Operating System Support

Dreambooth is built as a web app, so it runs in any modern browser — Windows, iPad, Android, and Mac all work. Two things change between platforms: how the app prints, and how it talks to a DSLR or mirrorless camera. Windows handles both directly. The other platforms either share a Windows printer through Remote Printing or use the device's own camera and a built-in print dialog.

This page covers what each platform is good for, what the workaround is for the limits it has, and how to lock the device into kiosk mode so customers can't exit the app.

Where Dreambooth Runs

Picking a platform for your booth

	Windows	iPad	Android	Mac & other browsers
Best for	High-volume self-service booths, rental businesses, anywhere a tower PC is fine to have onsite	Premium drop-off rentals, weddings, brand activations — anywhere the booth has to look minimal and beautiful	Custom-built kiosks (mall, cafe, retail), fixed installations where the device is hidden in an enclosure	Demos, creative agencies on Mac, DIY kiosks (Intel NUC, Raspberry Pi), temporary setups
DSLR / mirrorless camera	Full DSLR support with smooth live view. One-time camera setup with the bundled Zadig helper (the app walks you through it).	Not supported (Safari can't talk to USB cameras). Use the iPad's own camera, or pair the iPad with a Windows PC that holds the DSLR.	Full DSLR support over USB-OTG with no driver setup. Tablet camera is also available.	DSLR support works on macOS once you free the camera from Apple's photo app — one Terminal command (see below).
Printing	Direct USB. No system dialog, no setup beyond installing the printer in Windows.	Use [Remote Printing](/docs/hardware/printers#remote-printing) to send jobs to a Windows PC. AirPrint works too but always shows a system dialog the customer must tap.	Direct network printing for printers with an Ethernet port (DNP and HiTi network models), or [Remote Printing](/docs/hardware/printers#remote-printing) to a Windows PC.	Use [Remote Printing](/docs/hardware/printers#remote-printing), or accept the standard browser print popup.
Kiosk lockdown	Built into the Photobooth App — fullscreen, auto-start, and bundled Windows setup scripts in Settings	Apple Guided Access — locks the iPad to one app with a passcode	Built-in Android Screen Pinning	Browser kiosk mode (Chromium `--kiosk` flag) or a kiosk extension
Sharing	QR code, email, and offline-capable session sync	QR code, email, and the iOS Share Sheet (AirDrop, Messages, etc.)	QR code, email, and the Android share sheet	QR code, email, and the browser share sheet where supported

Printing on Each Platform

The simple version: Windows prints directly. Everything else either prints through a Windows PC over the internet (Remote Printing), prints to a network printer over Ethernet, or shows a system dialog.

Platform	First choice	Alternative
Windows	Direct USB	—
iPad	Remote Printing → Windows PC	AirPrint (shows iOS print dialog)
Android	Network IP printer over Ethernet	Remote Printing → Windows PC, or Android system dialog
Mac / browser	Remote Printing → Windows PC	Browser print popup

For non-Windows setups that need silent, dialog-free printing, the standard pattern is:

Buy a small mini-PC running Windows and tuck it behind the booth.
Connect your DNP, HiTi, or Epson printer to the Windows mini-PC by USB.
On the mini-PC, install the Photobooth App and turn on Remote Printing.
Point your iPad / Android / Mac at that Windows mini-PC's Remote Printing address.

Customer-facing device stays sleek; printing stays silent. See the full Remote Printing walkthrough for setup steps.

DSLR Cameras on Each Platform

A DSLR or mirrorless camera in a photobooth needs the browser to claim the camera over USB so it can show live view and capture full-resolution photos. Each platform has a different starting condition.

Windows — One-Time Camera Setup

Out of the box, Windows binds the camera to its own photo-import driver, which blocks the browser from using it. The Photobooth App walks you through running Zadig, a small free helper that swaps in a generic USB driver so the browser can take over. After that, live view and full-resolution capture both work.

First connect: the app shows a "Set up your camera" prompt and links to the Zadig step-by-step.
Reverting: Device Manager → uninstall the camera under "libusb-win32 devices" → unplug and replug; Windows restores the original driver automatically.

iPad — Use the iPad Camera

Safari on iPad cannot talk to USB cameras at all. Two options:

Use the iPad's own front or back camera. Apple's image processing makes the live view exceptionally smooth, especially under typical event lighting. You give up the manual controls a DSLR offers (aperture, ISO, shutter, interchangeable lenses), but for many premium drop-off setups the simpler, more consistent iPad camera is exactly what you want.
Put the DSLR on a Windows PC and use the iPad just as the customer-facing screen. The Windows PC handles capture and print; the iPad shows the welcome screen, frame picker, and result.

Android — Plug and Play

Android's Chromium browser supports USB cameras directly. Plug a DSLR into the tablet's USB-C port through a USB-OTG adapter and the Photobooth App finds it the same way Windows does — no driver setup, no helper apps. You can also pick the tablet's built-in camera if you want a simpler setup with fewer manual controls to manage.

Mac — Free the Camera First

When you plug a DSLR into a Mac, macOS automatically grabs it for the system Photos app. Until you free the camera, the browser can't use it. The fix is one Terminal command:

sudo killall ptpcamerad

After running it, unplug and replug the camera (or refresh the page). The browser can now see the camera. To make it stick across reboots, run:

sudo launchctl disable system/com.apple.cmio.ptpcamerad

To restore the default behavior later, run the same command with enable instead of disable.

Kiosk Lockdown — Locking the Device to the Booth

Once the booth is running, you don't want curious customers backing out of the app, opening Safari, or browsing photos in the gallery. Every platform has a built-in way to lock the device to a single app.

iPad — Apple Guided Access

Guided Access is Apple's built-in kiosk mode. It pins the iPad to one app, blocks the home swipe, and won't exit without a passcode. No third-party software needed.

One-time setup:

Open Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access. Toggle it on.
Tap Passcode Settings → Set Guided Access Passcode. Pick a 6-digit code only your operators know. (You can also enable Face ID / Touch ID to exit faster.)
Optionally turn on Time Limits if you want a session timer (most booths leave this off).

Each time the booth opens:

Launch the Photobooth App in Safari. Make it fullscreen if your project uses fullscreen mode.
Triple-click the side button (Face ID iPad) or home button (Touch ID iPad). The Guided Access setup screen appears.
(Optional) Drag a circle over any UI region you want to disable touch on (e.g., the time bar).
Tap Start. The iPad is now locked to the Photobooth App. Customers can use the app normally; the home gesture, Control Center, and Notification Center are all blocked.
To exit: triple-click again, enter the passcode, tap End.

Android — Screen Pinning

Android calls this "Screen Pinning" or "App Pinning." It works on every modern Android version. No app to install.

One-time setup:

Open Settings → Security → Advanced → Screen Pinning (path varies a bit by Android version and brand). Toggle it on.
Toggle Ask for unlock pattern / PIN before unpinning. This requires the device PIN to exit pinned mode, so a customer can't simply tap and back out.

Each time the booth opens:

Launch the Photobooth App. Open Recent apps (square or swipe-up gesture).
On the Photobooth App's recent-apps card, tap the app icon at the top, then Pin (or the pin icon, depending on Android skin).
The device is now pinned to the app. Home and Recents gestures are blocked.
To exit: swipe up + hold (or back + Recents, depending on version) and enter the PIN.

For permanent installs, pair Screen Pinning with disabling the navigation bar (some Android skins allow hiding it entirely). For maximum lockdown, enroll the tablet in a free MDM service like Scalefusion or Headwind MDM.

Windows — Built-In Kiosk Mode

The Photobooth App on Windows ships with everything you need for kiosk operation, no extra software required:

Fullscreen mode — the app fills the screen and blocks the taskbar.
Auto-start on login — toggle in Settings → Auto Start so the app launches the moment Windows boots.
Bundled setup scripts — Settings → Windows Power Saving downloads a PowerShell script that disables sleep, prevents screen-off on AC, and prepares the PC for unattended operation.
Edge-swipe lock & lock-on-wake — toggleable system controls in Settings keep customers inside the booth flow.

For a complete walkthrough including auto-login setup, see Booth App Settings and Power & Automation.

Mac & Other Browsers — Kiosk Mode

For Mac, Linux, ChromeOS, or any other PC running a Chromium-based browser, the easiest lockdown is the browser's built-in kiosk flag.

Chrome / Edge / Brave / Chromium kiosk mode:

chrome --kiosk https://your-booth-url.dreamboothstudio.com

(On Windows it's chrome.exe --kiosk ...; on Mac it's /Applications/Google\ Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google\ Chrome --kiosk ....)

This launches Chrome fullscreen with no tabs, no address bar, and no easy way to exit. To leave kiosk mode, press Cmd-Q (Mac) or Alt-F4 (Windows / Linux).

Bonus tools for tighter lockdowns:

Fully Kiosk Browser — paid Android/Fire kiosk app, blocks every shortcut, supports remote management
Porteus Kiosk — Linux distribution that boots straight into a locked browser; great for Raspberry Pi / Intel NUC setups
Mac Restricted User mode + Single App mode — built into macOS Ventura+ for limited kiosk use

Picking a Platform

High-volume rental or self-service booth that prints hundreds of times a day? → Windows. Direct USB printing, full DSLR support, the most capable setup.
Want premium drop-off aesthetics with no PC tower in sight? → iPad for the customer-facing screen, with a small hidden Windows mini-PC running Remote Printing.
Building a fixed mall or cafe kiosk inside a custom enclosure? → Android with a network-attached printer over Ethernet.
Demoing the app, working from a Mac, or experimenting on a Raspberry Pi or Intel NUC? → Any browser in kiosk mode. Use Remote Printing if you need silent, dialog-free prints.