1) Prerequisites
Hardware
Android 8.0+
8 GB RAM (recommended minimum)
64 GB storage or more
Power supply (keep plugged in; supports 8+ hrs battery for cuts)
Optional: peripherals (scanners, printers)
Network
10 Mbps+ typical; 30 Mbps+ if video-heavy
Absolute minimum 2 Mbps (not recommended)
Stable 4G SIM acceptable where Wi-Fi is unreliable
Allow outbound HTTPS (TLS 1.2/1.3) and DNS to Merlin Cloud services/CDN
Avoid captive portals (pre-authorise devices if used)
Software
Merlin Cloud Package + Merlin Cloud Lockdown (installed)
Kiosk registered in the dashboard
Mobile (QR) deployments must be online; offline is not supported on mobile.
2) Assign content (campaign → device) (2–3 min)
In Campaigns, create/pick a campaign for a specific Experience Release.
Go to Kiosk Section, Select "Edit" your kiosk(s) and Publish or Schedule (London time).
If the kiosk is offline at start time, it will apply the release on next connect.
One campaign per kiosk at a time. To pause updates for a device, simply exclude it from upcoming releases.
3) Prepare assets for reliable offline (5 min)
Optimise images to ≤ 500 KB (WebP recommended)
Avoid single files > 1 MB (can slow updates/fail on weak links)
Leave several GB free storage for caching
Prefer local fallbacks over live external APIs for critical UI
4) Verify offline readiness (3–5 min)
On the Dashboard
Go Devices → [Kiosk]. Status should be Green (heartbeats every 30s).
Confirm the kiosk is included in the latest release.
On the Device
Load the experience.
Disconnect Wi-Fi/WAN.
Confirm the kiosk continues to run UI/media from cache.
Reconnect; within ~15 minutes (or after 60s idle) the app reloads if an update exists.
Note: the permission to adjust wifi will be available on MerlinCloud Dashboard soon.
5) Monitor health & uptime (ongoing)
Status colours
Green: online now (last heartbeat < ~2 min)
Yellow: seen within 24 hours
Red: offline 24+ hours
Uptime
% of time Green in the selected window
Notifications
Dashboard bell, Email, SMS
Slack & Webhooks available for Enterprise
Alerts trigger on transitions to Yellow/Red
6) Use remote actions (when on site or from HQ)
From Devices → [Kiosk] you can:
Ping / Beep (locate device)
Send screen message
Lock / Unlock the screen
Enter/Exit Lockdown
Adjust volume, brightness, orientation, screen timeout
Behaviour
Online: actions execute immediately
Offline: actions apply on next connect
Note: These functions will be available soon
7) Analytics capture & syncing
Offline queue in localStorage; UUID v4 per session
Items delete only after successful insert into the DB
We do not store sensitive data locally; sensitive inputs are redacted
Default retention on device: 30 days / 1,000 sessions
(Enterprise: up to 180 days / 100,000 sessions)
8) Security quick facts
Transport: HTTPS (TLS 1.2/1.3)
Optional at-rest encryption of local cache (Enterprise)
End-to-end SSL per device on request
9) Troubleshooting playbook
New content not showing
Confirm the device is targeted in the latest release
Leave it online for a 15-minute reload cycle (or trigger 60s idle)
Re-compress large assets (≤ 500 KB images; avoid > 1 MB)
Device shows old content after reconnect
Network: no captive portal; outbound HTTPS/DNS allowed
Check free storage for caching
Power cycle to restart app & service worker
Analytics missing
If the kiosk was offline, queued events upload on reconnect
Duplicates are de-duped (most recent wins)
Cold start with no cache
Branded “No internet available” splash appears—reconnect or reseed
Need to pause updates
Exclude the device from upcoming campaign releases
10) Daily / weekly checklists
Daily (store staff, 1–2 min)
Device is Green and interactive
Screen brightness/volume appropriate
Content looks current; note any load errors
Weekly (ops, 5 min)
Verify heartbeat history is continuous
Scan alerts; resolve Yellow/Red devices
Confirm at least one 15-min reload occurred while online
Review asset sizes and package health for upcoming releases
Monthly (IT/ops)
OS updates scheduled out of hours
Storage headroom remains healthy
Spot-check offline behaviour on one kiosk per site