
Ask HN: How would you go about making a mobile device single-purposed? - thinkloop
I would like to flash a mobile device with just enough software to run a single app. The app would load automatically in full screen when the phone boots, and the only functionality available on the device. No browsers, dialers, networking, stores, etc.<p>What kind of &quot;app&quot; needs to be built for this? Is core android the best starting point? Ecosystem compatibility has little importance here, perhaps something more suitable?
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Razengan
Do you want to market such a device, or do you just need the ability to limit
any device to a single app? If the latter, look into iOS Guided Access:

[https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202612](https://support.apple.com/en-
us/HT202612)

~~~
Samon
This. I have used simple HTML5 web applications with the meta tags to allow
running in 'app mode' (no browser chrome etc) and then enabling guided access
mode on iPads (mounted in display stands, mostly) many times, and find it
works suitably well to lock the device to a single purpose. You need to
consider a few edge-cases (for example not allowing text selection and long-
press, which allows the user to access the 'look up' function, and making sure
there are no links to any external URLs etc, but once you've covered off those
things, it works as a fairly effective way to provide a 'kiosk' style
interface.

~~~
Razengan
> _which allows the user to access the 'look up' function_

Actually, the moment you enable Guided Access in Safari, it shows you a list
of options specific to Safari, which includes disabling Dictionary Lookup!

It also allows you to disable hardware features like specific buttons, motion
control, and even lets you draw on the screen to mark areas to disable touch
input in.

~~~
Samon
Maybe it wasn't lookup, perhaps it was one of the share features, I don't
remember exactly, just that it was possie to semi 'break out' by selecting
some text and long-pressing to reach the context menu, even with all of the
options disabled in guided access mode.

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drdrey
The Lifewatch MCT 1 Patch ([https://www.lifewatch.com/Healthcare-
Professionals/Mobile-Ca...](https://www.lifewatch.com/Healthcare-
Professionals/Mobile-Cardiac-Telemetry.html)) comes with a Kyocera Android
(v5.1.1) phone that does exactly what you're describing.

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Gaelan
Any reason you need it locked up so much? Can you just use vanilla AOSP and
something to autolaunch your app?

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thinkloop
It's a security related app, so the less unnecessary software the better, but
that can be improved over time.

If I do use AOSP would the "app" be a real app, or would it be a custom
"launcher" that replaces the desktop and app navigation screens (are those two
things different or is the launcher just an app)?

~~~
dylz
I'm fairly certain the launcher is an app itself.

