Load local image and video files into the player, then select it as the Android home app for full-screen playback at power-on. Check a complete loop without a network and check startup separately; no cloud login is needed for local media.
Offline playlist autostart needs two things: a local copy of your images and videos, and a player configured as the Android home app. That makes playback the startup destination instead of a launcher or browser login. Prepare the media, load it through the player, then check startup with the network disconnected. This setup uses local playback; it does not automate a cloud login or change a cloud service’s session limits.
What you need
Have these ready before changing the startup settings:
- An Android signage display with the IMD Signage Player installed.
- A microSD card or USB stick containing the files you want to show.
- A separate working copy of those files, so the removable storage is not your only copy.
- Access to Android settings to select the home app.
- The PIN for the player’s protected menu once that menu is configured.
- A suitable power connection for the display.
The player page covers the included software and its installation route. Install the player before configuring startup. Loading files onto removable storage alone does not select which app Android opens at power-on.
For the electrical connection, follow the DC power wiring guide. Keep power installation separate from playback configuration so you can check each part independently.
Set up local playback and startup
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Prepare a small first playlist. Start with a few images and one short video rather than the entire finished presentation. Use JPG, PNG or WebP images. H.264 video in an MP4 container is the recommended video choice. PowerPoint, PDF, HEIC and GIF files do not play directly. Follow the image and video preparation guide for export details rather than treating a presentation document as a playable file.
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Copy the finished files onto removable storage. Use a microSD card or USB stick for the transfer. Copy the actual image and video files, not shortcuts to files on another computer or links to an online playlist. Keep unrelated working documents out of the transfer set so you can identify exactly what should appear on screen. Starter material is available in content downloads if you need a simple first presentation.
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Open the player and load the local content. Use the player’s protected menu to reload content from the card or USB stick. The player keeps a copy in internal memory. Allow the loading process to finish before proceeding. Do not assume that connecting removable storage, by itself, has replaced the presentation already held by the player.
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Check the presentation before changing startup. Watch the complete loop. Confirm that every intended image appears and that each video plays through. Check the sequence against your intended presentation rather than assuming file names establish the order. Correct the files before adding startup behavior; otherwise, a content problem can look like a startup problem.
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Set the player as the Android home app. Select the IMD Signage Player in Android’s home-app setting. The exact route through settings can vary, so use the home-app selection rather than a browser startup page. Opening the player once is not the same as making it the home app. With that setting in place, the player brings the show up full screen at power-on, without a launcher or keyboard.
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Set presentation options deliberately. Choose portrait or landscape rotation to match the mounting orientation. Videos are muted by default, so enable sound only if the presentation needs it. Slides crossfade by default; use a hard cut if that better suits menus or notices. Check any daily on and off times as well. Outside those hours, the player shows black at minimum brightness because the app cannot switch the backlight off.
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Check playback without a network. Disconnect the network connection and observe a complete loop. Local playback does not need a cloud account or an active browser session. If the presentation depends on a remote page, it is not the local-file setup described here. Replace that dependency with suitable local media, or choose a different playback arrangement.
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Check startup after a normal shutdown. Shut the display down normally, then restore power using the installed power arrangement. Do not disconnect DC wiring while it is energized. With the player selected as the home app, it is designed to return to full-screen playback after power-on. Observe startup without opening the app manually, entering a browser address or signing into a service.
Check that the setup is complete
A successful configuration should be assessed in separate parts. Seeing a slide once is not enough to establish that startup, local storage and presentation settings are all correct.
- Startup: Android opens the player rather than leaving the launcher on screen.
- Local content: The intended presentation plays with the network disconnected.
- Media: Every image and video appears during a full loop.
- Layout: Rotation, cropping and text placement match the installed orientation.
- Sound: Muted or audible playback matches the intended setting.
- Hours: The daily on and off settings match the time at which you are checking playback.
- Menu access: You can reach the protected menu using the configured PIN without opening the display enclosure.
The player is designed to keep showing its internal copy when removable storage is removed. That does not make card removal a suitable way to interrupt a load. Finish the transfer first, and do not use removal during playback as a substitute for checking startup.
What this page describes is how the software is designed to behave. It has been tested on the Android 12 emulator, and testing on a real unit is pending.
Keep content updates separate from autostart
Once startup is configured, updating the presentation is a content-loading task. Prepare the revised media, copy it to removable storage and use the protected reload menu. Then watch the complete revised loop.
Do not change the home-app selection simply to replace a slide. That setting controls where Android goes at startup, not which notice or video belongs in the presentation.
Keep a known working copy of the previous media set outside the display. If a new video does not play as intended, return to the source file and its export settings before changing startup configuration. Keep a short installation note recording the selected home app, rotation, sound setting and daily operating hours. Store the menu PIN securely, not in a slide or on the removable storage.
When local autostart is not enough
This arrangement suits a presentation that can be delivered as local images and videos. It is not a method for keeping an authenticated website signed in, extending a session or replacing a service’s approved authentication process.
If the display must show account-protected live information, use that service’s documented display integration and authentication method. If you need centrally managed content changes rather than removable-storage updates, compare the operating requirements in the offline and cloud signage guide.
The deciding question is simple: can the required presentation exist as local media? If yes, configure the player as the home app and check startup independently of the network. If not, select a playback system that supports the required live content through an authorized integration.
Questions
Does offline playlist autostart need a cloud account?
No. Local image and video playback does not need a cloud login. Load the media into the player and select it as the Android home app. An authenticated website is a different content source and must use its service’s documented authentication method.
Does the microSD card or USB stick have to stay connected?
The player keeps a copy of loaded content in internal memory and is designed to continue playback when the removable storage is removed. Let loading finish before removing storage. Keep a separate working copy of the presentation so you can make later updates.
Why might the screen show black when the player opens?
The player’s daily on and off settings are worth checking first. Outside the configured hours, it shows black at minimum brightness because the app cannot switch the backlight off. Confirm the intended hours before changing the home-app selection or reloading content.
Is opening the player once enough to enable autostart?
Opening an app manually does not make it the startup destination. Select the player as the Android home app, then check startup after a normal shutdown. It is designed to return to full-screen playback at power-on with that configuration.
Planning information, not legal or engineering advice. Rules differ by place: check codes and permits with your local authority and your licensed trades.