Bored Software
FAQ
When can I buy it?
Soon. Bored Room is waiting on Apple's App Store review. The setup guides are ready now, so you can plan the wall and power while you wait.
Which iPads does it run on?
Any iPad on iPadOS 17 or later. An older iPad you already own is fine; the app is light. It works in landscape and portrait.
Does it work with Microsoft 365 or Outlook?
Not yet. Version 1 is Google Workspace only. Microsoft 365 is next; if that's you, tell us so we know how many of you there are.
Do I need to buy a Google Workspace account for the room?
No. The simplest setup signs the iPad in with an account you already have, ideally a shared one like front desk. If you'd rather no one's account were on the iPad, a Google service account is free, has no mailbox, and reads only the rooms you share with it. The setup guides cover both.
What does the app need from Google?
Two permissions: the list of calendars on the account, so you can pick the room, and access to events, so it can show the room's meetings and let people book it from the door. Once set up, it reads one calendar: the room you picked. Admins can see the exact Google scopes before approving.
What happens at night and on weekends?
You pick the days and hours the board is on (Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 5 PM by default, or always on). Outside those hours the screen goes black at minimum backlight. A touch brings the live board back for a minute, and a meeting that runs late keeps it lit until it ends.
I forgot the PIN.
Tap "Forgot PIN?" on the PIN screen and prove you're the admin the same way the iPad was set up: sign in again as the board's Google account, or choose the service account's key file again. If your MDM pushes the PIN, change it there instead.
How do I keep people from changing the settings?
Settings sit behind a PIN. For a wall-mounted iPad, lock it to the app with Guided Access, or Single App Mode through Apple Configurator or your MDM.
Is there a subscription, ever?
No. 99¢ buys the app. Updates are free.
Guides
Start with the wall: power and a mount at each door come before the app.
- Mounting and powerSpot, power or PoE, mount, cabling quote. Do this first.
- Set up by handFor an office admin. About 15 minutes the first time.
- Set up with Apple ConfiguratorFor the one-person IT shop. Supervision and Single App Mode.
- Deploy through your MDMZero-touch for Jamf, Mosyle, Iru (Kandji), Intune and similar.
- Set up a Google service accountNo person's account on the iPad. Needed for MDM.
- Room planning checklist (PDF)One sheet per room, one for the office.
- Privacy policyIncluding the exact Google scopes.
MDM configuration
- Bundle ID
com.dmarcantonio.RoomBoard(the App Store name is Bored Room; the bundle ID predates the rename)- Format
- Standard Managed App Configuration (AppConfig) dictionary. Every key is optional. A pushed key overrides the iPad's value and locks it in Settings.
- Spec file
- BoredRoom.appconfig.xml for consoles that import AppConfig Community specs (Workspace ONE, Ivanti, MaaS360, SOTI, ManageEngine). Jamf, Intune, Mosyle and Iru take the dictionary as a plist.
- Full guide
- Deploy through your MDM, with plist and Intune examples, scoping, verification and troubleshooting.
Keys
| Key | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
serviceAccountKey | String | The Google service account key file, raw JSON or base64. Same value on every iPad. |
calendarId | String | The room's calendar ID, e.g. c_…@resource.calendar.google.com. One per iPad; skips the room picker. |
roomName | String | Text at the top of the board. One per iPad. |
pin | String | Exactly 4 digits, as a string. Guards the app's Settings. |
allowBooking | Boolean | Show "Book now" when the room is free. Needs write access on the share. |
showMeetingTitles | Boolean | false shows "Meeting" instead of titles. Private meetings never show titles. |
background | String | midnight, slate, ocean, plum or charcoal. |
font | String | classic (San Francisco), inter, manrope, publicsans, sourcesans, geist, hanken or archivo. |
alwaysOn | Boolean | true keeps the board lit around the clock. Leave false to use the days and hours. |
activeDays | String | Days the board is lit, e.g. Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu,Fri or Mon-Fri. |
activeHours | String | 24-hour range, e.g. 07:00-17:00. 15-minute steps; 24:00 allowed as the end. |
backgroundImageURL | String | An https:// link to a JPEG, PNG or HEIC, 10 MB or less. Downloaded at most once a day. Locks the Background section. |
backgroundDimming | Integer | How much the photo is darkened, 30 to 90 (percent). Default 55. |
With serviceAccountKey, calendarId, roomName and pin set, the iPad skips setup and boots to the board. If none of the hours keys are pushed, the default is Monday to Friday, 07:00 to 17:00.
Contact
Stuck, or a console we haven't covered? Email boredroom@bacstech.io. One inbox, read by a person.