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HelloKiosk Documentation

Complete guide for the macOS and iPad versions of HelloKiosk — your AI-powered kiosk assistant.

Overview

HelloKiosk is an AI-powered kiosk application designed for public-facing displays, information desks, museums, and interactive installations. It provides a clean, customizable interface where end users can ask questions and receive AI-generated answers—either through typed chat or voice interaction.

Available in two versions—HelloKiosk for macOS (desktop kiosks) and HelloKiosk Tablet (iPad)—the app supports multiple AI providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Mistral, DeepSeek, and Ollama) and can be fully branded and locked down for kiosk deployment.

Getting Started

After launching HelloKiosk, you can:

  • macOS: Open Settings via the menu (HelloKiosk → Settings…) or press ⌘+⌥+P.
  • iPad: On first launch, tap Setup the App…. After setup, use the hidden gestures described in the iPad Specific section.

In Settings, configure your AI provider and API key in the Artificial Intelligence (macOS) or AI Engine (iPad) tab. Without valid credentials, the app cannot generate responses.

Working Modes

HelloKiosk offers three modes to match your use case:

Chat

Users type questions and receive text responses. Best for environments where typing is preferred.

Audio

Voice-only interaction: speak to the AI and hear spoken answers. Requires OpenAI provider.

Both

Users can choose between typing and speaking. Voice features require OpenAI; other providers fall back to chat only.

User Interface Settings

Under the User Interface tab you can customize the look and behavior of the main screen.

Header Section

  • Custom logo: Enable and select an image to replace the default app icon in the header.
  • Welcome message: Edit the main title and the text displayed below it.

User Requests

  • Working mode: Choose Chat, Audio, or Both.
  • Directions for end users: Text shown above the input field (e.g., “Your Question”).
  • Field placeholder: Placeholder text inside the input field.
  • Button caption: Label for the submit button (e.g., “Ask AI Assistant”).

AI Answers

  • Font size: Adjust the size of AI responses (14–24 pt on macOS, 12–24 pt on iPad).
  • History: Option to clear chat history after each reply.
  • Visual effects: Toggle the streaming animation when the AI is generating text.

Colors

Use the color pickers to set:

  • Background color
  • Text color for the welcome section
  • Color for other texts
  • Question field border color

Colors adapt automatically in Dark Mode on both platforms.

AI Configuration

HelloKiosk supports multiple AI providers. Configure credentials and model in the Artificial Intelligence (macOS) or AI Engine (iPad) tab.

Supported Providers

Provider Typical credential Audio support
OpenAI API key (sk-…) Yes
Anthropic API key (sk-ant-…) No
Google Gemini API key (AIza…) No
Mistral AI API key (mist-…) No
DeepSeek API key (sk-…) No
Ollama (local) Endpoint (e.g. http://localhost:11434) No

Model Selection

Use Fetch Available Models (macOS) or Select Model… (iPad) to load models from the provider. You can also type a model name manually if you know it.

System Prompt

The system prompt defines how the AI behaves—tone, style, and scope. For example, you can instruct it to answer only geography questions or to use a specific format. The default prompt focuses on geography and suggests adding emojis.

Options

Fine-tune AI behavior and audio in the Options tab.

Response Settings

  • Temperature: Controls randomness (0.0–2.0). Lower values produce more focused, deterministic answers; higher values increase creativity.
  • Max tokens: Maximum length of each AI response. Higher values allow longer answers but may increase cost and latency.
  • Allow image generation: (macOS) Option to enable image generation when supported by the provider.

Audio Settings

  • Prefer native audio: Use OpenAI’s native audio processing when available for better quality and lower latency.
  • Push-to-talk: When enabled, users must hold the microphone button to record. When disabled, recording starts automatically and stops after silence.
  • Auto-stop silence: Seconds of silence before recording stops automatically.
  • Show transcript while listening: Display real-time transcription during recording.
  • Read answers aloud: Use text-to-speech to read AI responses aloud in all modes.
  • Text to Speech Voice: Choose the system voice used for reading answers.

Security & Kiosk Mode

Settings are organized under the Security tab on both platforms. Kiosk features help lock down the device so only the HelloKiosk experience is accessible.

Password Protection

Enable Require password to access settings to protect configuration. When enabled, opening Settings will prompt for the password you define.

Idle Time Management

Set Clear the view after to automatically clear the chat after a specified number of seconds of inactivity. Useful for returning the screen to a clean state between users.

macOS Kiosk Options

On macOS, several kiosk options are available (some may require a license):

  • Launch at login: Start HelloKiosk automatically when the Mac boots.
  • Hide Dock: Hide the macOS Dock.
  • Hide Menu Bar: Hide the menu bar.
  • Disable process switching: Restrict switching to other apps.
  • Disable Apple Menu: Disable the Apple menu.
  • Disable Session Termination: Restrict ending the session.
  • Disable force quit: Restrict Force Quit.
  • Block Cmd+Q: Hide the Quit menu item and block the Cmd+Q shortcut.
  • Prevent system sleep: Keep the system awake.
  • Force app to stay frontmost: Keep HelloKiosk in the foreground.

License Management (macOS)

In trial mode, the License Management section lets you enter your email and license key to unlock all kiosk features. Links to buy a license or view existing licenses are also provided.

macOS-Specific Features

Opening Settings

  • Menu: HelloKiosk → Settings…
  • Keyboard shortcut: ⌘+⌥+P (works even when the app is not focused, e.g. when launched at login)

Main Window

The main window is full-screen by default. In kiosk mode it can occupy the entire screen. Touching or clicking the main area keeps the screen active and resets idle timers.

Key Shortcuts

  • Escape: Stops text-to-speech when answers are being read aloud.
  • ⌘+Q: Quit (only if not blocked by kiosk settings).

Check for Updates

In non–App Store builds, use Check for Updates… in the Settings footer to see if a newer version is available.

iPad-Specific Features

Accessing Settings

Settings are hidden by design. Use one of these methods:

  • Three-finger swipe: Swipe left to right with three fingers on the chat area.
  • Double-tap: Double-tap the welcome title at the top.
  • Circle gesture: Draw a circle on the chat area.
  • Three-finger tap: Tap with three fingers on the background.

These gestures reduce accidental access by end users while allowing administrators to reach settings when needed.

First Launch

On first launch, a Setup the App… button appears at the bottom. Tapping it opens Settings. After setup, this button is hidden and you use the gestures above.

Kiosk Settings (iPad)

  • Guided Access: Enable as a reminder. You must turn on Guided Access in iOS Settings (Accessibility) to restrict the device to HelloKiosk.
  • Disable Auto Lock: Prevents the iPad from locking automatically.
  • Prevent System Sleep: Keeps the screen on.

Technical Details

Log Tab

The Log tab shows diagnostic and activity messages. Use it to troubleshoot API errors, connection issues, or unexpected behavior.

Audio Modes

  • Native audio (OpenAI): Uses OpenAI’s real-time audio API for low-latency voice interaction when available.
  • Fallback: When native audio is not used, speech recognition and text-to-speech rely on system services.

Persistence

Settings are stored in UserDefaults and persist across launches. API keys and sensitive data are stored in the app’s secure storage.