Skip to main content

​
Intro

Once Kiosk Mode is on, your mounted device shows up in Home Assistant/Homey like any other device. Your automations can control it and react to its state, so the tablet on your wall becomes part of your home’s automations, not just a display.
  • Control: wake the screen, set the brightness and colour scheme (light/dark mode), configure the screensaver, set the device volume, reload the app, and lock the screen with a PIN code (or unlock it).
  • React to: battery level and charging state, screen and screensaver status, whether the screen is locked, and whether the device is online.
Every example below comes in a Home Assistant and a Homey version. Expand the one you use.
These automations need Kiosk Mode switched on, that’s how Zendo registers the tablet with Home Assistant/Homey. Control actions also need the device online and responding: if it’s offline, or doesn’t answer within about ten seconds, the action fails. Reading state always works from the last values the device reported.In the Home Assistant snippets, replace YOUR_ZENDO_DEVICE_ID with your tablet’s device (the device field is a list, so add more to target several at once), or pick the devices from the dropdown in the visual editor - each is named after its tablet.

​
Available options and commands

Every managed device offers the same controls and state to Home Assistant/Homey. This is the full list to build automations from.
State you can read - each tablet registers these entities, named after the device (a tablet called “Kitchen” gives sensor.kitchen_battery, and so on):
StateEntityValues
Battery levelsensor.<name>_battery0-100%
Charging statesensor.<name>_battery_statecharger_unplugged, charging, plugged_not_charging
Screen brightnesssensor.<name>_screen_brightness0-100%
Volumesensor.<name>_volume0-100%
Screen statesensor.<name>_screenactive, screensaver
Colour schemesensor.<name>_color_schemedark, light
Screensaver modesensor.<name>_screensaver_modenone, dim, black, clock
Screensaver timersensor.<name>_screensaver_timerminutes
Lockedbinary_sensor.<name>_lockedon, off
There’s no separate online sensor. When a tablet goes offline, all of its entities read unavailable.Actions you can call - each targets one or more tablets (the device field is a list), picked from the device selector:
ServiceWhat it does
zendo.managed_device_screen_wake_upWake the screen
zendo.managed_device_screen_configureSet the brightness (1-100%) and colour scheme (dark or light)
zendo.managed_device_screensaver_configureSet the screensaver mode (none, dim, black, or clock) and timer (1-60 min)
zendo.managed_device_audio_configureSet the volume (0-100%)
zendo.managed_device_app_lockLock the screen with a PIN (4, 6, or 8 digits) and an optional message
zendo.managed_device_app_unlockUnlock the screen
zendo.managed_device_app_reloadReload the app
A single call can control several tablets at once - list their device IDs:
action: zendo.managed_device_screen_wake_up
data:
  device:
    - KITCHEN_TABLET_ID
    - HALLWAY_TABLET_ID
In Developer Tools > Actions or the automation editor, the Home Assistant UI shows a description and the available choices (dropdowns, sliders) for every field.
These cards target a tablet through the Kiosk Device picker. Actions and triggers can aim at All devices / Any device, a Devices for… group (a person), or a single tablet. Conditions target a single tablet.Triggers (each also carries a Device name tag for use in messages):
  • Kiosk Device battery level changed - tag: battery level
  • Kiosk Device battery state changed - tag: charging state
  • Kiosk Device screen state changed - tag: screen state
  • Kiosk Device was locked / Kiosk Device was unlocked
  • Kiosk Device came online / Kiosk Device went offline
Conditions (each can be flipped to its opposite):
  • Kiosk Device battery level is above… a level you set
  • Kiosk Device battery charging state is… charger unplugged / charging / plugged in, not charging
  • Kiosk Device screen state is… active / screensaver
  • Kiosk Device is locked
  • Kiosk Device is online
Actions:
  • Wake up Kiosk Device screen - wake the screen
  • Configure screen for Kiosk Device - brightness (1-100%) and colour scheme (dark/light)
  • Configure screensaver for Kiosk Device - mode (none/dim/black/clock) and timer (1-60 min)
  • Set volume for Kiosk Device - volume (0-100%)
  • Lock Kiosk Device - lock with a PIN (4/6/8 digits) and an optional message
  • Unlock Kiosk Device - unlock the screen
  • Reload app - re-fetch settings and return to the start screen

​
Lock a device

Locking puts a full-screen PIN pad over the app, so the tablet can’t be used to control your property until it’s unlocked. It’s useful when you arm the alarm, head out, or have guests over.

​
How the lock works

  • PIN: 4, 6, or 8 digits, chosen when you lock. An optional message shows above the keypad (for example “Locked while we’re out”).
  • Unlocking at the device: anyone can unlock by typing the PIN on the keypad, so pick one you’re happy to share with whoever’s home. There’s no override code or fingerprint, only the PIN.
  • Wrong PINs slow down: the first few tries are instant, then a delay builds up - a few seconds at first, up to a minute if someone keeps guessing. There’s no hard lockout, and nothing is wiped.
  • Unlocking remotely: an automation can unlock the tablet at any time, with no PIN needed.
  • It survives a restart: the lock stays on even if the app is force-quit or the device reboots, so it can’t be bypassed by closing the app. Like every managed-device feature, it needs Kiosk Mode on to show.

​
Lock and unlock from an automation

Lock on one trigger (leaving, arming the alarm) and unlock on another (arriving, disarming).
The PIN must be 4, 6, or 8 digits. List more device IDs under device to lock several tablets together.
automation:
  - alias: "Lock the tablets when armed away"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: alarm_control_panel.home
        to: "armed_away"
    action:
      - action: zendo.managed_device_app_lock
        data:
          device:
            - YOUR_ZENDO_DEVICE_ID
          pin: "1234"
          message: "Locked while we're out"

  - alias: "Unlock the tablets when disarmed"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: alarm_control_panel.home
        to: "disarmed"
    action:
      - action: zendo.managed_device_app_unlock
        data:
          device:
            - YOUR_ZENDO_DEVICE_ID
Two flows, one to lock and one to unlock.Lock
  • When: for example Homey’s leaves home presence trigger, or your alarm’s armed trigger.
  • Then: Lock Kiosk Device. Set Kiosk Device to your tablet, PIN (required, 4/6/8 digits) to something like 1234, and Lock screen message (optional) to a note like Locked while we're out.
Unlock
  • When: for example Homey’s comes home presence trigger, or your alarm’s disarmed trigger.
  • Then: Unlock Kiosk Device. Set Kiosk Device to the same tablet. No PIN is needed to unlock remotely.

​
Group devices

When you replace a tablet or reinstall the app, it joins as a brand new device. How you aim your automations decides whether they keep working after a swap, so group them by person where you can.
  • Homey: target a person instead of a single device. Link each tablet to someone in People & Invitations, then choose the Devices for… entry for that person in your flow. It follows whoever’s linked, so it keeps working after a swap. You can still pick a single device when you want to. (Conditions are the one exception, they always target a specific device.)
  • Home Assistant: an action’s device field is a list, so one automation can control several tablets at once. There’s no person grouping like Homey’s, though: when you replace a tablet you point automations at the new device, and renaming it and its sensor.<name>_* entities to match keeps things tidy.

​
Automation ideas

Some ready-made automations to get you started, each with a Home Assistant and a Homey version.

​
Wake the screen on motion

Got a motion or presence sensor nearby? Let it wake the screen as you approach, so the tablet lights up when you walk up, then settles back to its screensaver once you leave.
Trigger on your motion sensor, then call the wake-up action on your tablet.
automation:
  - alias: "Wake the tablet on hallway motion"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.hallway_motion
        to: "on"
    action:
      - action: zendo.managed_device_screen_wake_up
        data:
          device:
            - YOUR_ZENDO_DEVICE_ID
Build a two-card flow:
  • When: your motion sensor’s Motion turned on trigger (the exact wording depends on the sensor).
  • Then: add Wake up Kiosk Device screen. In the Kiosk Device field, pick your tablet.
No condition is needed.
There’s a Wake up action but no matching turn-off, and that’s on purpose. Once woken, the screen returns to its screensaver on its own after the timer you set in Kiosk Mode. A raw on/off switch wired to a motion sensor would flicker the screen every time the sensor tripped; waking on motion and letting the timer take over keeps it smooth.
You can fire the same Wake up action from any trigger, not just motion. A door unlocking or an arrival geofence/location-based automation works just as well, and you can target every tablet at once (All devices on Homey, or a list of devices in a single Home Assistant action).

​
Keep the battery healthy

A wall tablet left plugged in sits at 100% all day, which wears the battery down over time. Keeping it in a healthier range helps: put its charger on a smart plug, then start charging when the battery drops below 20% and switch the plug off once it climbs above 80%.
Read the tablet’s battery sensor (named after the device, e.g. sensor.kitchen_battery) and switch the plug from two numeric-state automations.
automation:
  - alias: "Start charging the tablet below 20%"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.kitchen_battery
        below: 20
    action:
      - action: switch.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: switch.kitchen_tablet_plug

  - alias: "Stop charging the tablet above 80%"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.kitchen_battery
        above: 80
    action:
      - action: switch.turn_off
        target:
          entity_id: switch.kitchen_tablet_plug
Two flows, one to start charging and one to stop.Start charging when low
  • When: Kiosk Device battery level changed. Set Kiosk Device to your tablet.
  • And: Kiosk Device battery level is above…. Set the level to 20, then invert the card (tap it so it reads as not above 20%) so it matches when the battery is at or below 20%.
  • Then: your smart plug’s Turn on.
Stop charging when full
  • When: Kiosk Device battery level changed. Set Kiosk Device to your tablet.
  • And: Kiosk Device battery level is above…. Set the level to 80 and leave it as-is.
  • Then: your smart plug’s Turn off.

​
Dim the tablet in the evening

In the evening, make the tablet dimmer and quieter: dark mode, lower brightness, a shorter screensaver timer so it isn’t sitting bright for long, and lower volume. The examples switch to these settings at 20:00 and back to day settings at 08:00. Lowering the volume here also quiets a doorbell ring that follows the device volume.
One automation switches to night settings at 20:00, another switches back to day settings at 08:00.
automation:
  - alias: "Tablet night mode at 20:00"
    trigger:
      - platform: time
        at: "20:00:00"
    action:
      - action: zendo.managed_device_screen_configure
        data:
          device:
            - YOUR_ZENDO_DEVICE_ID
          color_scheme: dark
          brightness: 15
      - action: zendo.managed_device_screensaver_configure
        data:
          device:
            - YOUR_ZENDO_DEVICE_ID
          timer: 2
      - action: zendo.managed_device_audio_configure
        data:
          device:
            - YOUR_ZENDO_DEVICE_ID
          volume: 20

  - alias: "Tablet day mode at 08:00"
    trigger:
      - platform: time
        at: "08:00:00"
    action:
      - action: zendo.managed_device_screen_configure
        data:
          device:
            - YOUR_ZENDO_DEVICE_ID
          color_scheme: light
          brightness: 80
      - action: zendo.managed_device_screensaver_configure
        data:
          device:
            - YOUR_ZENDO_DEVICE_ID
          timer: 10
      - action: zendo.managed_device_audio_configure
        data:
          device:
            - YOUR_ZENDO_DEVICE_ID
          volume: 60
Two flows, one for night and one for morning.Night mode at 20:00
  • When: Date & Time’s The time is… trigger, set to 20:00.
  • Then, add three action cards, all pointed at your tablet in the Kiosk Device field:
    • Configure screen for Kiosk Device: set Color scheme to Dark and Brightness % to something low like 15.
    • Configure screensaver for Kiosk Device: set Timer in minutes to 2.
    • Set volume for Kiosk Device: set Volume % to 20.
Day mode at 08:00
  • When: the same The time is… trigger, set to 08:00.
  • Then: the same three cards with daytime values, a Light colour scheme, higher brightness, a longer timer, and a higher volume.

​
Know when a device goes offline

Get an alert if a device drops off the network, after a crash, a reboot, or a Wi-Fi drop, so a dark screen doesn’t go unnoticed.
There’s no dedicated offline sensor. Instead, an offline device’s entities read unavailable, so trigger on any one of them changing to unavailable. The for delay avoids alerting on a brief blip.
automation:
  - alias: "Alert when the kitchen tablet goes offline"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: sensor.kitchen_battery
        to: "unavailable"
        for:
          minutes: 1
    action:
      - action: notify.mobile_app_your_phone
        data:
          message: "The kitchen tablet has gone offline."
  • When: Kiosk Device went offline. Set Kiosk Device to Any device so one flow watches them all, or pick a single tablet to watch just that one.
  • Then: a notification card, for example Send a push notification. Put the trigger’s Device name tag in the message, like [Device name] has gone offline, so it names whichever tablet dropped.
To be told when it recovers, add a matching flow with the Kiosk Device came online trigger.