How to Set Up a Kiosk on Windows 11

Prerequisites for Kiosk Mode

Assigned Access needs Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education. The Home edition does not support it, and the kiosk option won’t appear in Settings there. To check your edition, open Settings › System › About and look under Windows specifications. The only way to get Assigned Access on a Home PC is to upgrade the edition.

• Edition: Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education. (Home edition does not support Assigned Access).
• Account Type: You must create a standard local user account. Do not use an administrator account for kiosk mode. The kiosk account should never be able to change the system, so keep a separate administrator account for yourself.
• Hardware: Ensure your hardware supports the intended application load. Test the app on the actual machine first. A slow kiosk looks broken to the public, and it is hard to fix once it is installed.

If the app isn’t installed, it won’t be in the list of choices later.

How to set up Kiosk mode (Single-App)

A single-app kiosk uses the Assigned Access feature in the Settings ⚙️ app. The wizard walks you through four things: open the kiosk option, create or pick a standard user account, choose the app, and set any app options. The steps below follow the order of the screens.

1. Open Settings ⚙️ and select Accounts.
2. Select Family & other users. On newer builds of Windows 11 this page is called Other users.
3. Scroll to the kiosk section. You should see Set up a kiosk with an Assigned access entry.

If you can’t find this option, you are most likely on Windows 11 Home. Check your edition as described above.

1. Find the Set up a kiosk section.
2. Click Get Started. A wizard opens and asks for an account name.

1. Type a generic name in the name box, such as “KioskUser”.
2. Click Next. The wizard moves on to the app selection step.

Use a plain name that doesn’t point to a real person. It is easier to recognize in the sign-in list and in later troubleshooting.

1. Choose an existing standard account, or create a new one.
2. If you create a new account, the wizard sets it up as a standard local user. That is the type you want.

If you pick an existing account, make sure it is not an administrator. An administrator account is the most common reason a kiosk fails to launch its app.

Now choose the application. It will be the only program displayed on the Windows 11 kiosk screen, which keeps users focused on a single task.

1. Pick the app from the list.
2. Confirm the name is the one you intended. Similar apps can appear next to each other.

The list only shows apps that Assigned Access can run. A classic desktop program may not appear. For that you need Shell Launcher (Enterprise or Education) or a multi-app configuration.

If you choose Microsoft Edge, the wizard asks you to pick one of two modes:

• Digital sign or interactive display: Displays a specific website in full-screen mode. Use it for menus, schedules, dashboards, and similar content.
• Public browser: Provides a limited web browser for public use. Use it when visitors need to browse on their own.

1. Enter the URL of the site the kiosk should open.
2. Set the idle time or refresh interval. After that period of inactivity, the browsing session resets, which clears cache and cookies. This is a security measure, because it stops one visitor’s data from reaching the next.

Pick a value that suits your use. A short interval is better for a shared public browser. A sign that must always show the same page can use a longer one.

1. Click Next to finalize the setup.
2. Wait for the wizard to confirm that the kiosk is ready.

Then sign out or restart the 🔄 PC. The kiosk account should sign in on its own and open the app full screen. To get back to a normal account, press Ctrl+Alt+Del and sign out, then sign in with your administrator account. To undo the kiosk, return to the same section in Settings and remove it.

Advanced Configuration: Multi-App Kiosk

A multi-app kiosk gives users access to several approved applications. This suits more complex jobs, for example a front-desk PC that needs a browser, a calculator, and one line-of-business app. Everything else is blocked, and the Start menu ⊞ shows only the apps you allowed.

The Settings ⚙️ wizard above only covers single-app mode. A multi-app kiosk is defined in a configuration file and delivered through a management tool, such as Intune or a provisioning package. Plan the list of apps carefully before you start, and test the result by signing in as the kiosk user.

Managing Kiosk Devices at Scale

For managing many devices, Microsoft Intune, a Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) solution, helps businesses set up kiosk profiles efficiently. Intune applies consistent security policies and simplifies updates across all your public-facing devices. It avoids manual setup, which becomes inefficient for more than 10 devices.

The usual approach is to build one kiosk profile, assign it to a group of devices, and let Intune apply it. When you need a change, you edit the profile once instead of touching each PC.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Most kiosk problems come down to the account type, the configuration, or missing drivers. Work through these checks:

• App not launching: Verify the user account is a standard user and not an administrator. If it is an administrator, create a new standard account and run the wizard again. Also confirm the app is still installed.
• Registry errors: Check paths like HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\AssignedAccessConfiguration to ensure settings are applied. Open Registry Editor with an administrator account, not the kiosk account, and be careful not to edit values you don't understand.
• Hardware integration: Ensure drivers for touchscreens or scanners are installed for the 'All Users' profile. A driver installed only for your own profile may not work when the kiosk account signs in.

In short, kiosk setup problems usually stem from incorrect user account types, bad registry configurations, or missing hardware drivers. Check the registry path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\AssignedAccessConfiguration and make sure your kiosk runs on a standard user account.

Summary

A kiosk is an effective way to secure public computers. Assigned Access keeps users focused on specific applications and out of the rest of the system. Whether you choose a single-app setup or a more complex multi-app one, Windows 11 provides the tools you need. Before you put the machine into service, restart it and sign in as the kiosk user once. That confirms the app opens, the hardware works, and the lock-down behaves as you expect.