awake
A Mac, ready for the installation.

Mac installation setup

Stay awake.
Keep it running.

Set up your Mac for an interactive installation: keep the screen on, hide the idle cursor, and optionally open your project in Chrome.

mac-kiosk.zipmacOS 13+ · Intel & Apple silicon
Download the files

Your download should start automatically. If it doesn't, use the button above.

Next, do these three things.

  1. Unzip the download.

    Double-click mac-kiosk.zip in Downloads. Keep the resulting mac-kiosk folder in Downloads.

  2. Make a Shortcut to quiet notifications.

    In System Settings → Focus → Do Not Disturb, allow no people or apps. Then open the Shortcuts app, create a shortcut named exactly Kiosk Focus On, and add this action:

    Set Focus → Do Not Disturb → On → Until Turned Off

  3. Paste this into Terminal.

    Open Terminal with Spotlight (⌘ Space). Copy the command below, paste it, and press Return.

    Leave blank to skip Chrome launch. Accepts http://, https://, or an absolute file:/// URL.

    cd "$HOME/Downloads/mac-kiosk" && chmod +x mac-kiosk.command kiosk-cursor && ./mac-kiosk.command install

    The installer asks for your Mac password to change power settings. Terminal won't show the password as you type. Chrome is downloaded and installed if it isn't already installed.

Coming back after a reboot

Enable automatic login for the installation account if you need unattended startup. FileVault prevents automatic login.

Coming back after a power cut

The installer enables power recovery where supported. Whether the Mac turns itself on after power returns depends on its hardware. Test this on the Mac used for the installation.

What this changes, limitations, and how to undo it

The installer disables idle sleep and the screensaver, starts the cursor helper at login, turns on your Do Not Disturb shortcut, and sets supported power recovery options. It installs Chrome if missing. With a project URL, it launches Chrome in kiosk mode at login, with automatic relaunch if Chrome quits.

Do Not Disturb still has exceptions. Disable time-sensitive notifications and critical alerts for any apps that use them. System dialogs and security prompts may still appear. This setup does not restrict access to the rest of macOS.

The cursor helper uses a private macOS cursor hook. Verify that the cursor hides and reappears correctly on the installation Mac, and test the full setup before leaving it unattended.

To remove the setup and restore saved settings, paste bash "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Mac Kiosk/setup.command" uninstall into Terminal. The setup guide explains the saved settings and manual checks.