Android Hardware Setup

Android-based hardware is a popular choice for digital signage due to its small form factor, energy efficiency, and low cost. Virtually any Android hardware with OS version 5.1 (Lollipop) or later will work with the Revel Digital platform. See our hardware page for more details on the Revel Digital Android hardware offerings. Once you have the hardware decided upon, you'll need to install the Revel Digital Player App from the Google Play Store. The Revel Digital Player App is capable of powering all but the most demanding signage scenarios with support for multiple zones, transparency, HD video, Adobe Flash, web pages, marquees, and much more.

Here's a breakdown of steps to get your Android running Revel Digital

Make sure your Android device is running a minimum of OS version 5.1 (Lollipop). To determine what version is running on your device, navigate to the Android system Settings > About and look for Android Version.

• Install the Revel Digital Player App from the Google Play Store. Open the Google Play app and search for Revel Digital, or use this link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.reveldigital.player.

  

  No Play Store?

  If the Play Store is not available, please use the side-loading method for app installation:

  https://support.reveldigital.com/hc/en-us/articles/4417408550541-Side-loading-the-Android-player-app

   

• Create an account on www.reveldigital.com if you haven't done so already. You'll find the Login button at the top right of the Revel Digital homepage, or click here.
• Start the Revel Digital app on your Android device. You'll be presented with a registration code. Click the Devices tab in your Revel Digital account and click Register New Device, or click here. Enter the registration code and any other device details.
• In a few seconds, the player will display a welcome screen at which point it will be fully functional.
• Here's a video of the registration process:

Auto startup on boot

The Revel Digital app is designed to auto-start on boot and should do so unless specifically disabled in the app settings.

Some devices however (e.g. Chromecast, TCL, Sony), require additional configuration in order to allow the Revel Digital app to startup automatically on bootup. The specific setting that needs to be enabled is called 'Display over other apps' and can be found in your android settings:

Settings > Apps > Special app access > Display over other apps > [Toggle on for Revel Digital]

Locate the Revel Digital app and toggle this setting to enabled.

It may also be beneficial to enable two other special permissions including:

Settings > Apps > Special app access > Energy optimization > [Toggle off for Revel Digital]

Settings > Apps > Special app access > Turn screen on > [Toggle on for Revel Digital]

Advanced Setup and Kiosk Configurations

In most cases it's advisable to enable additional features of the player app in order to prevent unauthorized access to hardware and other system level services.

Device Admin

The Revel Digital player app supports Device Administrator mode in Android which enabled the following:

• Allows the player app to erase data
• Allows the player app to Lock the screen
• Requires app data to be encrypted
• Disables any attached cameras
• Prevents the use of some screen lock features

To enable Device Administrator mode, navigate to Settings > Security.

Then check the box associated with the Revel Digital Player app.

Device Owner and Advanced Kiosk Mode

Device Owner is an Android Enterprise feature supported by Android OS since version 5.0. It allows you to create an application that can fully manage a device. Device Owner needs to be configured either during provisioning of the device(s), or via ADB shell command.

For enabling Device Owner via ADB, use the following command:

adb shell dpm set-device-owner com.reveldigital.player/.DeviceAdminReceiver

With the player app now assigned as a Device Admin, it's possible to enable Advanced Kiosk Mode within the player app settings. Toggling this settings will enable the following additional features:

• Prevent sleep mode when plugged in
• Disallow factory reset
• Disallow adding users
• Disallow adjusting volume
• Allows task locking
• Sets the player app as default Launcher or Home app
• Enables the key guard
• Disables the status bar

These settings effectively lock down the app to prevent unwanted access to the Android OS and any other apps/services on the device. 

To disable Advanced Kiosk Mode, enter the player app settings either via Shift-F12, or holding 5 fingers on the touch screen. Uncheck the Enable Advanced Kiosk Mode checkbox. NOTE: You may also consider enabling the password protection in the app settings in order to restrict access to the player app settings.