Tutorial: Keeping a Work App in the Foreground on Android Without Single-App Kiosk Mode

Shared Android tablets, scanners and counter devices tend to drift the same way. A worker opens the camera to photograph a damaged parcel, checks a delivery address in the browser, or adjusts the screen brightness. Then the shift changes, and the next person picks up a device showing the wrong app. The line-of-business app is still running somewhere, buried under whatever was opened last. The result is a helpdesk call, a delay at the counter, or a worker who doesn't know how to get back.

The usual fix is full single-app kiosk mode, which locks the device to one app. That works, but it also takes away the camera, the browser and the second work app your team relies on. This tutorial covers the middle ground, which we'll call the soft default. Workers keep a small set of allowed apps, and the work app returns to the foreground on a schedule you control. You'll set this up with the App Relauncher in Nomid MDM, choose an interval for each job, decide whether workers can pause it, and measure whether it reduced the problem.

Full kiosk or a soft default: choosing the right level of control

Single-app kiosk mode is the right call when the device has exactly one job and any other app is a risk. Typical examples are a self-service check-in terminal used by the public, a payment-adjacent device, or a digital sign. In those cases, read our posts on full kiosk lockdown, because nothing in this tutorial replaces it.

Full kiosk becomes too much when the job itself needs more than one app. Signs that you need a softer approach:

• Workers need the camera for proof-of-delivery photos, damage reports or document capture outside the main app.
• A browser is part of the workflow, for example a supplier portal, an internal wiki or a shipping tracker.
• There is a second work app, such as a messaging tool, a time-clock app or a separate inventory app.
• Workers adjust settings such as Wi-Fi, brightness or Bluetooth for a scanner trigger or printer.

An open multi-app launcher on its own solves that, but it brings back the original problem: nothing pulls workers back to the app that matters. The soft default combines two controls:

1. A managed launcher with a short list of allowed apps, so workers can only move to apps you approved.
2. A scheduled relaunch of the main work app, so drift corrects itself without anyone calling IT.

Workers keep enough freedom for their secondary tasks, and the device keeps returning to the line-of-business app.

How the App Relauncher works

The App Relauncher is a policy setting in the Nomid portal, on the policy's Launcher tab. You choose one app and an interval in whole minutes. On each device, the Nomid Settings app brings that app back to the foreground once per interval. The Nomid Settings app is Nomid's on-device agent and launcher.

Know these behaviours before you configure anything:

• One app per policy. You choose a single target app. Devices that need a different target app should use a different policy.
• Interval in whole minutes. The default is 15 and the minimum is 1.
• The timing is approximate. Expect the app to return roughly once per interval, not to the second.
• It needs the Nomid launcher. The relauncher runs as part of the Nomid launcher, so the device must use the Nomid launcher as its home screen.
• It does not detect activity. It relaunches on schedule even if the worker is busy in another allowed app. That is why a pause button exists, which you'll configure in Step 2.
• A missing app is skipped. If the chosen app is not installed, nothing launches, and the relauncher tries again at the next interval.
• Any app the policy installs can be the target. It can come from managed Google Play or from a private APK in the Nomid Store.
• Switching it off is simple. Turning the switch off or clearing the selected app stops the relauncher.

Note: This feature applies to Android devices managed by Nomid. Check that your target devices use the Nomid launcher as their home screen before you plan the rollout.

Choosing the interval for each job

The interval decides how quickly the device recovers from drift. A short interval keeps the work app on screen most of the time but interrupts secondary tasks more often. A long interval is gentler but leaves the device on the wrong app for longer. Base the choice on how long a legitimate secondary task usually takes. The relauncher runs on its own schedule, not from the moment a worker leaves the app. After a worker switches away, the work app can return almost at once or up to about one interval later, so a task started just before a scheduled relaunch is interrupted whatever the interval. Choose an interval that most secondary tasks fit into comfortably, and use the pause button for the rest.

Worked example A: shared counter tablet

A tablet at a pickup counter runs an order lookup app. Staff occasionally open the browser to check a tracking page, which takes a minute or two. The cost of drift is high, because the next customer is already waiting and the next staff member may not know where the app went.

• Suggested starting point: 2 to 5 minutes.
• Why: Secondary tasks are short, and a quick recovery matters more than an occasional interruption.

Worked example B: warehouse scanner used across several apps

A rugged scanner runs a warehouse management app as its main tool. Workers also use a separate labelling app, the camera for damage photos and a time-clock app. Some of these tasks legitimately take ten minutes or more.

• Suggested starting point: 15 to 30 minutes.
• Why: Frequent relaunches would interrupt real work. The goal is to make sure the device is back on the main app by the next pick run or shift handover.

Note: These ranges are starting points to test with your own workers. They are not measured results. Because timing is approximate, don't build a process that depends on the app returning at an exact second.

Before you start

• The target devices are Android devices managed by Nomid.
• The Nomid launcher is the home screen. To check, press Home on a device: it should open the Nomid home screen, not the manufacturer's.
• The work app is already installed by the policy, from managed Google Play or the Nomid Store. The relauncher can only select an app the policy installs.
• You have a pilot policy: copy the policy your devices use and assign the copy only to the pilot devices. Make the changes in Steps 1 to 3 on that copy, so the rest of the fleet is unaffected.
• If you plan to protect the pause button with the policy password, supervisors know that password.
• Your helpdesk has agreed on the ticket tags you will count in Step 5 and has pulled the baseline from the weeks before the pilot.

Step 1: Turn on the App Relauncher in the policy

1. In the Nomid portal, open the pilot policy you prepared in Before you start.
2. Go to the policy's Launcher tab.
3. Turn on the App Relauncher switch.
4. Select the work app. It must be an app this policy installs, from managed Google Play or the Nomid Store.
5. Enter the interval in whole minutes. The minimum is 1 and the default is 15.
6. Save the policy.

Expected result: On devices with this policy that use the Nomid launcher as home, the selected app comes back to the foreground roughly once per interval.

Warning: Very short intervals, such as 1 minute, interrupt any secondary task almost immediately, including taking a photo or completing a form in another app. Test short intervals with a few workers before applying them to a whole site.

Letting workers pause the relauncher

The relauncher can't tell whether a worker is mid-task, so you need an escape hatch. The Nomid Settings app includes a Delay Relauncher button. Tapping it pauses the relauncher for 5 minutes, and the app shows the time until which it is paused. The button only appears when a relauncher app is set in the policy.

Step 2: Decide who can use the pause button

1. In the same policy, open the Settings app tab.
2. Find the Delay Relauncher setting and choose one of three options: Available (the default): any worker can pause the relauncher for 5 minutes.
3. Protected by policy password: only someone with the policy password, usually a supervisor or IT, can pause it.
4. Not available: the button is hidden.
5. Save the policy.

Expected result: On the device, the Nomid Settings app shows the button according to your choice. Tapping it when allowed shows the time until which the relauncher is paused.

Which option to choose:

• Leave it Available for trusted staff with occasional longer tasks, such as warehouse workers finishing a damage report.
• Use Protected by policy password when a supervisor should approve exceptions, or when workers might pause it habitually. Make sure supervisors know the policy password. Without it, this option works like Not available.
• Choose Not available on devices where secondary tasks are always short and the interval already allows for them, such as a busy counter tablet.

Note: If workers press Delay Relauncher repeatedly, take it as a sign the interval is too short for the job. Lengthen the interval before you lock the button down.

Combining the relauncher with the launcher's allowed apps

The relauncher brings workers back, and the allowed apps decide where they can go in between. When the device uses the Nomid launcher in multi-app kiosk mode, workers only see the apps you put on the home screen. Use both controls together.

Step 3: Limit the home screen to the apps the job needs

1. List the secondary tasks for this device type, for example camera, one browser, a time-clock app and Wi-Fi settings.
2. In the policy's launcher configuration, add only the apps that match those tasks, plus the main work app.
3. Remove anything that isn't on the list, even if it seems harmless.
4. Save the policy and check one test device.

Expected result: The test device shows the Nomid launcher as its home screen with only the approved apps. After a worker opens an allowed secondary app, the work app returns at the next scheduled relaunch, anywhere from almost immediately to about one interval later.

Warning: If the device falls back to a different home screen, the relauncher won't run. Confirm the Nomid launcher is the home screen on every pilot device before you start measuring.

Rolling out and checking whether it helped

Your directors will want evidence, and the evidence should come from your own data. Start small and compare like with like.

Step 4: Pilot on one site

1. Pick one site or one team with a known drift problem.
2. Check that the pilot policy is assigned only to the pilot devices, so the rest of the fleet is unaffected.
3. Check that it has the interval, pause setting and allowed apps from Steps 1 to 3.
4. Tell the pilot team what will happen: the work app will come back on its own, and how to use the pause button if it's available.

Expected result: Pilot devices run the relauncher, and workers know why the work app reappears.

Step 5: Compare helpdesk tickets before and after

1. In your ticketing system, find calls about this problem from the weeks before the pilot. Look for wording such as "the app disappeared", "the screen is on the wrong app" or "can't find the app".
2. Tag those tickets consistently so you can count them.
3. Do this before the pilot starts, so tickets raised during the pilot are tagged the same way.
4. After the pilot has run for the same length of time, count tickets with the same tags from the pilot site. To rule out seasonal swings, count the same tags over the same weeks at a similar site that is not in the pilot.
5. Collect short feedback from workers and supervisors about interruptions.
6. Optionally, review the app usage statistics for the pilot devices in the Nomid portal.

Expected result: A before-and-after comparison built from your own ticket data, plus worker feedback you can use to adjust the interval before a wider rollout.

If tickets drop and workers don't report frequent interruptions, extend the policy to similar sites. If interruptions are the main complaint, lengthen the interval or make the pause button available, then run the comparison again.

Copy-ready setup checklist

• ☐ Device type and site chosen for the pilot
• ☐ Pilot policy copied and assigned only to the pilot devices
• ☐ Work app installed by the policy (managed Google Play or Nomid Store)
• ☐ Nomid launcher confirmed as home screen on pilot devices
• ☐ Launcher tab: App Relauncher ON, work app selected
• ☐ Interval set in whole minutes (counter: try 2-5, multi-app scanner: try 15-30)
• ☐ Settings app tab: Delay Relauncher = Available / Password-protected / Not available
• ☐ If the pause button is password-protected, supervisors know the policy password
• ☐ Home screen limited to apps the job actually needs
• ☐ Workers briefed on relaunch behaviour and the pause button
• ☐ Baseline ticket count tagged ("app disappeared", "wrong app on screen")
• ☐ Post-pilot ticket count over the same length of time
• ☐ Interval and pause setting reviewed with worker feedback

Troubleshooting FAQ

The work app doesn't come back. What should I check first?

Check these, quickest first:

• Is the device on the policy you edited? During a pilot, the change is on the pilot policy only. Check which policy the device is assigned to in the portal.
• Was the relauncher paused? After a tap on Delay Relauncher it waits 5 minutes. The Nomid Settings app shows the time until which it is paused.
• Is the relauncher still on? Turning the switch off or clearing the selected app stops it.
• Is the Nomid launcher the home screen? The relauncher runs as part of the Nomid launcher. If the device uses another home screen, it won't run.
• Is the app installed? If it isn't, nothing launches, and the relauncher tries again at the next interval. Confirm the policy installs the app from managed Google Play or the Nomid Store.

The app came back later than the interval I set. Is something wrong?

Probably not. The timing is approximate, so the app returns roughly once per interval rather than at an exact moment. If someone tapped Delay Relauncher, the relauncher is also paused for 5 minutes. The Nomid Settings app shows the time until which it is paused.

Workers say the relauncher interrupts them in the middle of a task.

The relauncher doesn't detect activity, so it will bring the work app forward even during a legitimate task in another allowed app. You have two options: lengthen the interval, or set Delay Relauncher to Available so workers can pause it for 5 minutes. If workers pause it often, lengthen the interval first.

I don't see the Delay Relauncher button on the device.

The button only appears when a relauncher app is set. Also check the policy's Settings app tab. If the option is set to Not available, the button is hidden by design.

Can I relaunch two different apps on the same device?

No. The relauncher targets one app per policy. If different device groups need different main apps, give them separate policies.

Can the target app be a private APK?

Yes. The target can be any app the policy installs, including private apps hosted in the Nomid Store as well as apps from managed Google Play.

Next steps

The soft default works well when a job needs a few apps and drift away from the main one keeps causing calls. Use an allowed-apps launcher to limit where workers can go and the App Relauncher to bring them back. Set the interval based on how long real secondary tasks take, and give workers a 5-minute pause if their work needs it. Pilot on one site, compare your own ticket data, and adjust before scaling. Keep full single-app kiosk mode for devices that genuinely have only one job.

If you manage shared Android devices with Nomid MDM, the App Relauncher and Delay Relauncher settings are on each policy's Launcher and Settings app tabs. You can apply the checklist above to a pilot policy without changing the rest of your fleet. To see how it fits your devices, visit nomidmdm.com and talk to the team in English or Portuguese.