The MyWatchtower entry kiosk turns a dedicated tablet at an unstaffed gate into a self-service entry point. Visitors can gain entry with a PIN code, a QR code, or by contacting a resident through the community directory — all without a gate attendant present. This article gives an overview of what the kiosk does and how it is configured.

What Visitors See at the Kiosk

The kiosk home screen asks the visitor to "Select an entry method" and shows up to three options, depending on which features your community has enabled:

• Pin Code – A numeric keypad where the visitor enters a guest PIN or Property PIN (see the "Using Kiosk PIN Codes" article)
• QR Code – A camera view that scans MyWatchtower entry QR codes ("Hold your QR code up to the camera to scan and gain access")
• Directory – A search of community residents and properties. After choosing a match, the visitor can Call Resident (a video/phone call) or Request Entry, which sends the resident a notification they can approve or deny (the kiosk waits up to 60 seconds for a response)

On a successful entry the kiosk shows "Access Granted — The gate will now open" and returns to the menu. If a help phone number is configured for the gate, a floating Help button lets the visitor call for assistance. The kiosk records short security video clips of PIN and QR entries, and an on-screen notice tells visitors that recording is in progress.

Setting Up a Kiosk Tablet

Kiosks run a dedicated build of the MyWatchtower app. Kiosks are paired using a one-time pairing code generated from the web app. This links the tablet to the correct community and gate automatically, so neither a staff member nor a contractor can accidentally bind the device to the wrong community.

To pair a kiosk:

1. In the web app, generate a pairing code for the gate (this is in the Unstaffed Gates tab within the settings)
2. On the tablet's Kiosk Setup screen, enter the pairing code to register the device for that gate. Codes expire after 60 minutes
3. Optionally adjust the device configuration panels:
   • Device Type – Select the tablet model so the layout scales correctly
   • Audio Devices – Choose the microphone and speaker, set the mic level (Quietest to Loudest) and speaker volume, and run test recordings
   • USB Camera and Camera Layout – Detect external USB cameras, grant access, and assign each camera a position (up to four cameras)
4. Complete setup to lock the device and launch the kiosk

Registration is permanent: once locked, the tablet becomes a dedicated kiosk and only JEKA Software can reset it. Contact support if a kiosk needs to be reassigned.

Configuring Unstaffed Gates from the Web App

Administrators manage kiosk behavior from Settings → Unstaffed Gates:

• Default Help Phone Number – When set, a Help button appears on all kiosk screens
• Enable Directory (per gate) – Controls whether the Directory entry method appears at that gate
• Help Button (per gate) – Disabled, or a phone number that overrides the community default.
• Directory Properties (per gate) – Limit which properties appear in that gate’s directory; if none are selected, all properties are shown
  
• Kiosk Device Pairing (per gate) – Choose the access point and generate a one-time pairing code, then enter it on the kiosk tablet's setup screen to register that device for the gate. Codes expire after 60 minutes. Paired devices are listed here with their status and last-seen time

The entry methods themselves are controlled by community-wide feature settings (kiosk PIN codes, QR codes, and the directory). Entries made at the kiosk appear in your community’s entry records like any other entry.

Need Help?

If you have questions, need to reassign a kiosk, or want kiosk features enabled for your community, contact JEKA support at support@mywatchtower.app.