Misc. FAQs

FAQs

The display forces the tablet screen to always be on. How do I override settings that keep the display from idling or sleeping?

You can override the default behavior by setting a flag on your display configuration, called allowSleep. This is done in the advanced configuration editor. You can also set up the display to dim on a schedule if you prefer.

I'm trying to use a YouTube video as an animated background. How do I do that?

You can copy any Youtube URL and change /watch?v= part of it to /embed/ and at the end of it add ?rel=0?controls=0;autoplay=1;loop=1;showinfo=0

It should look like this:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/YcgcTrBeelA?rel=0?controls=0;autoplay=1;loop=1;showinfo=0

Once that is done, please paste that link in the Animated Background URL.

?controls=0;autoplay=1;loop=1;showinfo=0

Is Apple TV Supported?

Apple TV specifically blocks the use of a web browser in app development, so we have chosen not to support this platform. Otherwise, it would be fine hardware for something like this!

Where can I find background images for my display?

We've curated our backgrounds mostly from https://unsplash.com/ -- it may be much easier to browse or search through those and look for something you like.

Can I pay by check?

Here is the address for payment by check:

`Meeting Room 365
440 N Barranca Ave #3659
Covina, CA 91723

You can find the latest details here: https://pay.meetingroom365.com/

What does the disconnected status message mean?

Disconnected just means your tablet isn't powered on and reporting data to us at the moment. You can see an explanation if you need it when you hover over a display status in the admin portal.

How often do displays refresh?

The maximum refresh window is typically about 30-45 seconds, and this is limited by Microsoft, so it cannot be altered by an end-user.

Depending on exactly when the reservation occurs, it may refresh sooner (such as directly after making an update to an event from the tablet).

I use EWS / Exchange, can I restrict access to my displays?

Thanks for reaching out!

You'll need to enable Exchange Web Services to use Meeting Room 365, and the SOAP API.

Exchange Web Services can be restricted to only allow our servers to connect, but it cannot be entirely shut off, since you're integrating with a third-party service.

We connect from the IP: 104.168.58.204 (you can limit access to this IP specifically).

Also, you can use EwsApplicationAccessPolicy, EnforceAllowList, and EnforceBlockList to block access based on Application headers.

You can find an example here: https://blog.meetingroom365.com/how-to-limit-third-party-application-access-to-exchange-office-365-services-via-ewsapplicationaccesspolicy-enforceallowlist-and-enforceblocklist/

How does the force check in feature work?

The Force Check-in feature requires all users to tap a button on the tablet to check in to their meeting. Otherwise, it will be canceled after some time.

You can select the number of minutes after which you'd like the meeting to be canceled, and the room will once again show as available on Outlook (if someone needs to find a last-minute room for a meeting).

Why can't I use a free email address with Meeting Room 365?

The way our system works, we typically block free email addresses and give a warning during sign in.

Unfortunately, we have to block sign ins from free email accounts, because we link to resources we discover on your email domain, and displays can get shared accidentally if we let someone verify ownership of a shared domain like gmail.com.

Can I add a link to launch Google Meet links on my display?

You can add an advanced configuration flag hangouts set to true in the advanced configuration editor to add a link to launch Google Meet.

How do I set up a Google Workspace / Gsuite service user?

Your G Suite administrator needs to configure the G Suite service account you wish to use with limited admin privileges in G Suite.

This is done by assigning the role of 'Service Admin' from the G Suite Admin Console. Here is a link to view a very basic guide for it: https://support.meetingroom365.com/en/article/assigning-limited-admin-rights-to-a-service-account-in-g-suite-9h3y5k/?1588400544123

This will give your G Suite account write permissions for the Resource Calendar, which facilitates the instant reservation feature.

In addition to limited admin, it appears you need to share the calendar with the service user as well, in some scenarios.

Please view this page for it:
https://support.meetingroom365.com/en/article/sharing-resource-calendars-g-suite-with-your-service-user-vg065w/

Generally, our software functions fairly the same across most iOS, Android, and FireOS (Amazon) devices, with very few exceptions.

So, we typically avoid making specific hardware recommendations and avoid endorsing any specific manufacturer.

However, I will say, if you're looking into features like automating what happens on start up, or recovery from a power outage, I would eliminate FireOS devices from the list.

There are plenty of advanced MDM solutions for iOS and Android devices that typically have a bit degraded experience on FireOS.

Android devices have an ecosystem of free and paid third-party apps which you can use to automate some things on unexpected restarts, and we've had really good experiences across the board, with the exception of very low-end devices (there are some hardware issues with many of the low-end devices under the $75 price point), or some unbranded Chinese tablets. Additionally, some devices produced for mobile service providers (Verizon comes to mind) have custom firmware which can do unexpected things, like interfere with brightness controls.

iOS devices generally work very well, and with Guided Access & some stock settings, you can achieve what you're looking for.

We support devices all the way back to the iPad 2, so you can usually find a good compromise between price and screen size.

I will say the iOS experience is a lot more standardized and easier to support (especially on our end), since the hardware and Os is pretty uniform across devices, and there are lots of "premium" enclosures and mounting solutions out there. A lot of our larger clients end up with iPad Minis.

Let me know if you have any more questions about specific hardware.

I'm having trouble applying a custom i18n language translation file to my display

Issues with i18n files that "don't load" are almost always a JSON formatting issue (missing quote, invalid character, missing comma, etc.)

You can test your i18n here: https://jsonformatter.curiousconcept.com/

Generally, our software functions fairly the same across most iOS, Android, and FireOS (Amazon) devices, with very few exceptions.

So, we typically avoid making specific hardware recommendations and avoid endorsing any specific manufacturer.

However, I will say, if you're looking into features like automating what happens on start up, or recovery from a power outage, I would eliminate FireOS devices from the list.

There are plenty of advanced MDM solutions for iOS and Android devices that typically have a bit degraded experience on FireOS.

Android devices have an ecosystem of free and paid third-party apps which you can use to automate some things on unexpected restarts, and we've had really good experiences across the board, with the exception of very low-end devices (there are some hardware issues with many of the low-end devices under the $75 price point), or some unbranded Chinese tablets. Additionally, some devices produced for mobile service providers (Verizon comes to mind) have custom firmware which can do unexpected things, like interfere with brightness controls.

iOS devices generally work very well, and with Guided Access & some stock settings, you can achieve what you're looking for.

We support devices all the way back to the iPad 2, so you can usually find a good compromise between price and screen size.

I will say the iOS experience is a lot more standardized and easier to support (especially on our end), since the hardware and Os is pretty uniform across devices, and there are lots of "premium" enclosures and mounting solutions out there. A lot of our larger clients end up with iPad Minis.

Let me know if you have any more questions about specific hardware.

How do I integrate Hue bulbs via IFTTT?

We have IFTTT integration instructions for Hue bulbs, that’s been used by customers in the past. We’re interested in hardware integrations, especially if the manufacturer does provide documentation. However, we have not gotten a lot of clear documentation in the past.

Here is an outline of the process: https://support.meetingroom365.com/en/article/using-ifttt-to-trigger-a-hardware-action-based-on-meeting-room-status-1ugzl12/

Basically, you'll choose a unique key name that is triggered by our app each time your display status changes from available or occupied. So, something like:

meeting_room_1_available

&

meeting_room_1_occupied

would do the trick.

We can set it up for you in Meeting Room 365. Just let us know what the keys you choose in IFTTT are, and we'll add them to your display.

What information do you store?

We don't store any information from your calendars or linked accounts, except for the tokens provided by Microsoft / Google that facilitate the calendar connection.

How to keep an Amazon fire device / kindle tablet from sleeping

Go to the SETTINGS area
Click on DEVICE OPTIONS
Triple-tap the SERIAL NUMBER option, towards the bottom of the screen. Keep tapping!
The DEVELOPER OPTIONS will now be accessible.
Find the option labeled STAY AWAKE. Click on it to ENABLE.

Once configured, the tablet will never go to “Sleep” while charging!

Why is my display locked?

As a security measure, displays to which no changes are made to for more than a month may start to lock (to prevent anyone from guessing the display keys).

Locking a display key, stores a password on displays that are currently active, which means they continue to function. However, no new displays can be added via that key until the display is unlocked.

You can unlock the display from the Hardware tab of Edit Display Configuration pane of your display.

Do you offer a discount for nonprofits?

Thanks for reaching out!

We do typically extend a 20% discount to non-profits. When you're ready, let me know, and I can set up a custom invoice for this.

Thanks!

Are Roku devices supported?

Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately, Roku does not support the web-based technologies that power our products.

I don't see all my meeting rooms on the status board or room finder

You might not be seeing anything yet in the Room Finder, and worry that something is wrong.

However, if you haven't yet set up your displays, this is normal.

That's because each display you set up reports its room status to us, while it's online.

So, if you haven't set up your displays yet, or the tablets are not currently online, you won't see all of your room statuses until they're set up.

But if your tablets are set up and online, and you're still not seeing the correct information in the room finder, let me know.

I have a question about screen burn-in

However, good news! Unless you have a tablet with an Oled display, screen burn-in is exceedingly rare with LCD displays.

EU / Vat

Thanks for reaching out!

We do not have an EU presence or require a VAT number, however, for documentation & accounting purposes, you should be able to accept our US tax identifier.

This is documented here: https://meetingroom365.com/mr365-w9-2020.pdf

W-9 Form

Thanks for reaching out.

You can download a copy of our W9 here: https://meetingroom365.com/mr365-w9-2023.pdf

Updated on: 30/03/2023

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