This article will walk you through the process of migrating your existing Signagelive Chrome App devices to the new Signagelive Chrome Isolated Web App (IWA). Migration is managed by you via the Google Admin Console (Chrome Device Management).
⚠️ Important: Migration is one-way and cannot be reversed.
Once a device has migrated from the Signagelive Chrome App to the Signagelive Chrome IWA, it cannot be reverted to the Chrome App. This is due to two reasons:
ChromeOS sandboxing – ChromeOS applies a strict security model that sandboxes the data storage for every application. Data (including configuration and downloaded media content) cannot be shared between the Chrome App and the Chrome IWA. This is a Google platform restriction and is not something Signagelive can work around.
Backend record changes – When your device migrates, our Player API automatically updates its database records to associate the device with the new Chrome IWA Player type. These changes are permanent.
Additionally, Chrome Apps are being retired by Google and will stop working in Kiosk mode in April 2027 on the LTS channel. Reverting to the Chrome App would only be a temporary state in any case.
Please ensure you’re ready to migrate before following this process.
Before you begin
Before starting the migration process, please ensure the following:
Your ChromeOS device is enterprise-enrolled via Chrome Device Management (CDM). Migration is only supported for enterprise-enrolled devices.
Your device is currently running the Signagelive Chrome App with an activated Player and published content.
The Signagelive Chrome IWA and the Signagelive Companion Chrome Extension have both been installed in the Organisational Unit (OU) you’re migrating. See our articles on How to install the Signagelive Chrome IWA on ChromeOS and How to install the Signagelive Companion Chrome Extension if these are not yet installed.
Your device has active internet access, as published content will be re-downloaded as part of the migration.
How the migration works
When you switch the default kiosk application on your OU from the Signagelive Chrome App to the Signagelive Chrome IWA, the following happens automatically:
On its next policy refresh and reboot, your ChromeOS device launches the Signagelive Chrome IWA instead of the Chrome App.
The Chrome IWA reports the same hardware ID (Directory Device ID) that the Chrome App previously used.
Our Player API recognises that the device is migrating from the Chrome App to the Chrome IWA and automatically re-registers and re-authenticates it against your existing Player licence.
The device begins re-downloading its previously published configuration and content.
Once content has finished downloading, the Player resumes normal operation. Check-ins and content publication will continue as before, with no further user intervention required.
Because the Chrome IWA cannot share storage with the Chrome App, all content must be re-downloaded before playback resumes. The time this takes will depend on your network conditions and the size of your published content.
How to migrate your devices
To migrate your devices, please carry out the following steps:
Confirm that the Signagelive Chrome IWA and the Signagelive Companion Chrome Extension are both installed in the OU you wish to migrate. (See the “Before you begin” section above.)
You do not need to deactivate your existing Player – their licence will be preserved automatically during the migration.
Log in to your Google Admin Console at admin.google.com.
Navigate to Devices > Chrome > Apps and Extensions > Kiosks.
Select the OU you wish to migrate.
Set the default kiosk application for the OU to the Signagelive Chrome IWA. This will change the auto-launching application from the Signagelive Chrome App to the Signagelive Chrome IWA.
Wait a few minutes for the policy update to apply across your devices.
Reboot your device(s). Upon reboot, devices will launch the Signagelive Chrome IWA and begin re-downloading content automatically.
[Screenshot: Google Admin Console – Kiosks settings showing the default kiosk application dropdown with the Signagelive Chrome IWA selected]
Once rebooted and content has re-downloaded, your Players will continue operating as before. Check-ins, content publication, and Player management will all work as they did previously.
Planning your migration for larger networks
For customers with larger ChromeOS estates, or networks where site connectivity may be variable, we strongly recommend a phased migration approach. Here’s why:
All content needs to be re-downloaded after migration, as the Chrome IWA cannot share storage with the Chrome App. For larger networks, this can result in a significant uplift in bandwidth usage if many devices migrate simultaneously.
During migration, devices will also be polling our APIs more frequently to retrieve their configuration and content. Phasing your rollout helps keep this load manageable.
Phased rollouts let you validate the process on a small batch of devices before committing your entire estate.
We recommend the following approach:
Start with a small batch of devices in a single location (e.g. one OU or sub-OU).
Confirm that these devices have migrated successfully, re-downloaded content, and resumed normal operation before continuing.
Migrate further locations gradually, factoring in your available bandwidth and network capacity.
Please Note
Migration is controlled entirely by you via your CDM Google environment. Signagelive does not control which devices migrate, or when. This means you have full flexibility to plan your migration around your operational schedule.
Will my Player’s licence be preserved?
Yes. Each enterprise-enrolled ChromeOS device has a unique hardware ID (Directory Device ID), which our Player API uses to identify the device. During migration, our API recognises this hardware ID and automatically associates your new Chrome IWA instance with your existing Player licence. There’s no need to deactivate or re-activate Players manually.
Will my published content be preserved?
Your published content schedules (what is scheduled to play, when, and on which Players) are preserved on your Signagelive Network and are not affected by migration. However, the physical media files (videos, images, and so on) stored on your device cannot be carried over from the Chrome App to the Chrome IWA due to ChromeOS sandboxing. These will be re-downloaded automatically to your devices once they have migrated and then content will resume playback.