App Mode** asks the kiosk app to enter SAM when supported. |
| **Apple Business Manager + MDM** | Enterprise fleets | Supervised devices, AppConfig for `displayKey` / `domainKey`, silent app install. |
| **Apple Configurator** | USB provisioning | Prepare supervised iPads before wall mount — install Meeting Room 365, Wi‑Fi profile, and MDM enrollment in one bench session. |

iOS kiosk apps can also respond to **remote Guided Access / Single App Mode** commands pushed from Admin after check-in.

### Android and Fire OS

| Approach | Best for | Notes |
|----------|----------|-------|
| **Screen Pinning** | Quick pilots | Built into Android — pin Meeting Room 365 without developer options on many devices. |
| **Pinned Mode / Kiosk Mode / Kiosk Launcher** | Production | Appear in Admin **Device** tab after the tablet checks in. **Kiosk Mode** and **Kiosk Launcher** target dedicated signage builds; availability depends on device manufacturer and Android version. |
| **MDM AppConfig** | Fleet rollouts | Push `displayKey` alone (simple) or `domainKey` + `displayId` (dynamic fleet — see below). |
| **Samsung Knox** | Samsung tablets | Enterprise kiosk policies complement Meeting Room 365 AppConfig. |

Amazon **Fire OS** follows the same Android kiosk app; use Show Mode or Fire-specific kiosk guidance from the [Fire setup article](https://www.meetingroom365.com/en/article/amazon-fire-os-tablet-setup-guide-1i405zd/).

### MDM provisioning (AppConfig)

MDM systems that support the **[AppConfig](https://www.appconfig.org/)** standard can push keys so tablets auto-configure without typing display keys on a ladder:

| Mode | Keys | Use case |
|------|------|----------|
| **Simple** | `displayKey` | One static key per device profile |
| **Dynamic fleet** | `domainKey` + `displayId` (device name or serial template) | IT assigns keys in Admin **Devices → Managed Device Assignments** after devices report in |

Supported MDM platforms called out in Admin include **Jamf Pro**, **Intune**, **SimpleMDM**, **Hexnode**, and other AppConfig-capable tools. Full fleet workflow: [Administration — Devices](../administration/index.md#devices).

### Device lockdown (when online)

The admin portal exposes platform-specific controls after a device checks in:

| Platform | Remote options (Admin **Device** tab) |
|----------|--------------------------------------|
| **iOS** | Single-App Mode (MDM required) |
| **Android** | Pinned Mode, Kiosk Mode, Kiosk Launcher |
| **All kiosk displays** | Restart app, clear cache, disable automatic restarts on calendar errors, lock/unlock display |

**Do not** rely on browser tabs for lockdown — use the native kiosk app or OS kiosk mode for production.

## LED status bars

Some Android kiosk hardware supports **serial LED** control — colored status bars along the bezel or case that reflect room availability (available / occupied) without reading the screen. The kiosk app drives compatible LED hardware from live calendar state.

### Supported vendors

Meeting Room 365 integrates with LED-capable hardware from vendors including:

| Vendor | Notes |
|--------|--------|
| **MagTarget** | LED-integrated mounting cases |
| **IAdea** | Commercial Android signage |
| **Iiyama** | Commercial displays |
| **ProDVX** | Android panel PCs |
| **Philips** | Commercial display lines |
| **Additional vendors** | Upon request — contact support |

Each integration relies on the hardware vendor’s serial or proprietary API. Meeting Room 365 needs a minimal level of vendor cooperation to document and validate how those APIs behave on each model. If your panel is not listed, ask support — new vendors are added when documentation and testing are in place.

Pair LED status with occupied/available state from the display for at-a-glance corridor signaling outside the room.

## E-ink displays

Meeting Room 365 supports **e-ink and low-power panels** that cannot run a full interactive web app.

### Standard e-ink mode

E-ink mode is enabled on your display configuration (`eink: 1`). The display uses an e-ink-optimized view that shows room status and schedule information formatted for grayscale, slow-refresh screens.

Contact [support](mailto:support@meetingroom365.com) to enable e-ink mode on a display — this is not a self-service toggle in the admin portal today.

### Static render (no JavaScript)

Some e-ink hardware needs a **JavaScript-free page** that the device refreshes by loading a URL (screenshot or static render). For those devices, support can assign the **esign** view on your Meeting Room 365 display app — a server-rendered snapshot of the room's current state.

Point the device at that esign URL for your display key, or ask support to configure it. E-ink displays still require a calendar connection (or Dibs) and a display key like any other room display.

## IFTTT integration

IFTTT connects room status to smart office automation — lights, locks, presence sensors, and custom webhooks.

Configure under the **Device** tab in the admin portal:

### Outbound triggers (room status → IFTTT)

When the room becomes available or occupied, Meeting Room 365 can fire IFTTT Webhooks events. Provide:

- IFTTT Key
- IFTTT Available Event name
- IFTTT Occupied Event name

See Meeting Room 365 help articles on triggering hardware actions from room status.

### Inbound motion events (IFTTT → Meeting Room 365)

Enable **IFTTT Motion Events** to receive presence signals:

- A unique webhook URL is generated per display
- Configure IFTTT to call that URL when a motion sensor fires
- Optionally **disable automated check-ins** if motion should not auto-reserve the room

This complements force check-in and utilization features for occupancy-aware spaces.

## Brightness scheduling and remote control

Kiosk apps honor brightness settings pushed from the admin **Device** tab. Admin acts as the **remote override** for tablet backlight — useful for overnight dimming, burn-in prevention, and dark corridors without visiting each wall mount.

| Mode | Behavior |
|------|----------|
| **Continuous brightness** | Fixed level from **0.01 to 1.0** (1.0 = brightest) — pushed to the device and applied via the native brightness API |
| **Brightness schedule** | JSON map of **hour → brightness** (for example full at `7`, dim at `19`). The app picks the level for the current hour automatically |
| **Reset to default** | Clears a forced Admin brightness and returns the tablet to its previous auto-brightness behavior |

Use either **continuous brightness** or a **schedule** — not both at once. See the [brightness schedule help article](https://www.meetingroom365.com/en/article/brightness-schedule-1e8w83l/) or contact support for JSON examples.

Brightness scheduling is a **kiosk app** feature — generic browser tabs on TVs and PCs depend on OS power settings and may not respond to Admin.

## Supported / not supported

| Supported | Not supported |
|-----------|---------------|
| iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire native kiosk apps | Proprietary locked-down hardware exclusive to another vendor |
| Browser-based displays on PCs, Macs, Chrome devices, Raspberry Pi | |
| MDM AppConfig auto-provisioning | |
| Brightness schedule, continuous brightness, and remote reset from Admin | Brightness control on generic browser tabs (varies by OS) |
| IFTTT outbound status triggers and inbound motion webhooks | |
| Optional on-device calendar (service user on tablet) — smallest cloud footprint for meeting content | |
| Serial LED on supported hardware (MagTarget, IAdea, Iiyama, ProDVX, Philips, others on request) | |
| E-ink optimized view (via `eink: 1`) | |
| Esign static render URL for no-JS e-ink hardware | |
| Remote app restart and cache clear from admin | |

## Best fit for

- **Standard office deployments** — wall-mounted iPad or Android tablet with the kiosk app
- **Budget rollouts** — Amazon Fire tablets or reused Android hardware
- **Large-format signage** — Chromebox or mini PC behind a TV in a browser kiosk
- **Smart building integrations** — IFTTT plus motion sensors for occupancy-aware lighting and booking policies
- **Low-power or sunlight-readable installs** — e-ink panels in bright corridors

## Frequently asked questions

**Do I need the app, or can I use a browser?**  
The kiosk app is recommended for production — it supports brightness scheduling, lockdown modes, MDM provisioning, and LED integrations. A browser works for trials and some TV setups.

**Can I manage tablets remotely?**  
Yes. Once online, the admin portal shows device platform, supports restart/clear-cache commands, and exposes lockdown toggles.

**What happens if Wi‑Fi drops?**  
Displays cache recent calendar data and show offline state. Configure **offline notification email** on the display to alert IT when a tablet goes dark.

**How do I enable e-ink mode?**  
Contact support. E-ink is enabled on your display configuration (`eink: 1`). Devices that cannot run JavaScript may use a separate esign render URL — support assigns this when you set up the hardware.

**Which hardware supports LED status bars?**  
MagTarget, IAdea, Iiyama, ProDVX, Philips, and additional vendors upon request. LED support depends on vendor documentation for each model’s API — contact support if your panel is not listed.

**Where are IFTTT and brightness configured?**  
Admin → open a display → **Device** tab. IFTTT keys/events, motion webhook URL, brightness slider/schedule, and kiosk lockdown toggles appear after the tablet checks in online.

**Can calendar stay entirely on the tablet?**  
Yes — an optional native-app deployment: **service user signed in on the device**, on-device calendar sync, full Admin fleet control. Same strong posture as the standard Admin connection; one fewer cloud touchpoint for meeting content. See [Native apps and privacy by design](./room-displays/hardware-and-devices.md#native-apps-and-privacy-by-design).

**What iOS and Android versions should we buy?**  
Target **iOS 15+** and **Android 5.1+** for new fleets. Older OS versions may work with **v2 themes** only — confirm with support before repurposing legacy tablets.