Kiosk Mode on Raspberry Pi: Boot Straight to a Webpage

Kiosk mode turns a Pi into a dedicated display that boots directly to a fullscreen browser showing a specific URL. Perfect for dashboards, info displays, or a dedicated 3dFarm monitor.

Use Cases

• Grafana/Home Assistant dashboard
• 3dFarm job board display in workshop
• OctoPrint camera feed on workshop monitor
• Any web app you want always-on

What You Need

• Raspberry Pi 3B+ or 4 (Pi 4 for smooth 1080p)
• Raspberry Pi OS with Desktop (not Lite)
• HDMI display
• Optional: keyboard for initial setup (SSH after that)

Step 1 — Install Raspberry Pi OS Desktop

Flash Raspberry Pi OS (32-bit or 64-bit) with Desktop using Raspberry Pi Imager. Configure SSH and WiFi in settings.

Step 2 — Install Chromium (Usually Pre-installed)

sudo apt update
sudo apt install chromium-browser -y

Step 3 — Disable Screensaver and Power Management

sudo apt install xdotool unclutter -y

Edit /etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart:

sudo nano /etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart

Add these lines:

@xset s off
@xset -dpms
@xset s noblank
@unclutter -idle 0 -root

Step 4 — Create Kiosk Startup Script

Create /home/pi/kiosk.sh:

#!/bin/bash
sleep 10
chromium-browser --noerrdialogs --disable-infobars --kiosk --autoplay-policy=no-user-gesture-required https://YOUR-URL-HERE

Make it executable:

chmod +x /home/pi/kiosk.sh

Step 5 — Auto-Start on Boot

Add to /etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart:

@/home/pi/kiosk.sh

Step 6 — Auto-Login to Desktop

sudo raspi-config

→ System Options → Boot / Auto Login → Desktop Autologin

Reboot — Pi should boot straight to your kiosk page.

Keeping Content Fresh

For dashboards that should auto-refresh:

Add to kiosk.sh:

# Refresh page every 5 minutes
while true; do
    sleep 300
    xdotool key F5
done &

Troubleshooting