Kiosk Troubleshooting
This page covers the most common issues you might encounter with kiosk tablets and how to resolve them.
QR code won't scan
Camera permission denied: The browser needs camera access for QR scanning. On iPad, go to Settings → Safari → Camera and set it to "Allow." On Android, check Chrome's site permissions. If the kiosk was set up as a PWA ("Add to Home Screen"), you may need to grant camera permission to the PWA specifically.
Poor lighting or glare: QR codes on phone screens can be hard to scan in bright environments due to screen glare. Ask the visitor to increase their phone's screen brightness. Printed QR codes are generally more reliable.
QR code too small or too far: Move the phone or printout closer to the tablet camera. The QR code should fill roughly a third of the camera viewfinder.
Wrong QR code: The scanner only recognizes Atrium QR tokens. If the visitor is scanning a different QR code (e.g., a boarding pass, a restaurant menu code), the kiosk will show "Invalid QR code."
Error messages after scanning
| Message | Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| "This QR code has expired." | The visit's time window has passed. | The host needs to create a new visit with updated times. |
| "This QR code has already been used." | Someone already checked in with this code. | QR codes are single-use. If this is an error, check the visit status in the dashboard. |
| "Invalid QR code." | Not an Atrium QR token. | Make sure the visitor is scanning the code from their Atrium invitation email. |
All error messages auto-dismiss after 3 seconds and the scanner resumes.
Kiosk shows "offline" or won't complete check-in
If the kiosk can validate QR codes (which happens locally) but can't complete the check-in submission, it's likely a network issue:
- Check the tablet's WiFi or network connection.
- Verify the Atrium server is reachable from the tablet's network.
- If the network is temporarily down, the kiosk queues check-ins locally and submits them when connectivity returns. The visitor will see a confirmation, but WiFi credentials won't be displayed until the server processes the queued check-in.
Kiosk is stuck or unresponsive
- Try the hidden exit gesture: tap the top-right corner 3 times within ~1.5 seconds.
- If the exit button appears, click it to return to the dashboard, then re-enter kiosk mode.
- If the gesture doesn't work, close the browser tab/PWA and reopen it. The kiosk will return to the standby screen (the device token persists — no re-pairing needed).
- As a last resort, restart the tablet.
Re-pairing a kiosk
If the kiosk's device token has expired (after ~1 year) or was revoked by an admin:
- The kiosk will show the setup screen instead of the standby screen.
- Log in with admin credentials and select the site.
- Start the kiosk — a new device token is issued.
No data is lost when re-pairing. The kiosk is just re-authenticating with the server.