Turn a Mac mini into a kiosk

The Mac mini is the obvious machine for a Mac kiosk: small, quiet, cheap to leave running, and it hides behind the display. The catch is that macOS has no built-in kiosk mode, so a mini on its own is just a desktop a visitor can wander around. Canned Web seals it to one website and blocks every way out.

Enter a URL, hold ⌘⇧S, and the mini is locked fullscreen to that site, Spotlight, Cmd-Tab, Cmd-Q and screenshots blocked, navigation locked to your domain, auto-start back into the site after a reboot. A one-time €49 per machine, no MDM, with a 14-day free trial.

Why the mini is the right box

The button’s around the back

The Mac mini’s power button sits on the rear of the case, the one thing no kiosk app can disable on any Mac. Facing it away from visitors is the simplest physical fix there is.

Hides behind the screen

A mini tucks behind or under the display, out of reach, with cables routed away. Nothing for a visitor to grab, unplug, or poke at.

Boots back on its own

With auto-login and auto-start, a power cut or overnight restart brings the mini straight back into your sealed site, no keyboard, no login screen, no one on site.

One box, one screen, one page

Point Canned Web at your URL, hold ⌘⇧S, and the mini is locked to that site until you enter your exit password. No MDM, no profiles, no subscription.

Mac mini kiosk, FAQ

Is a Mac mini good for a kiosk?

Yes, it’s the classic Mac kiosk box. It’s small enough to hide behind the display, its power button is on the back (away from visitors), and it runs all day on mains power. Pair it with Canned Web to lock it to one website.

How do I lock a Mac mini to one website?

Install Canned Web, enter the URL, and hold ⌘⇧S to seal. The mini takes over the whole screen and is locked to that site, Spotlight, Cmd-Tab, Cmd-Q and screenshots are blocked, and the only way out is your exit password. No MDM required.

Will the Mac mini restart back into the kiosk after a power cut?

Yes, with automatic login enabled and Canned Web set to auto-start (both covered in the setup guide). A restart or power cut brings it back to your sealed site unattended.

Can I disable the Mac mini’s power button?

No, macOS doesn’t let any app disable the power button. But on a mini the button is on the back of the case, so mounting it out of reach and setting “no password on wake” means a stray press just wakes back to your site.

What does it cost?

Canned Web is a one-time €49 per machine, with a 14-day free trial. No subscription. macOS 14.0 or later.