Reception check-in system and visitor kiosk app

A digital reception app turns a tablet at the front desk into a self-service check-in point, replacing the paper sign-in book. Visitors register themselves, complete whatever the site requires - a signature, a photo, a document - and collect a printed badge, while the host is notified automatically.

It is sometimes called a lobby kiosk or visitor check-in kiosk; all three mean the same thing.

YAROOMS Digital Reception is the kiosk app in the YAROOMS visitor management system.

7 benefits of visitor management kiosks →

YAROOMS Digital Reception is the front-desk app of YAROOMS Visitor Management. You configure registration flows and visitor policies in Visitor Management, and visitors complete them on the reception device. Setup takes three steps:

1. In the YAROOMS web app, go to Visitor Management → Reception and add a device.
2. Open the YAROOMS Reception app on the tablet and scan the QR code shown in the web app to pair it.
3. Link the device to a location and configure languages, host notification, desk and room booking from the lobby, and your logo, colors and welcome message.

How to set up a reception device →

Four steps at the desk:

1. Register - the visitor enters their name, company, contact details and purpose of visit on the kiosk.
2. Complete - they add whatever the site requires: an e-signature on an NDA or safety agreement, a photo for identification, or an uploaded document.
3. Badge - a visitor badge prints automatically once check-in completes.
4. Notify - the host is alerted by email, text or chat that their guest has arrived.

The visit is written to the visitor log at the same time, so the record exists before anyone has walked to the meeting room.

In YAROOMS, each of the four steps is configurable per visitor type, so contractors and clients can follow different paths through the same kiosk. Pre-registered visitors skip registration: they scan the QR code from their invitation email, and a visitor without a code taps "I don't have a QR code".

Checkout. When an administrator turns on Enable Check-Out for the location, visitors tap Check-out on the tablet and scan the same QR code, or use "E-mail check out". Reception staff can also check visitors in or out from the dashboard, and both times are saved to the digital visitor log.

Visitor registration in YAROOMS → · Self check-out via reception →

YAROOMS Digital Reception is hardware agnostic. It is an app, not a device, so it runs on an iPad, an Android tablet, an Amazon Fire tablet, or a purpose-built commercial kiosk. Nothing is proprietary to YAROOMS, so you buy hardware from any supplier and can swap it later without changing software.

• Check-in device: a tablet or touchscreen. Its front camera captures visitor photos and scans QR codes.
• Stand or mount: a countertop stand for a staffed desk, a floor stand for a self-serve lobby, or a wall mount for tight spaces.
• Badge printer: tested with the Brother QL-820NWBc and DK-2251, DK-22205 and DK-11202 label rolls. The printer needs Wi-Fi and a fixed IP address.
• Connectivity: stable Wi-Fi or Ethernet for the tablet and the printer.

YAROOMS hardware partners → · Hardware buyer's guide →

Yes. A badge prints automatically as soon as check-in completes, with no action from reception staff (see visitor badge printing). Badge content and layout follow your branding - logo, colours and the fields you choose to show. Badge printing is one of the two things buyers most often check on a reception app, the other being how the host gets notified. YAROOMS handles both without a receptionist present.

Custom visitor registration flows →

Automatically, the moment check-in completes - by email, text message or chat, depending on how your organisation works. The notification names the visitor so the host knows who is waiting before they get to the lobby.

Digital Reception is an add-on to YAROOMS Visitor Management, which is $99 per location per month.

Hardware is separate and bought from any supplier. As of September 2026, check-in tablets and touchscreens typically cost $200 to $900 per device, stands and enclosures $100 to $400, and badge printers $120 to $600.

What to pay for a visitor management system in 2026 →

Yes. Digital Reception is the kiosk app that runs at the front desk; YAROOMS Visitor Management is the system behind it, handling pre-registration, watchlist screening, the visitor log and reporting. You configure registration flows and policies in Visitor Management, and Digital Reception is where visitors interact with them. Visitors can also check in from their own phones by QR code without a kiosk at all, so the app is optional where a screen at the desk is not wanted.

YAROOMS Visitor Management →

Five things separate a reception app from a sign-in form:

• Configurable flows - different steps for contractors, clients and candidates, not one form for everyone
• Automatic host notification - so reception does not have to find anyone
• Badge printing - with your branding, without staff intervention
• A searchable, exportable log - the thing audits actually need
• Hardware freedom - the app should run on tablets you can buy anywhere

YAROOMS Digital Reception covers all five. What it does not do is general-purpose lobby signage - for room availability boards and welcome screens in reception, that is YAROOMS Lobby Display, a separate app.

YAROOMS lobby displays →