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With DAKboard, you are not limited to using our Wall Displays or CPUs to make your Display. You can use just about any device that has an internet connection and an up-to-date web browser. If you can surf the web with your device, it has the potential to become a DAKboard Display. To see what devices we have already set up as Displays, check out our support article section called Tablets/Other Devices. This article will give you the basics to make your device into a DAKboard Display.



Devices You Can Use as a Display:


There are lots of devices that can be used. Smart TVs, Laptops, PCs, tablets, Smartphones, etc. Even that new Smart Refrigerator you bought might work. There are limitations you will face using these other devices that you will not see using a DAKOS device, but as long as you can update the browser, you should be able to continue using it as a Display.



Link the Device with your DAKboard Account:


In your DAKboard account, go to Displays & Devices, click the Add button, give it a name, and click SAVE:


Next, click the three dots '...' to the right of the device and select Link with Device or TV:



Now, on your device, open the web browser and go to https://dakboard.com/link. This will generate a code on the TV. Enter this code in the pop-up back in your DAKboard account. If your link code expires before you complete the setup, either refresh the browser on your TV to generate a new one or navigate to https://dakboard.com/link again to generate a new one. Once the device is linked, it will begin showing your default screen in DAKboard. 


NOTE: Remember to bookmark your Display URL to access it again without having to relink your display.



Assign a Different Screen or Loop to the Display:


When a Device is linked as a Display to your DAKboard Account, you can change the screen that's showing on the Display from within your Displays & Devices tab. Navigate to the Displays & Devices tab and click the Screen preview shown in the Assigned column: 



In the pop-up that appears, select the Screen. Loop, or Schedule from your DAKboard account that you'd like to show on your TV: 



Save your changes, and the Display should update momentarily with the newly assigned Screen. Loop, or Schedule.



Rotate The Screen to Portrait/Vertical:


Since DAKboard cannot control the orientation of your Device, you will need to first make sure your Device allows for Portrait or vertical display. Check your owner's manual or settings in your Display to see if this will be affected. 


Once this is done, you can force the browser to show orientation in Portrait or Vertical modes with Custom CSS applied to the Screen. Follow the steps we have created here, Display Rotation for non-DAKOS Devices, to see how to force your Device's browser to display in Portrait mode.



Browser Limitations:


Most non-DAKOS devices will place limitations on their browsers. For example, Fire TVs, even the 4K models, limit the maximum browser size. This limitation cannot be overwritten by  DAKboard. In these cases, you will need to make your Screen fit their browser. Our article How to Get Your Screen to Fit Your Browser explains how to identify these limitations and shows how to make your screen fit those browsers.



Frequently Asked Questions:


Below are the most Frequently Asked Questions about How to use a non-DAKOS Device as a Display:



What do I do when the Browser says your Certificate is not valid?


Some browsers will have certificate errors when trying to link the DAKboard to your Devices' built-in browsers. For the most part, these will give you the option to accept the content and continue to the page. All you will need to do is accept, and it will work with your custom screens.



Why are parts of my Screen no longer loading?


DAKboard is continually developing its services with new features and updated security.  Occasionally, this may result in a loss of functionality on a TV displaying DAKboard if the browser is not updated regularly.  If this occurs, try to update the device if possible or consider adding a DAKboard CPU if your device has an HDMI Input.



What do I do if the Screen will not link?


For users unable to link their browsers to DAKboard as described above, you can always enter your Custom Screen's URL manually into your TV's browser, or log into your account from your TV's browser and choose View on the screen you wish to run on the TV. See our article Using DAKboard Private URLs to learn how to do this. This will not work with Predefined Screens as their URLs will not allow it.



Why am I seeing the browser border or the URL bar on my Display?


Your URL bar or the border of the browser you are using will be visible if you are not using DAKOS. This is because DAKboard Screens cannot force your browser to full-screen mode. If you want to hide this, check and see if you can set the browser to full-screen. This may or may not be available based on what kind of device and what browser you are using. 



Can I use a Raspberry Pi without using DAKOS as a DAKboard Display?


Yes. Any device with an internet connection and a web browser can be used to make a DAKboard Display. You can do this on a Raspberry Pi using any Raspbian OS, like Bullseye or Bookworm, and any internet browser, like Chromium or Firefox. 



Why is the Predefined Screen failing to load or load fully?


Due to the unique way the Predefined Screen URL is generated, it may not properly work with your non-DAKOS devices. If you have a Paid Subscription, try using a Custom Screen with your device instead.



Helpful Articles:


Having trouble?  See if these articles help.



Display Rotation for non-DAKOS Devices

How to Get Your Screen to Fit Your Display

Using DAKboard Private URLs