Configure Microsoft Edge kiosk mode

Note

Microsoft Edge for Business is now available in Edge stable version 116! Learn more about the new, dedicated work experience with native enterprise grade security, productivity, manageability, and AI built in.

This article describes how to configure Microsoft Edge kiosk mode options that you can pilot. There's also a roadmap of features we're targeting.

Note

This article applies to Microsoft Edge version 87 or later.

Important

Invoke Microsoft Edge kiosk mode features on Windows 10 using the command line arguments provided in Use kiosk mode features.

Overview

Microsoft Edge kiosk mode offers two lockdown experiences of the browser so organizations can create, manage, and provide the best experience for their customers. The following lockdown experiences are available:

  • Digital/Interactive Signage experience - Displays a specific site in full-screen mode.
  • Public-Browsing experience - Runs a limited multi-tab version of Microsoft Edge.

Both experiences are running a Microsoft Edge InPrivate session, which protects user data.

Set up Microsoft Edge kiosk mode

An initial set of kiosk mode features is available to test with Microsoft Edge Stable Channel, version 87. You can download the latest version from Microsoft Edge (Official Stable Channel).

Kiosk mode supported features

The following table lists the features supported by kiosk mode in Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Edge Legacy. Use this table as a guide to transitioning to Microsoft Edge by comparing how these features are supported in both versions of Microsoft Edge.

Feature Digital\Interactive Signage Public browsing Available with Microsoft Edge version (and higher) Available with Microsoft Edge Legacy
InPrivate Navigation Y Y 89 Y
Reset on inactivity Y Y 89 Y
Read only address bar (policy) N Y 89 N
Delete downloads on exit (policy) Y Y 89 N
F11 blocked (enter/exit full-screen) Y Y 89 Y
F12 blocked (launch Developer Tools) Y Y 89 Y
Multi tab support N Y 89 Y
Allow URL support (policy) Y Y 89 N
Block URL support (policy) Y Y 89 N
Show home button (policy) N Y 89 Y
Manage favorites (policy) N Y 89 Y
Enable printer (policy) Y Y 89 Y
Configure the new tab page URL (policy) N Y 89 Y
End session button * N Y 89 Y
All internal Microsoft Edge URLs are blocked, except for edge://downloads and edge://print N Y 89 Y
CTRL+N blocked (open a new window) * Y Y 89 Y
CTRL+T blocked (open new tab) Y N 89 Y
Settings and more (...) will display only the required options Y Y 89 Y
Restrict the launch of other applications from the browser Y Y 90 Y
UI print settings lockdown Y Y 90 Y
Set the new tab page as the home page (policy) N Y 90 Y

Note

Features followed by "*" are only enabled in an assigned access single app scenario.

Use kiosk mode features

Microsoft Edge kiosk mode features can be invoked with the following Windows 10 command-line options for Digital/Interactive signage and Public browsing.

Kiosk mode Digital/Interactive signage

msedge.exe --kiosk www.contoso.com --edge-kiosk-type=fullscreen

Kiosk mode Public browsing

msedge.exe --kiosk www.contoso.com --edge-kiosk-type=public-browsing

Kiosk mode Download Files on Exit

To set up Microsoft Edge to remove downloaded files when a Kiosk instance is closed, the following two Group Policies must be configured:

Additional command-line options

  • --no-first-run: Disable the first Microsoft Edge run experience.

    msedge.exe --kiosk www.contoso.com --edge-kiosk-type=fullscreen --no-first-run
    
    msedge.exe --kiosk www.contoso.com --edge-kiosk-type=public-browsing --no-first-run
    
  • --kiosk-idle-timeout-minutes=: Change the time (in minutes) from the last user activity before Microsoft Edge kiosk mode resets the user's session by closing the browser. Note: this flag will not restart Microsoft Edge after it's closed. A separate technology, such as Assigned Access or Shell Launch is required to automatically restart Edge after the idle timeout. Replace "value" in the next example with the number of minutes.

    --kiosk-idle-timeout-minutes=value
    

    The following "values" are supported:

    • Default values (in minutes)
      • Full screen - 0 (turned off)
      • Public browsing - 5 minutes
    • Allowed values
      • 0 - turns off the timer
      • 1-1440 minutes for reset on idle timer
    msedge.exe --kiosk www.contoso.com --edge-kiosk-type=fullscreen --kiosk-idle-timeout-minutes=1
    
    msedge.exe --kiosk www.contoso.com --edge-kiosk-type=public-browsing --kiosk-idle-timeout-minutes=1
    

Support policies for kiosk mode

Use any of the Microsoft Edge policies listed in the following table to enhance the kiosk experience for the Microsoft Edge kiosk mode type you configure. To learn more about these policies, see Microsoft Edge – Browser policy reference.

Note

Policy configuration isn't limited to the policies listed in the following table, however additional policies should be tested to ensure that kiosk mode functionality isn't negatively affected.

Group policy Digital\Interactive signage Public browsing single-app
Printing Y Y
HomePageLocation N Y
ShowHomeButton N Y
NewTabPageLocation N Y
FavoritesBarEnabled N Y
URLAllowlist Y Y
URLBlocklist Y Y
ManagedSearchEngines N Y
UserFeedbackAllowed N Y
VerticalTabsAllowed N Y
SmartScreen settings Y Y
EdgeCollectionsEnabled Y Y
ConfigureKeyboardShortcuts Y Y
DownloadDirectory Y Y

Important

Common open/save dialogs aren't automatically locked down in Kiosk Mode. To lock down access to these dialogs, use the ConfigureKeyboardShortcuts policy to disable the corresponding shortcuts.

Microsoft Edge with assigned access

Single app kiosk

Microsoft Edge version 90 kiosk mode offers an extensive list of features. See the section of Kiosk mode supported features. With the following Windows updates you can configure Microsoft Edge via assigned access single app.

Operating System Version Updates
Windows 10 2004 or later KB4601382 or later
Windows 10 1909 KB4601380 or later

You can manage Microsoft Edge kiosk mode assigned access single app via Windows Settings and Intune.

Multi-app kiosk

Microsoft Edge can be run with multi-app assigned access on Windows 10, which is the equivalent of Microsoft Edge Legacy "Normal browsing" kiosk mode type. To configure Microsoft Edge with multi-app assigned access, follow the instructions on how to Set up a multi-app kiosk. (The AUMID for the Microsoft Edge Stable channel is Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge.Stable_8wekyb3d8bbwe!MSEDGE).

When using Microsoft Edge with multi-app assigned access, you can configure Microsoft Edge kiosk to use the Microsoft Edge browser policies to configure the browsing experience to meet your unique requirements.

Configure using Windows Settings

Windows Settings is the simplest way to set up one or two single-app kiosk devices. Use the following steps to set up a single-app kiosk computer.

  1. The minimum system updates for the operating systems listed in the next table.
Operating System Version Updates
Windows 10 2004 or later KB4601382 or later
Windows 10 1909 KB4601380 or later
  1. To test the latest features, you can download the latest Microsoft Edge Stable channel, version 89 or higher.

  2. On the kiosk computer, open Windows Settings, and type "kiosk" in the search field. Select  Set up a kiosk (assigned access), shown in the next screenshot to open the dialog for creating the kiosk.

    Set up kiosk with assigned access

  3. On the Set up a kiosk page, select Get started.

    Kiosk page -get started

  4. Type a name to create a new kiosk account or choose an existing account from the populated dropdown list and then select Next.

    Kiosk mode - create account

  5. On the Choose a kiosk app page, select Microsoft Edge, and then select Next.

    Note

    This only applies to Microsoft Edge Dev, Beta, and Stable channels.

    Kiosk mode display - full screen digital sign

  6. Pick one of the following options for how Microsoft Edge displays when running in kiosk mode:

    • Digital/Interactive signage - Displays a specific site in full-screen mode, running Microsoft Edge.
    • Public browser - Runs a limited multi-tab version of Microsoft Edge.

    How will the kiosk be used - full screen digital sign

  7. Select Next.

  8. Type the URL to load when the kiosk launches.

    Kiosk mode - enter URL

  9. Accept the default value of 5 minutes for the idle time or provide a value of your own.

    Kiosk mode - enter idle time

  10. Select Next.

  11. Close the Settings window to save and apply your choices.

    Kiosk mode - finish set up

  12. Sign out from the kiosk device and sign in with the local kiosk account to validate the configuration.

Functional limitations

With the release of this preview version of kiosk mode we're continuing work on improving the product and adding new features.

We currently don't support the following features, they don't work with kiosk mode.

Important

Turn off any feature policies that are enabled by default.

See also