Digital signage app on Google Play: set up in 3 minutes

Before you start

You need a TV or box with Android TV or Google TV (Android 7 or newer), an internet connection for the TV, and a free PlainSignage account. Create the account first in a browser at console.plainsignage.com — the 14-day trial needs no card. Fire TV Sticks do not have Google Play; use the Fire TV guide and the APK instead.

• Android TV / Google TV: Sony, Philips, TCL, Hisense, Xiaomi, Nvidia Shield, Chromecast with Google TV, most Android boxes
• Android tablets: install the same app for a portrait screen or a door sign
• Not on Google Play: Fire TV — see the APK route

Step 1 — Install from Google Play

Open PlainSignage on Google Play — or on the TV: on the TV, open the Google Play Store, search for “PlainSignage” and press Install. The app is about 55 MB. You can also install it from a phone or laptop: open the store listing in a browser, sign in with the same Google account as the TV, and choose the TV as the target device — it installs remotely.

When the install finishes, open the app. It shows a six-letter pairing code in big type and nothing else; it does not ask for an account on the TV itself.

Step 2 — Pair the screen

In the console go to Screens → Add screen, type the six letters and give the screen a name such as “Entrance TV”. The TV switches from the code to your content within a few seconds. Pairing is one-time: the TV stores its own device token and reconnects by itself after a reboot or an internet outage.

If the code has expired (they rotate for security), press the back button on the remote to get a fresh one.

Step 3 — Your first screen from a template

Open Playlists, create one and choose a template — there are 100, one for every widget plus dashboards for offices, gyms, hotels and shops. A menu board, a welcome screen with the clock and weather, or a timetable is a good first pick. Change the text, add your logo from the brand kit and press Publish. The TV updates instantly; the same slide is rendered identically in the browser preview and on the TV.

Assign the playlist to the screen under Screens, or set a schedule so breakfast and lunch content switch automatically.

Step 4 — Keep it running 24/7

Three settings on the TV make the difference between a screen that works for a week and one that works for a year. First, allow the app to start at boot: Settings → Apps → PlainSignage → enable autostart (the wording differs per brand; on Google TV it is under “Special app access” or the app opens by itself after a reboot). Second, disable the screensaver and the sleep timer in Settings → Display, or use the console's screen hours to turn the panel off at night instead. Third, plug the TV into a smart plug or timer if it does not support wake-on-power, so a nightly power cycle brings it back with the app open.

The player caches all content, so a dropped Wi-Fi connection does not blank the screen; it keeps playing the last playlist and syncs when the network returns.

Troubleshooting

Black screen after pairing: the playlist is empty or not assigned. Open Screens in the console and check the assigned playlist; the screen's status also shows whether it is online. Wrong orientation on a rotated TV: set the orientation on the screen in the console (landscape, portrait, or flipped) — the app rotates the content, so you do not need to change the Android display settings. Screen shows “offline” in the console: the TV lost internet; content keeps playing from cache, and the console emails you if it stays offline for longer than the minutes you set. Video stutters: use H.264 MP4 at 1080p; cheap boxes cannot decode 4K HEVC smoothly.

Still stuck? The help center in the console has the install guide with screenshots and a troubleshooting list, and you can email support from there.

• Black screen → assign a playlist
• Rotated TV → set orientation in the console, not on the TV
• Offline → check Wi-Fi; content keeps playing from cache
• Stutter → 1080p H.264 video

What it costs

The app is free. A screen costs €14.99 per month and every extra screen €4.99 per month, one plan with every widget included, no contract — see pricing. The trial runs 14 days without a card; screens keep playing when you subscribe, nothing needs re-pairing.