How to Remove a Kiosk from Windows 11
Assigned Access locks a Windows 11 PC down to a single app, which is how most public displays and information terminals are set up. Anyone who signs in to the kiosk account can use that one program and nothing else. The feature is available in Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise and Education. It is not available in Home, so a Home PC will not have a kiosk to remove.
Removing a kiosk returns the computer to normal desktop use. The restriction is tied to a dedicated user account, so removing the kiosk setup (and, if you want, that account) lifts the lock. You need administrator rights on the PC. If the only account you can reach is the kiosk account itself, you will have to sign in with a different administrator account first. Both methods below assume you can do that.
Disable the assigned access feature via Settings Accounts Family & other users Set up a kiosk, then click Remove kiosk. Alternatively, use PowerShell commands Get-AssignedAccess and Remove-AssignedAccess.
Understanding Kiosk Modes
Windows 11 kiosk modes come in two types. A single-app kiosk locks the screen to one application. A multi-app kiosk lets people use a small group of approved apps. Both types use Assigned Access (a Windows feature that restricts a user account to running only specified apps) to control what people can do.
Which type you have does not change how you remove it. The method is the same, but check which account the kiosk is tied to before you start. That account is the one you will be working with in Settings or PowerShell.
Warning: Data Loss
How to Remove a Kiosk via Settings
The Settings app is the easiest way to remove a kiosk. Sign in with an administrator account, open Settings , go to Accounts, and find the kiosk setup area. From there you turn off the restriction. If you are signed in with a standard account, the options will be missing or will ask for administrator credentials, so switch accounts first.
- Press Win+I to open Settings . You can also click Start and select the gear icon. The Settings window opens.
- In the Settings window, click Accounts. Then select Family & other users. On some Windows 11 builds this page is labeled Other users. The page lists the accounts on the PC, including the kiosk account.
- Find the section labeled Set up a kiosk. Click the Active tile for more options. If you do not see this section, you are probably on Windows 11 Home, or the kiosk was set up another way, such as with a provisioning package or Intune. In that case, use the PowerShell method below.
- Look at the app currently set to run in kiosk mode. Click its name to expand the menu. The options for changing the kiosk status appear below it.
- Click the Remove kiosk button. A confirmation prompt opens.
- In the confirmation window, click Remove to complete the deletion. The kiosk entry should disappear from the page.
Sign out and sign back in to check the result. The account should now open a normal desktop. If you no longer need the account, you can delete it from the same Accounts page. To put the kiosk back later, you have to set it up again from scratch.
Removing Kiosk via PowerShell
Use PowerShell when the Settings page does not show the kiosk, the button does nothing, or the kiosk was deployed outside Settings. You run one command to find the active kiosk configuration and another to delete it. Both need an elevated window, meaning one opened as administrator. Without that, the commands will fail with an access error.
- Right-click the Start button and select Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin). Approve the User Account Control prompt if it appears. A terminal window opens with administrator rights.
- Type the command below to list current kiosk configurations, then press Enter. Check the output to confirm a kiosk configuration is actually present before you remove anything.
Get-AssignedAccess
- Run the following command to remove the configuration. Press Enter and wait for the prompt to return. Errors, if any, appear in red.
Clear-AssignedAccess
Restart the PC, or sign out and back in, so the change takes effect. The former kiosk account should then open a normal desktop. If it still opens the single app, run the list command again to see whether a configuration remains.
Troubleshooting Locked-out Scenarios
If a kiosk is unresponsive and you cannot reach the desktop, press Ctrl + Alt + Del. This brings up the sign-in screen, where you can switch to an administrator account. From there, use either method above to remove the kiosk. If the keyboard still does nothing, try a different keyboard or USB port. Some kiosks are set up to ignore keyboards entirely.
Summary
You can remove a kiosk from Windows 11 with either the Settings app or PowerShell. Both lift the restrictions and restore normal computer use. Use Settings first, and switch to PowerShell if the kiosk does not show up there. Either way, you need administrator rights.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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