User Manual

1. Quick Start

Prepare USB Stick

Create an AutoPlayFile folder and copy your images, videos, and logo into it.

Plug In & Go

Insert the USB stick into your Android device. KioskPilot detects it automatically and copies the content.

Enjoy Your Display

Your slideshow and videos start playing automatically with smooth crossfade transitions.

2. USB Stick Setup

KioskPilot reads all its content from a single folder on your USB stick. The folder must be named AutoPlayFile and placed at the root of the USB drive.

Folder Structure

USB Drive (root)
└── AutoPlayFile/
    ├── config.txt              ← Configuration (optional)
    ├── logo_banner.png         ← Logo (any file starting with "logo")
    ├── logo_secondary.jpg      ← Second logo (auto-rotates)
    ├── photo1.jpg              ← Images for slideshow
    ├── photo2.png
    ├── brochure.webp
    ├── product_video.mp4       ← Videos for loop
    └── demo.mov

Logo files: Any image file whose name starts with logo (e.g., logo.png, logo_banner.jpg). If you have multiple logos, they rotate automatically with a crossfade effect.

Image files: All image files that do not start with logo are treated as slideshow images. They are sorted alphabetically and displayed with crossfade transitions.

Video files: All video files play sequentially in a loop. When the last video ends, playback starts again from the first.

Tip: The app handles image EXIF rotation and video rotation metadata automatically. You don't need to pre-rotate your files.

3. Supported Media Formats

Images

.jpg .jpeg .png .gif .webp .bmp .pdf

PDF files are rendered as images (first page). They work in slideshows and storyboard scenes just like regular images.

Videos

.mp4 .webm .mkv .avi .mov

For best results, encode videos at 1080px width using H.264 (MP4).

4. Configuration File (config.txt)

You can configure KioskPilot by placing a config.txt file inside the AutoPlayFile folder on your USB stick. This is optional — you can also configure everything through the on-device Settings screen.

Example config.txt

# KioskPilot Configuration
# Lines starting with # are comments.
# All durations are in seconds.
# Use \n for line breaks in footer text.

slideshow_duration=15
logo_duration=10
footer_duration=10
mute=true
kiosk_mode=false

layout_mode=split
video_position=bottom
split_ratio=0.5
screen_orientation=portrait
screen_padding=20

background_color=#000000
logo_bar_color=#FFFFFF
footer_bar_color=#FFFFFF
footer_text_color=#1B3A5C
footer_font=sans-serif-medium
footer_font_size=22

footer_text=Staubfreies Heu und Stroh\nfür gesunde und leistungsstarke Pferde.
footer_text_2=Qualität seit über 30 Jahren.

Complete Reference

Timing

Key	Default	Description
`slideshow_duration`	15	Seconds each image is shown (5–60)
`logo_duration`	10	Seconds per logo when rotating multiple logos (3–60)
`footer_duration`	10	Seconds per footer text when rotating multiple texts (3–60)
`mute`	true	Mute video audio on start (`true` / `false`)
`kiosk_mode`	false	Lock the app in the foreground using screen pinning (`true` / `false`)

Layout

Key	Default	Description
`layout_mode`	auto	`auto`, `split`, `images_only`, or `videos_only`
`video_position`	bottom	In split mode: `top` or `bottom`
`split_ratio`	0.5	Image/video size ratio (0.1–0.9). E.g., 0.7 = 70% images, 30% video
`screen_orientation`	auto	`auto`, `portrait`, or `landscape`
`screen_padding`	0	Border padding around content in pixels (0–200)

Appearance

Key	Default	Description
`background_color`	#000000	Screen background color (hex)
`logo_bar_color`	#FFFFFF	Logo area background color (hex)
`footer_bar_color`	#FFFFFF	Footer area background color (hex)
`footer_text_color`	#1B3A5C	Footer text color (hex)
`footer_font`	sans-serif-medium	Footer font family (Android system fonts)
`footer_font_size`	22	Footer text size in sp

Footer Text

Key	Description
`footer_text`	Primary footer text. Use `\n` for line breaks.
`footer_text_2`	Second footer text (auto-rotates with primary).
`footer_text_N`	Any key starting with `footer_text` is collected and cycled.

If you define multiple footer texts, they rotate automatically with a crossfade transition at the interval set by footer_duration.

5. On-Device Settings

You can configure all settings directly on the device through the Settings screen. Tap anywhere on the display to show the control bar, then tap the gear icon to open Settings.

Settings configured on the device are also saved back to config.txt, so they persist across USB updates. If a config.txt exists on the USB stick, it is imported automatically on first launch.

Kiosk Settings

License

Shows your current license status. The free version supports up to 3 images and 1 video with a watermark. Pro unlocks unlimited content and full appearance customization.

Slideshow Duration

How long each image is displayed (5–60 seconds). Drag the slider to adjust.

Logo Duration

How long each logo is shown before rotating to the next (3–60 seconds). Only relevant when you have multiple logo files.

Footer Duration

How long each footer text is shown before rotating (3–60 seconds). Only relevant with multiple footer texts.

Mute Audio on Start

When checked, video audio is muted when the app starts. You can toggle audio from the control bar at any time.

Layout Mode

auto (adapts to content), split (images + video), images_only, or videos_only.

Video Position

In split mode, choose whether video appears at the top or bottom of the screen.

Image/Video Split Ratio

Drag to control how much screen space goes to images vs. video. 50/50 is the default.

Screen Orientation

auto, portrait, or landscape. Locks the display to your chosen orientation.

6. Appearance & Branding

Scroll down in the Settings screen to find the Appearance section, where you can fully customize colors, fonts, and footer text to match your brand.

Colors & Padding

KioskPilot Appearance - Colors and Padding

Background Color: The main screen background behind your content.

Logo Bar Background: The background color of the logo area at the top of the screen.

Footer Bar Background: The background color of the footer text area at the bottom.

Footer Text Color: The color of your footer text.

Screen Padding: Adds a border around your content (0–200 px). Your screen dimensions are shown for reference.

Tap any color swatch to enter a hex code directly.

Footer Text & Font

Footer Text Color: The color of your footer text.

Footer Font: Choose from available Android system fonts.

Footer Font Size: Adjust the text size (in sp).

Footer Texts: Add, edit, or remove footer text entries. Multiple entries auto-rotate. Use Enter for line breaks within a single entry. Tap + Add Footer Text to add more.

Tap Save & Return to apply your changes. Settings are saved to both the device and config.txt.

7. Layout Modes

Auto

Automatically adapts based on your content. If you have both images and videos, it uses split view. If only images or only videos, it fills the full screen.

Split

Displays images and videos simultaneously on screen, split by the configured ratio. Choose whether video goes on top or bottom.

Images Only

Full-screen image slideshow. Videos are ignored even if present on the USB stick.

Videos Only

Full-screen video loop. Images are ignored even if present on the USB stick.

8. On-Screen Controls

Tap anywhere on the screen to reveal the control bar. It auto-hides after 5 seconds of inactivity.

⚙ Settings

Opens the full Settings screen.

Q — Quit

Exits the kiosk app.

− / Duration / +

Decrease or increase slideshow duration by 5 seconds. The current duration is shown in the center.

🔇 Audio Mute

Toggle video audio on or off.

↻ Refresh

Manually trigger a content reload from USB.

9. Updating Content

To update the content on your display:

Update the files in the AutoPlayFile folder on your USB stick.
Insert the USB stick into the Android device.
The app automatically detects the USB and copies the new content.
If the USB was already inserted, tap the screen to show the control bar, then tap UPD to reload.

Note: The USB copy replaces all content in the app's internal storage. If you remove a file from the USB, it will also be removed from the display after the next update.

10. Kiosk Mode (Lock Screen)

For trade shows and public displays, you can lock the device so that users cannot exit the app or access other apps.

Option 1: Screen Pinning (config.txt)

Add this line to your config.txt:

kiosk_mode=true

This uses Android's screen pinning to lock the app in the foreground. The Home and Recent buttons are disabled. To exit kiosk mode, tap the screen to show the control bar and press the Q (Quit) button.

Option 2: Home Activity Override (ADB)

For a deeper lock, you can set KioskPilot as the device's home app via ADB:

Enable:

adb shell cmd package set-home-activity com.kioskpilot.app/.MainActivity

Disable (restore normal launcher):

adb shell cmd package set-home-activity com.android.launcher3/.Launcher

The app also starts automatically when the device boots, so after a power cycle it goes straight into display mode.

11. Storyboard (Scene-Based Playback)

For advanced presentations, KioskPilot supports a storyboard that lets you define a sequence of scenes, each with its own video, images, layout, timing, and appearance. This is perfect for trade show presentations, product demos, or any display that needs structured multi-scene playback.

How It Works

Place a storyboard.txt file in your AutoPlayFile folder alongside your media files. When KioskPilot detects this file, it switches from simple slideshow mode to scene-based playback.

Each scene can have its own video, images, layout, transitions, and footer text. Scenes play in order and loop back to the first scene when the last one ends.

Basic Example

# storyboard.txt - Each [scene] block defines a scene

[scene]
video = product_demo.mp4
images = slide1.jpg 10s, slide2.jpg 15s, slide3.jpg rest
layout = split
position = video-bottom
header = yes
footer = yes
footer_text = Welcome to our booth!
transition = fade

[scene]
video = behind_the_scenes.mov
layout = full
header = no
footer = no
transition = cut

[scene]
images = brochure.pdf 15s, thank_you.jpg 10s
layout = full
footer = yes
footer_text = Thank you for visiting!

Scene Types

Video + Images

Video loops continuously while images cycle through with their own durations. The scene advances when all images have been shown. Great for split-screen presentations.

Video Only

Plays a video fullscreen. The scene advances when the video ends. Perfect for product demos or promotional clips.

Images Only

Displays images (including PDFs) as a timed slideshow. Scene duration is the sum of all image durations. Ideal for brochures and static content.

Scene Settings Reference

Media

Key	Description
`video`	Video filename (e.g., `video = demo.mp4`)
`image`	Single image filename (e.g., `image = photo.jpg`)
`images`	Comma-separated image list with durations: `images = a.jpg 10s, b.png 15s, c.pdf rest`

Image Duration Syntax

Format	Example	Description
Seconds	`10s`	Display for 10 seconds
Milliseconds	`500ms`	Display for 500 milliseconds
Rest	`rest`	Fill remaining video time (only in video+images scenes)
Omitted	—	Uses your slideshow duration setting

The rest keyword is useful when you want an image to fill the remaining time of a looping video. For example, with a 30s video and slide1.jpg 10s, slide2.jpg rest, the second image shows for 20 seconds.

Layout & Appearance

Key	Default	Description
`layout`	split	`split` (images + video side by side) or `full` (fullscreen)
`position`	video-bottom	`video-top` or `video-bottom` (split layout only)
`split_ratio`	0.5	Image/video size ratio (0.1–0.9)
`header`	yes	Show logo header: `yes` or `no`
`footer`	yes	Show footer text area: `yes` or `no`
`footer_text`	—	Custom footer text for this scene (overrides global). Use `\n` for line breaks.
`background_color`	—	Custom background color for this scene (hex, e.g., `#1B3A5C`)
`padding`	—	Custom padding for this scene (0–200 px)
`transition`	fade	`fade` (smooth crossfade) or `cut` (instant switch)
`duration`	—	Total scene duration for image-only scenes (e.g., `15s`)

Scene Navigation

When a storyboard is active, the control bar shows additional navigation buttons:

◀◀ / ▶▶ (outer)

Jump to previous/next scene

◀◀ / ▶▶ (inner)

Previous/next image within the current scene

Scenes play automatically in sequence. After the last scene, playback loops back to the first scene.

Note: If the storyboard.txt file contains errors or no valid scenes, KioskPilot falls back to its normal slideshow mode. The storyboard file persists on the device and is not deleted when you remove the USB stick.

12. Tips & Troubleshooting

Video Performance

For smooth playback, encode videos at 1080px width. Large 4K files waste storage and may stutter on lower-end devices. Use H.264 (MP4) for maximum compatibility.

Logo Not Showing?

Make sure the filename starts with logo (e.g., logo.png, logo_banner.jpg). Files that don't start with "logo" are treated as slideshow images.

USB Not Detected?

The USB stick must have a folder named exactly AutoPlayFile at the root level. Check spelling and capitalization. Try unplugging and re-inserting the stick.

Footer Text Not Appearing?

Make sure footer_text=... is defined in your config.txt, or add footer texts through the Settings screen. After updating config.txt on the USB, tap UPD to reload.

Contents

1. Quick Start

Prepare USB Stick

Plug In & Go

Enjoy Your Display

2. USB Stick Setup

Folder Structure

3. Supported Media Formats

Images

Videos

4. Configuration File (config.txt)

Example config.txt

Complete Reference

Timing

Layout

Appearance

Footer Text

5. On-Device Settings

Kiosk Settings

6. Appearance & Branding

Colors & Padding

Footer Text & Font

7. Layout Modes

Auto

Split

Images Only

Videos Only

8. On-Screen Controls

9. Updating Content

10. Kiosk Mode (Lock Screen)

Option 1: Screen Pinning (config.txt)

Option 2: Home Activity Override (ADB)

11. Storyboard (Scene-Based Playback)

How It Works

Basic Example

Scene Types

Video + Images

Video Only

Images Only

Scene Settings Reference

Media

Image Duration Syntax

Layout & Appearance

Scene Navigation

12. Tips & Troubleshooting

Video Performance

Logo Not Showing?

USB Not Detected?

Footer Text Not Appearing?

Need Help?