TABLE OF CONTENTS

DAKboard has two kinds of Screens. The Predefined Screen works on every plan, including the Free Subscription, and is set up with a fixed set of tabs and Layouts. The Custom Screen is available on Paid Subscriptions and lets you add any Block and place it anywhere. Many "Why can't I…?" questions come down to which kind of Screen your Display is using.

Use this guide to compare the two Screens and to find out why a feature is missing. If you see an error message, see Screen Troubleshooting: Errors and Pages That Will Not Load. For a list of every issue we cover, start at DAKboard Troubleshooting: Start Here.

Predefined vs Custom at a Glance

	Predefined Screen	Custom Screen
Available on	All plans: Free and Paid Subscriptions (Essential, Plus); works the same on every plan	Paid Subscriptions only (Essential, Plus)
Editor	Predefined Screen Editor with fixed tabs (Layout, Background, Calendars, Date/Time, Weather, News, ToDo, Custom Message, Settings)	Custom Screen Live Editor: add and arrange Blocks anywhere
Integrations	Only what the tabs offer; Paid plans do not add integrations to the Predefined Screen	All DAKboard integrations, each as a Block
Layout	Preset Layouts only	Free placement, sizing, Block Layers, Linked Blocks
Calendars	Free 2 · Essential 5 · Plus unlimited	Essential 5 per Calendar Block · Plus unlimited
Fonts and colors	Font colors cannot be changed (calendar colors follow Google/Microsoft colors; ICS colors on Paid); largest text Extra Large	Full font and color control, Font Selector, Custom Fonts
Custom CSS	Paid Subscriptions only	Yes
"Powered by DAKboard" banner	Shown on the Free Subscription; removed on Paid	Not shown
Loops, Screen Schedules, Button/Link Block	Cannot be used	Yes (Loops and Screen Schedules need the Plus plan)
Portrait orientation	Follows the Display (only switches if the Display reports Portrait)	Can be designed in Portrait in the editor, but the Display itself must also be rotated (DAKOS Settings page, or Custom CSS on other devices)
Displays per Screen	Free 2	Essential 5 · Plus 10 per Screen
Media Library	Not available	Paid Subscriptions

Tip: If a feature you expect is missing, check which kind of Screen your Display is using. You can see the Screen assigned to each Display on your Displays & Devices page.

Why Can't I…?

Find your question below. In most cases the answer is to use a Custom Screen on a Paid Subscription, but some questions have a workaround you can use on the Predefined Screen.

Why this happens: The "Powered by DAKboard" banner is part of the Predefined Screen on the Free Subscription.

How to fix it: Upgrade to a Paid Subscription and the banner is removed for you. Custom Screens never show it.

For details, see How to Use the Predefined Screen Editor (How do I remove the Powered By DAKboard banner from my Display?).

Why Don't I Get More Options on My Paid Plan?

Why this happens: The Predefined Screen is a set of fixed templates. Because of the way they are designed, we cannot add or remove integrations on them, so a Paid plan does not add new options to the Predefined Screen.

How to fix it: To use the additional integrations on your Paid Subscription, set up a Custom Screen and add each integration as a Block. See How to Use the Custom Screen Live Editor.

For details, see How to Use the Predefined Screen Editor (Why do I not get more options when using the Predefined Screen on my Paid Plan?).

Why Can't I Change the Font Colors?

Why this happens: The Predefined Screen has no setting for font colors. The only colors it shows are calendar colors: Google and Microsoft calendars send their colors to your Display (used for events that are not all-day), but ICS/iCal calendars do not share color data, so we cannot pick a color for them.

How to fix it:

To color ICS/iCal calendars on the Predefined Screen, upgrade to a Paid Subscription and set a color for each calendar manually. See Assign a Unique Calendar Color to Each Calendar.
For full control of fonts and colors, use a Custom Screen on a Paid Subscription. See Font Selector and Custom Fonts.

For details, see How to Use the Predefined Screen Editor (Can you change the Font Colors on the Predefined Screen?).

Why Can't I Make Text Larger Than Extra Large?

Why this happens: Extra Large is the biggest font size the Predefined Screen offers, and the Free Subscription cannot go beyond it.

How to fix it: With a Paid Subscription, you can either use a Custom Screen, or add Custom CSS to the Predefined Screen to make the text larger. See How to Use the Custom Screen Live Editor and Font Selector and Custom Fonts.

For details, see How to Use the Predefined Screen Editor (How do I get text larger than the Extra Large Font?).

Why Can't I Add My Predefined Screen to a Loop, Screen Schedule, or Button?

Why this happens: The Predefined Screen's URL is generated in a unique way, so it cannot be added to a Loop, a Screen Schedule, or a Button/Link Block. That is why it does not appear in the list of available Screens.

How to fix it: Use Custom Screens for anything you want to rotate, schedule, or link to with a button. Loops and Screen Schedules need the Plus plan.

Workaround on a TouchHub: The TouchHub's Slideshow rotates through the items on your dock, and it can include the Predefined Screen, so it works as a simple alternative to a Loop on the Free and Essential plans. On the Free plan, the dock holds the Predefined Screen and the Home Assistant app. You turn it on for each Display under Gear › Dock Settings › Slideshow and choose how long each item shows. It is more limited than a Loop: it only starts after the Display has been left untouched for a while, touching the screen pauses it, it needs at least two items on the dock, and it cannot be scheduled. See The TouchHub.

For details, see How to Create and Use a Loop (Why can't I use my Predefined Screen in my Loop?), How to Create and Use a Screen Schedule (Why can't I use my Predefined Screen in my Screen Schedule?), and How to use the Button/Link Block (Can you add a Predefined Screen to a Button?).

Why Won't My Predefined Screen Switch to Portrait?

Why this happens: The Predefined Screen is controlled by the Display. It only switches to Portrait if the Display reports that it is in Portrait orientation. Smartphones, tablets, and DAKOS Displays can do this, but most Smart TVs cannot.

How to fix it: If your device does not change the Screen's rotation, try using a DAKboard CPU from the DAKboard Shop with your TV or Monitor. With a Paid Subscription, you can also design a Custom Screen in Portrait in the editor, but the Display itself still has to be rotated: on a DAKOS device, change the orientation on its Settings page; on other devices, you may need Custom CSS. See Rotate a Display to Portrait or Landscape and Display Rotation for non-DAKOS Devices.

For details, see How to Use the Predefined Screen Editor (Can you change the Predefined Screen to Portrait orientation?).

Why Can't I Add the Media Library?

Why this happens: The Media Library Block is only available on Paid Subscriptions and can only be added to Custom Screens. The Predefined Screen is limited to what you can use with the Free Subscription.

How to fix it: To show photos from your Media Library, use a Custom Screen on a Paid Subscription.

For details, see How to Download Google Photos to your Media Library (Why can't I add the Media Library to my Predefined Screen?).

Why Is My Monthly Calendar Only Showing Two Weeks?

Why this happens: Some Layouts place the To-Do list under the Calendar, which makes the Calendar smaller so you can scroll through your To-Do list. A large number of events can also make each day taller and push the other weeks off the Screen.

How to fix it:

If you do not use the To-Do list, turn off the To-Do tab on these Layouts so the Calendar can expand.
If you have many events, reduce your Screen's font size to make more room, or scroll through the Calendar with a touchscreen or a connected USB mouse.

For details, see How to Use the Predefined Screen Editor (Why is my Monthly Calendar only showing two weeks?).

Why Can't I See or Complete My To-Do List?

Why this happens: Only a few Predefined Screen Layouts support the To-Do list, and on the Predefined Screen the To-Do list is view-only: you can scroll through it on a touchscreen, but you cannot complete items. Completing To-Do items only works on Custom Screens.

How to fix it: Select a Layout that supports the To-Do list, then refresh your Screen. To complete To-Do items from the Display, use a Custom Screen on a Paid Subscription with a To-Do Block.

For details, see How to Add a To-Do Block to Your DAKboard Screen (Where is the To-Do list on my Predefined Screens? and Can I complete To-Do items on the Predefined Screens?).

Why Do Events Show on My Predefined Screen but Not on My Custom Screen?

Why this happens: Custom Screens have a View Private Events option that is turned off by default, so events marked as private are hidden. The Predefined Screen does not have this option and shows all events, including private ones.

How to fix it: Turn on View Private Events in the Calendar Block settings on your Custom Screen. See Custom Screen Calendar Layouts and Settings.

For details, see How to Add a Calendar Block to your DAKboard Screen (Why can I see Events on my Predefined Screen but not on my Custom Screen?).

Why Won't My Predefined Screen Work on My Device or App?

The Predefined Screen works on DAKOS devices, but it does not work everywhere. Find your device or app in the table below.

What you see	Why	How to fix it
The Predefined Screen does not load in a Smart TV's browser (or another non-DAKOS device)	Some Smart TV browsers will not accept the Predefined Screen's URL. This does not happen on DAKOS devices.	Use a DAKOS device or the DAKboard Android App instead of the Smart TV's browser. See The New DAKboard Android APP and Using a Smart TV as a DAKboard Display. See How to Assign a Screen to Your Display (Why is my Predefined Screen not working?).
The Predefined Screen does not fit the DAKboard Android or Fire TV app	The apps work with the Free Subscription and the Predefined Screen, but the desktop Layouts are not made for them.	Select the Mobile/Tablet Layout in the Predefined Screen Editor. See The New DAKboard Android APP or The New DAKboard Fire TV App (Does the App work with the Free Subscription and Predefined Screen?).
The Predefined Screen will not show through castDeck on a Chromecast	The Predefined Screen's URL does not work through castDeck, on Free or Paid plans.	Use a Custom Screen on a Paid Subscription. See Using Chromecast with castDeck as a DAKboard Display (Can this be used with the Predefined Screen?).
Only the Predefined Screen is available on the TouchHub dock	The TouchHub works on all plans, but the Free Subscription is limited to the Predefined Screen plus the Home Assistant (HA) app.	With the Essential or Plus plan, you can add any of your Screens to the dock (Essential: up to two TouchHub apps at once; Plus: up to three). See The TouchHub (Is the TouchHub available on all subscription levels?).

Plan Limits

Displays per Screen: this is how many Displays can be connected to one Screen at the same time. The Free Subscription allows 2 Displays on your Predefined Screen, Essential allows 5 per Screen, and Plus allows 10 per Screen.
Displays per account: you can connect as many Displays to your account as you like. The only limit is the number of devices per Screen.
Need more Screens? With the Essential and Plus plans, you can buy additional Custom Screens. The cost is per Screen and is shown on our Pricing Page below the Screen Limit.

For details, see DAKboard Subscription Comparison.

Still stuck? Click the Chat icon at the bottom right of the page and type Create Support Ticket, or see Report a Bug, Request a Feature, or View DAKOS Release Notes to report the issue to our team.