ChromeOS devices, Chromeboxes, Chromebases, Chromebooks, and Chromebits, run the ScreenCloud Chrome Isolated Web App (IWA) Player in Kiosk mode. Kiosk mode locks the device to a single app and relaunches it automatically after a crash or power loss, which is why it's required rather than optional for signage use.
Running ScreenCloud on ChromeOS requires a Google Workspace account and a ChromeOS management license per device. That license also unlocks remote device management directly from Google's own console, including remote reboot, offline alerts, WiFi push, and log collection.
What you need before you start
Requirement | Required? | Google's guide |
A ChromeOS device (Chromebox, Chromebase, Chromebook, or Chromebit) | ✔ Required | |
A Google Workspace account, linked to your own domain | ✔ Required | |
A ChromeOS management license per device (Kiosk & Signage Upgrade or Enterprise Upgrade) | ✔ Required | |
Device not past its Auto Update Expiration (AUE) date | ✔ Required |
Google's published prices at the time this article was written:
Google Workspace: Business Starter from $6, Business Standard $12, Business Plus $18 (USD per user per month); custom pricing for Enterprise, and discounted or free tiers for Education and Nonprofit
ChromeOS Kiosk & Signage Upgrade: $25 USD per device per year
ChromeOS Enterprise Upgrade: $50 USD per device per year, or $150 USD per device as a one-time Enterprise Perpetual Upgrade
These are Google's prices, not ScreenCloud's, and change independently of this article. Confirm current pricing directly with Google before budgeting.
ChromeOS Hardware
Minimum requirements
ChromeOS 140 or later, required to run the IWA player
A device not past its AUE date
A Chrome Enterprise Upgrade or Kiosk & Signage Upgrade license
Dual-core processor or higher, quad-core preferred
4 GB of RAM or higher, 8 GB preferred
32 GB of storage or higher, 64 GB preferred
Not supported
Devices on ChromeOS Long Term Support (LTS) 138. The IWA player will not launch until the device updates to LTS 144 or later.
Devices past their AUE date
Chromecast devices. Kiosk mode does not work on Chromecast at all.
Any setup without a ChromeOS management license. Unmanaged kiosk mode no longer exists on ChromeOS.
Recommended for new purchases
All models below can run the IWA player. When choosing between them, prefer the longest remaining AUE date.
Model | Auto Update Expiration (AUE) |
AOpen Chromebox Commercial 3 | June 2032 |
Lenovo ThinkCentre M60q Chromebox | June 2032 |
Asus Chromebox 5 | June 2032 |
HP Chromebox G4 | June 2032 |
CTL Chromebox CBx3 | June 2032 |
AOpen Chromebox Mini 2 | June 2031 |
Acer Chromebox CXI5 | Not yet listed |
Asus Fanless Chromebox CF40 | Not yet listed |
ChromeOS Player Setup
1. Set up Google Workspace and purchase a license
Set up a Google Workspace account with at least one administrator and your own domain, then purchase a ChromeOS management license for each device. A free 30-day Enterprise Upgrade trial is available for up to 50 devices. Both steps are done in the Google Admin Console; see the References section below for Google's own setup guides.
2. Add the ScreenCloud IWA Player as the kiosk app
In the Google Admin Console, go to Devices, then Chrome, then Apps & Extensions, then Kiosks, and select the organizational unit (OU) for your devices.
Select Add an Isolated Web App.
Enter the Web Bundle ID: xg7j4jhurxb7v5kpnt6asdfdap4lgygu7rxw6wwmpg4p3zs3rffaaaic, and the Update Manifest URL: https://chrome-iwa.screencloud.com, then save.
Open the installed app's settings and enable Web app can run offline.
Under Extensions, select Add Extension, then Add from a custom URL. Enter the Extension ID: jnmaledhgpoamilcocooopoecloipihf and URL: https://chrome-enterprise-extension.screencloud.com, then save.
Set Auto-launch to the installed player, then save again.
Reboot the device. It should load the player and extension within a few minutes.
A Canary channel exists for testing pre-release builds, using the same Bundle ID and Extension ID with chrome-iwa.canary.screencloud.com and chrome-enterprise-extension.canary.screencloud.com in place of the production URLs.
3. Enroll the device
If the device has been used before, wipe it first via a Powerwash (factory reset) so it enrolls cleanly; if someone signs in before enrollment, it must be wiped and re-enrolled.
Turn on the device and stop at the sign-in screen without signing in.
Press Ctrl + Alt + E to open the enrollment screen, if it doesn't appear automatically.
Sign in with Google Admin credentials.
Select the correct license type: Enroll enterprise device for an Enterprise or Education license, or Enroll kiosk or signage device for a Kiosk & Signage license.
Confirm enrollment. The device reboots and should launch the player automatically.
4. Add a WiFi network (if needed)
WiFi profiles are pushed centrally rather than configured on each device. In the Admin Console, go to Devices, then Networks, then Wi-Fi, select the OU, and select Add Wi-Fi. Enter the network details, set it to apply by device and to Automatically connect, then save. Changes push to enrolled devices automatically.
5. Pairing the screen
Once the player launches, it displays a pairing code. Log in to your ScreenCloud account, add a new screen, enter the code and give the screen a name. You can then assign content to it.
ChromeOS Player Management
Recommended Admin Console settings
User Data. Set to "Do not erase all local user data" under Sign-in Settings. Leaving this on erase disconnects the device from your management console on every reboot.
Scheduled reboot. Under Device Settings, then Power and shutdown, set the reboot interval to 1 day. This clears memory and prevents the gradual instability that comes with long uptimes.
Timezone. Set correctly for the device's physical location, or any daily schedule (such as the reboot above) will fire at the wrong time.
Kiosk device status alerting. Add an email and phone number to be notified if a device goes offline.
Rebooting a device remotely
In the Admin Console, go to Devices, then Chrome, then Devices, select the device by serial number, and select Reboot. The device must be online for this to work.
Exiting Kiosk mode locally
Connect a keyboard to the device, reboot it, and press Ctrl + Alt + S as the player launches to drop into standard desktop mode. Use this for on-device troubleshooting, such as checking the network connection directly.
Checking the player version
In the Admin Console, go to Devices, then Chrome, then Devices, select the device, and scroll to Kiosk app info, which lists the installed player version.
Checking WiFi signal strength
On the same device page, under System activity and troubleshooting, the WiFi Signal value is shown in dBm. Roughly, -30 to -50 dBm is great to good, and -60 to -90 dBm is fair to poor. If a screen shows as disconnected, weak signal is usually caused by distance from the router or the device being mounted behind a TV, which blocks the signal; an HDMI extender to reposition the device away from the TV often resolves it.
Video and audio autoplay
Chrome's autoplay policy blocks video and audio from playing without a prior user interaction. Devices enrolled with a ChromeOS management license are exempt from this and autoplay normally.
Downloading device logs for support
If asked to provide logs, first confirm device health monitoring and system log upload are enabled under Devices, then Chrome, then Device Settings, then Kiosk settings. Note the date and time the issue occurred, then go to the device's page, scroll to System activity and troubleshooting, then System logs, and download the most recent log file to send to support.
Troubleshooting ScreenCloud on ChromeOS
Work through these before contacting support.
Step | Task | How to do it |
1 | Clear the cache | Right-click the player, select Settings, then Advanced Settings, then Clear Cache. |
2 | Power cycle the device | Turn it off for a few minutes, then back on, or reboot remotely from the Admin Console. |
3 | Update ChromeOS | Confirm the device is not past its AUE date, then check for and install any pending ChromeOS update. |
4 | Update the ScreenCloud Player | Check the version under Kiosk app info in the Admin Console. The IWA player updates automatically from the manifest URL. |
5 | Check the WiFi signal strength | See Checking WiFi signal strength above. |
6 | Check the power adapter | A failing adapter causes intermittent instability. |
7 | Check for overheating | Confirm the device has proper airflow. |
8 | Reset the device's OU settings | See Resetting stuck kiosk or pairing issues below. |
9 | Remove unnecessary apps | So the device is dedicated to running the player only. |
10 | Factory reset (Powerwash) | Last resort. Re-enroll and reapply the kiosk setup afterwards. |
If the problem persists after all of the above, the device may be faulty or too old for the content you are running. ScreenCloud support can help with the player itself; ChromeOS and hardware issues are Google's to resolve.
Resetting stuck kiosk or pairing issues
If a device unpairs on every restart, or gets stuck on "Waiting for application window," this is a ChromeOS/Enterprise-level issue rather than a player one. The fix is to briefly move the device out of its usual settings and back:
Create a new, empty OU in the Admin Console.
In that unit's Kiosk settings, set the ScreenCloud player to Installed, but leave Auto-launch unset, so the device will show a normal sign-in screen rather than launching the player.
Move the affected device into this new OU and reboot it. Seeing a login screen instead of Kiosk mode confirms the reset worked.
Move the device back to its original OU and reboot again. It should re-enter Kiosk mode and show a fresh pairing code.
"ChromeOS is missing or damaged" error
This means the OS itself needs reinstalling, which erases all local data. First try turning the device off and on, then a Powerwash; if the error persists:
On a separate computer, install the Chromebook Recovery Utility extension in Chrome.
If the affected device offers Recover using internet connection in recovery mode, use that and skip the remaining steps.
Otherwise, use the Recovery Utility to write a recovery image to a USB drive (8 GB or more), selecting the affected device's model number.
Insert the USB drive into the affected device and select Recover using external disk.
If recovery itself fails with an error, try a different USB drive, disconnect other peripherals first, or contact Google Support directly, since this is ChromeOS hardware-level territory rather than something ScreenCloud support can resolve.
FAQ
Do I need a paid Google license to use ScreenCloud on ChromeOS?
Yes. A Google Workspace account and a ChromeOS management license per device are both required to run Kiosk mode, which the player needs.
What does the management license actually give me?
Alongside enabling Kiosk mode, it gives remote device management directly from Google's Admin Console: remote reboot, offline alerts, monitoring, and log collection.
My device is past its AUE date. What are my options?
Google no longer issues updates or security patches to that device, and it isn't supported for the IWA player. Replace it with hardware carrying a longer remaining AUE, prioritising that date when buying new.
Why is video or audio not playing automatically?
Chrome's autoplay policy requires a device to be properly enrolled with a management license for video and audio to autoplay without a prior click.
What should I do if I see "ChromeOS is missing or damaged"?
See "ChromeOS is missing or damaged" error above. It requires a full OS recovery, which erases local data, so back up anything important first if you're able to.