Windows 11 Kiosk Mode: How to Set Up and Use It

Windows 11 Kiosk Mode turns a PC into a restricted device for one defined job, such as displaying a website, running a customer check-in page, or providing a public browser. Windows calls the feature Assigned Access.

The quickest setup uses Settings > Accounts > Other users > Set up a kiosk. That route is best for a single-app kiosk, particularly one running Microsoft Edge. A multi-app kiosk is a different deployment and normally requires an Assigned Access policy delivered through tools such as Microsoft Intune or a provisioning package.

That distinction matters. The basic Settings wizard does not turn an ordinary Windows account into a fully customizable multi-app workstation, and Kiosk Mode should not be treated as the only security control on a public computer.

Check These Requirements First

Before changing the PC, confirm the following:

• The device runs Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, Education, or IoT Enterprise. Windows 11 Home does not provide the built-in Assigned Access setup.
• You can sign in with a separate administrator account.
• The intended kiosk application is installed and opens normally.
• Windows and the application are fully updated.
• You know whether the device needs one app or a restricted collection of apps.

Open Settings > System > About and check Windows specifications > Edition. The Windows 11 Pro vs Pro for Workstations comparison can help when the edition name is unclear, although either of those Pro editions supports Assigned Access.

Keep the administrator account separate from the kiosk account. Otherwise, a configuration mistake can leave you without a convenient account for maintenance or removal.

Choose the Right Kiosk Type

Windows supports more than one restricted experience, but they are not configured in the same way.

Choose a single-app kiosk when the user should never need to switch tasks. Choose a multi-app configuration only when several approved applications are essential. Adding more apps expands what must be tested, patched, and secured.

For one or two locally managed PCs, the Settings wizard is usually enough. Larger deployments benefit from centralized policy because administrators can apply consistent configurations and revise them remotely.

Set Up a Single-App Kiosk in Windows 11

Use an administrator account for these steps:

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Select Accounts.
3. Open Other users.
4. Find Set up a kiosk and select Get started.
5. Create the dedicated kiosk account when prompted.
6. Choose the application Windows should run for that account.
7. Complete the application-specific options and save the configuration.

The available choices depend on the installed applications and Windows configuration. Do not assume that every traditional desktop program will appear in the simple wizard. When a required application is missing, verify its Assigned Access support instead of substituting a similarly named executable or weakening the kiosk account.

After setup, sign out of the administrator account and enter the kiosk account. The assigned app should take over the restricted session.

Configure Microsoft Edge correctly

Edge commonly offers two experiences during kiosk setup:

• Digital or interactive signage displays one site in full screen.
• Public browsing provides a limited multi-tab browser.

Enter the complete website address, including https://, and choose an inactivity timeout appropriate for the location. Edge kiosk sessions use InPrivate browsing, and the inactivity reset helps clear session data left by the previous visitor.

Microsoft’s Edge Kiosk Mode documentation explains the differences between digital signage and public browsing, including features such as URL policies, printing, downloads, and session reset behavior.

A full-screen website is not automatically safe merely because the address bar is hidden. Test every link, upload control, print dialog, download, authentication flow, and external application prompt that the site can open.

Test the Kiosk Before Anyone Uses It

A successful launch only proves that the assigned app can start. It does not prove that the deployment is ready for public use.

Test the following while signed in as the kiosk user:

• The correct app or website opens after sign-in and after a restart.
• The keyboard, touchscreen, scanner, printer, or payment device works as required.
• Users cannot reach Settings, File Explorer, Task Manager, or an unrestricted desktop through normal controls.
• Links cannot escape to an unintended website or another application.
• File upload and download dialogs do not expose private locations.
• Browser data disappears when the configured session timeout occurs.
• Network loss produces a useful error or offline screen instead of exposing Windows.
• Ctrl + Alt + Delete lets an administrator reach the sign-out controls.
• The administrator account still works and can remove the kiosk configuration.

Also test accessibility features required by the intended audience. A locked-down device that blocks necessary keyboard, display, audio, or touch accommodations is not ready for deployment.

Exit, Change, or Remove Kiosk Mode

Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete, sign out of the kiosk session, and sign in with the administrator account. Do not try to maintain the device from inside the restricted account.

To change or remove a kiosk created through Settings:

1. Open Settings > Accounts > Other users.
2. Open Set up a kiosk.
3. Select the configured kiosk account.
4. Change the available settings, or choose the option to remove the kiosk.
5. Confirm the removal and restart the PC if Windows requests it.

Removing Assigned Access does not remove your separate administrator account. Check whether the dedicated local account remains listed under Other users and remove it only when you no longer need it or its local data.

Fix Common Kiosk Mode Problems

Set up a kiosk is missing

Check Settings > System > About. Windows 11 Home does not include the built-in Assigned Access setup, so installing updates will not add the option to that edition. On a managed work or school PC, policy can also hide or control account settings.

The app is not available in the wizard

Open the application normally from the administrator account and install its latest supported version. The Settings wizard exposes only compatible choices. A general Win32 program does not become a supported single-app kiosk simply because its shortcut exists.

Business deployments that require several desktop apps should use a planned multi-app Assigned Access configuration rather than trying to force each application into the consumer-facing wizard.

Edge opens the wrong page or cannot load it

Check the full URL, DNS, proxy, captive portal, and certificate status from the kiosk network. A page that works in the administrator’s signed-in browser may still depend on saved credentials, extensions, or a profile setting that is unavailable in the InPrivate kiosk session.

Remove and recreate the Edge kiosk only after confirming that the site itself loads in a clean InPrivate window.

The kiosk returns to a blank screen

The assigned application may be crashing or waiting for a dialog hidden behind its main window. Update the app, check its logs, and reproduce the failure from a normal test account. Confirm that security software or application control has not blocked the executable.

Users can reach something they should not

Treat this as a deployment failure, not a cosmetic problem. Remove public access until the escape path is closed. Check hyperlinks, open and save dialogs, print controls, keyboard shortcuts, USB behavior, and any protocol links that can launch another app.

Security and Maintenance That Kiosk Mode Does Not Replace

Assigned Access limits the user experience, but the PC still needs ordinary security and maintenance:

• Apply Windows, browser, application, firmware, and driver updates on a tested schedule.
• Use a strong password and multifactor protection where appropriate for the administrator account.
• Encrypt sensitive local data and avoid storing reusable customer credentials.
• Restrict booting from external media in firmware when physical access creates that risk.
• Secure the case, ports, network connection, and power controls for unattended devices.
• Monitor free storage, application crashes, connectivity, and update status.
• Keep a documented recovery method and test it before deployment.

Kiosk Mode cannot secure a poorly designed website, prevent every physical attack, or replace network controls. Public-facing systems deserve stricter testing than a PC used by one trusted person.

Can Windows 11 Home Be Used as a Kiosk?

Windows 11 Home lacks the built-in Assigned Access configuration. A browser can be launched full screen at startup, but that is not equivalent to a Windows kiosk because users may still reach the desktop, other apps, or system controls.

Upgrade to a supported Windows edition or use reputable kiosk-management software designed for the required application and threat level. Avoid registry tricks that merely hide interface elements without enforcing a dependable restricted session.

What Makes a Kiosk Deployment Ready?

The configuration is ready when the intended task works after sign-in, restart, network interruption, and session reset, while every tested escape path remains blocked. Keep a separate administrator account, document how to exit and recover the device, and retest after major Windows or application updates.

A small single-app kiosk can be configured through Settings in minutes. The real work is validating that the app, peripherals, privacy controls, physical setup, and recovery process remain reliable for the people who will use it.