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OpenAVC Docs

OpenAVC Panel App

The OpenAVC Panel app turns an Android or iOS tablet into a dedicated touch panel for an OpenAVC system. It wraps the same web panel you can reach from any browser, but adds the things a browser on a wall-mounted tablet can’t do: automatic server discovery, QR pairing, dedicated-panel lockdown, and boot-to-panel auto-start.

When to Use the App Instead of a Browser

ScenarioUse the AppUse a Browser
Wall-mounted tablet in a conference spaceYesNo
Employee’s personal phone, occasional useNoYes
Dedicated panel that must survive end-user tamperingYesNo
Tablet that auto-launches the panel on power-upYesNo
Quick check of room state from your deskNoYes

The app is free and open-source (MIT). The web panel inside it is identical to what a browser would show, so if the UI works for you in a browser it will work in the app.

Install

Android. Install OpenAVC Panel from Google Play. Android 8.0 or newer.

If you plan to lock the tablet so it can only run the panel, install the signed APK from the OpenAVC Panel page instead (adb install or copy-and-tap on the tablet): locking a tablet to one app requires that it has no Google account signed in, and Google Play needs one. The Android dedicated panel setup guide covers both routes.

iOS. Install OpenAVC Panel from the App Store. iPadOS or iOS 16 or newer, on iPad or iPhone.

Both builds require the tablet to be on the same network as the OpenAVC server.

Pair with Your OpenAVC System

The app has three ways to find a server. Try them in this order.

1. Automatic Discovery

Launch the app. Any OpenAVC systems running on the same network appear in the list under Systems on your network. Tap one to connect.

This uses mDNS (Bonjour). It works on most home and small-business WiFi networks. Some corporate networks block multicast between WiFi and wired segments. If nothing shows up after 10 seconds, use method 2 or 3.

2. QR Code from the Programmer

  1. On a computer, open the OpenAVC Programmer IDE (http://your-system-ip:8080/programmer).
  2. On the Dashboard, under Panel Access, click the Show QR code button.
  3. In the app, tap Scan QR code and point the tablet camera at the screen.

The QR code points to your system’s pairing page, so the app connects without you typing an address. This is the fastest method when the tablet doesn’t have easy keyboard input.

3. Manual Entry

Tap Enter manually and type the IP address and port of your OpenAVC system (default port is 8080). The app validates the address before saving, so you’ll see an error if you typed the wrong address.

Once you’ve paired successfully, the app remembers the server and reconnects automatically on the next launch.

4. Approve the Panel

The first time the app reaches a system, the panel shows Waiting for approval with a six-digit code. Approve it once and the tablet stays approved:

  • From the Programmer. A notice appears with the code, the kind of device and its address. Click Approve and give the panel a name. The same list is on the Dashboard under Panels, and it works from the office through OpenAVC Cloud.
  • On the tablet. Tap Approve with the admin password under the message and enter the admin username and password once.

The panel loads within a few seconds. It stays approved until someone revokes it from the Dashboard, and it asks again only if the system moves to a new address. A system set to Anyone on the network (Settings > Access > Panel access) skips this step.

Change the Server Later

If you move the tablet to a different space or rebuild the OpenAVC system:

  • In a normal install, tap the Back gesture to get the Close / Change server / Keep using this one dialog, then tap Change server.
  • In a dedicated-panel install, triple-tap the top-left corner of the screen, enter the admin PIN, then tap Change server in the admin sheet.

Dedicated Panel Mode

The app runs in dedicated-panel-suitable full screen from day one. For locked-down unattended use (receptionless conference spaces, lecture halls, worship spaces), you can take it further and lock the tablet completely to the panel so users can’t exit to the home screen or open other apps.

Setup differs by platform:

Both guides open with what you get for free before explaining what full lockdown adds, so you can decide how much effort is worth it for your install.

The Android platform’s own developer documentation calls this “kiosk mode” or “Lock Task Mode.” Same feature. We call it dedicated panel mode because that’s what AV integrators call these tablets.

Using the App with HTTPS

If HTTPS is turned on in Settings > Security on the OpenAVC system, the app picks it up automatically. The server advertises https in its mDNS record, and the app connects over TLS. No setting on the tablet to change.

For warning-free operation, the auto-generated CA needs to be trusted by each tablet. The CA cert is downloadable at https://<server>:8443/api/certificate, or via the Download CA certificate button on the server’s Settings > Security page. Once the CA is installed on the tablet, the app and any browser on the tablet open the panel without a security prompt.

Order of operations: update the OpenAVC server first, then update the panel app. A new app build paired with an older server still works (the new app falls back to plain HTTP); an older app paired with an HTTPS-only server reaches the server through the automatic HTTP-to-HTTPS redirect listener, which is on by default.

Troubleshooting

No systems appear in the list. Check that the tablet is on the same Wi-Fi network as the server, not a guest network. If it is, the network is probably blocking mDNS between the tablet and the server. Use QR or manual entry instead.

The panel loads but the Connected badge is red. The tablet reached the HTTP server but the WebSocket connection is blocked. Usually a proxy or firewall between the tablet and the OpenAVC system is stripping the WebSocket upgrade headers.

“Can’t reach the system” appears suddenly after working. The OpenAVC system became unreachable. Tap Try again once it’s back up, or Change server if you need to point at a different system.

Panel shows “Waiting for approval”. The system admits approved panels only and this tablet is not approved yet. Approve it from the Programmer (the notice with the code, or the Dashboard’s Panels list), or tap Approve with the admin password on the tablet. A tablet that was approved before shows this again after the system moves to a new address, or after someone revoked it.

Panel shows “Not approved”. Someone denied this tablet from the Programmer. Ask the person who looks after the system; they can approve it from the Dashboard, or enter the admin password on the tablet.

Browser-style certificate warning before the panel loads. HTTPS is enabled on the server but the tablet hasn’t trusted the OpenAVC CA yet. Download the CA cert from https://<server>:8443/api/certificate and install it on the tablet, then relaunch the app.