MobiLauncher

Getting started

Goal: have one device booting into your branded launcher in about five minutes. Free tier, no card.

1. Sign up

Go to portal.mobilauncher.com → Start free. Two fields: your email and a company name. Submit.

You get back:

  • A tenant ID (we slug it from your company name, e.g. "Acme Tools" → acme-tools)
  • A launcher URL like https://app.mobilauncher.com/t/acme-tools
  • An edit token stored in your browser's local storage so you can come back later and customize without logging in

Open the launcher URL in any browser to see the starter layout we seeded for you — one Chrome tile, default dark navy theme. That's what your devices will see, exactly.

2. Point a device at it

The deployment backbone is our native Android shell — the same app whether you push it via Android Enterprise / AMAPI managed configuration (recommended, no third-party MDM) or sideload the APK. If you already run an MDM, the same launcher URL drops into it too; we certify each MDM with the first beta customer who uses it.

  1. Add MobiLauncher to your EMM / Android Management API and assign it to the fleet's dedicated-device policy (kiosk / lock task).
  2. In the app's managed configuration, set launcherUrl to your launcher URL (https://app.mobilauncher.com/t/<tenant>). Optionally set exitPin and refreshIntervalMinutes.
  3. Push the policy. Devices install the shell, lock to it as the home app, and load your launcher — no per-device touch.

Re-pointing the fleet later is one console change: update launcherUrl and the devices hot-reload. See packages/lockdown-android/README.md for the full key list.

If you use SOTI MobiControl

  1. MobiControl Console → Lockdown Profiles → edit your profile (or create one)
  2. Launcher section → Web URL → paste your launcher URL
  3. Save, push to your test device

When the device next syncs, it boots into the launcher. Done.

Full step-by-step including which Lockdown options matter and which ones to leave alone: mobicontrol-setup.md.

If you use a different MDM

mdm-setup.md has the universal kiosk pattern plus walkthroughs targeted at Microsoft Intune, VMware Workspace ONE, Scalefusion, Hexnode, and Esper. Those paths aren't customer-verified yet — we work with you to certify the specifics for your MDM during the beta. Email [email protected] if you hit a snag.

If you don't have an MDM (sideload path)

For small fleets that don't need an MDM, we ship a standalone Android APK that does the same job — wrap a device in a kiosk WebView pointed at your launcher URL. See no-MDM setup.

3. Customize what shows up

Back in the Portal → Your fleets tab → click your tenant → opens the editor.

What you can change on Free:

  • Deployment name — shown in the header
  • Tile grid — columns, rows, and the tiles themselves
  • Tiles — add Android app tiles (by package name) and web tiles (by URL). Label each one.

Hit Save changes, reload the device. New layout shows up.

Theming (colors, logo, custom font), multi-profile, scheduling, and the offline bundle are Pro features. Tier comparison: tiers.md.

4. What's next

  • Add more tiles, set a sane grid size (4 × 3 is a good default for a 10" tablet, 3 × 4 for a phone)
  • Try a broadcast — tap the bell icon in the launcher header. Pro feature, but the bell is visible on Free so you know it's there
  • Upgrade to Pro when you want theming or want to ship an offline bundle (devices that boot before they get a network)
  • Read tiers.md to know what you're not yet using

Common first-day questions

"My change didn't show up on the device." The launcher reads the config at boot. Force a reload — on most MobiControl Lockdown profiles, pulling down on the screen or restarting the launcher app fetches fresh config. See troubleshooting.md.

"Can I have multiple fleets?" One tenant = one config = one fleet. If you manage devices for two distinct customers or two distinct locations, sign up twice with different emails. Multi-tenant-from-one-account is a planned feature, not shipping yet.

"What if my company name is already taken?" Tenant IDs are first-come. Pick a more specific name and re-sign-up, or email us and we'll sort it out.