The hardware and software you use to power your ScreenCloud Digital Signage App is an important part of running an effective digital communication plan. ScreenCloud offers the flexibility to use a diverse range of hardware options for most budgets and display setup options. It is equally important with any hardware to consider best practices for optimizing your long-term hardware performance, software stability, security, and functionality while using the ScreenCloud app.

Key hardware resources:
​ScreenCloud Hardware Page
​ScreenCloud Troubleshooting Guide - Hardware and Devices
​ScreenCloud Player and Hardware Guides
​Which Devices and Operating Systems Can I Use with ScreenCloud?
​Amazon Devices Best Practices
​Android Devices Best Practices

Here’s a quick ten-step checklist below to help you get started on checking if your hardware and software are best optimized while using the ScreenCloud app.
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​1. How recent or up-to-date is your hardware and software?
It’s important to consider how recently your device has been purchased and the operating system version. We recommend making sure that your device settings have auto-updates switched to on and that the device is not using an outdated operating system.
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​2. Is your hardware recommended for use by ScreenCloud?
ScreenCloud does work universally on a number of diverse operating ecosystems but our hardware engineering and development teams test a number of devices to ensure you’re receiving the best digital signage experience with our services. You can click here to see information on ScreenCloud OS or click here to view the ScreenCloud third-party hardware recommendation page.
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​3. How is the internet connection and setup for your wireless access?
While performing a health check on your digital signage device, we advise you to also try testing the speed of your network. You can use free websites to test your internet speed and it is also beneficial to isolate the status of your network. For example, if you’re using a network at your home or personal space instead of an office, enterprise, or public network which might have firewall restrictions. The ScreenCloud app, services, and other unrelated sites can experience performance issues if there are network restrictions. We recommend checking the ScreenCloud domains to whitelist with your network administrator, provider, or IT support.

4. Do you have daily reboots and start at boot activated for your ScreenCloud app?
Any digital signage or hardware device that is running for an extended period of time will require a reboot at some point. This helps to ensure the CPU and operating system can run smoothly. It is also a general best practice for maintaining the battery and performance of your devices. The ScreenCloud App has the ability to activate daily reboots and scheduled reboots. You can also use a “Start at boot” or “Launch on startup” option for the ScreenCloud App to start automatically in the event of a power failure or restart.

5. Are you using energy-saving features?
If your device has any energy-saving and eco-friendly features, it is worth using these on your television or hardware that are available where possible. Activating or scheduling energy-saving features can help reduce any heavy performance during the off-peak time or closing hours at your location. It can help save on costs as well if you plan to run your digital signage 24/7 or for extended periods of time.
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6. Are you using a brand new, used, or refurbished device to run digital signage?
You can find exceptional deals for a number of diverse hardware choices. Used and refurbished options can be great choices for accessing bulk sales, cost-savings, and powerful hardware for a number of individuals or industries. However, sometimes the conditioning or defects of a used, refurbished, and even new-defective device can impact normal hardware performance.
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7. Is the issue isolated to a certain device or operating system?
While performing a health check it is important to note if the issue is impacting all of your devices or a specific device. You can always reach out to [email protected] with information on the specific screen, hardware, and operating system you’re using if an issue is isolated. We recommend reviewing the steps here for troubleshooting hardware and live screen issues. You can also troubleshoot the internet connectivity of your device if the issue is isolated to one screen.
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8. Is the issue isolated to using the ScreenCloud app and/or private network?
When in doubt, it is safe to always check if your firewall or network is blocking any ScreenCloud domains from working. For example, if the issue only occurs on a specific network or resolves while using a personal network, mobile data, or hotspot then this could identify a possible network restriction. We recommend checking the ScreenCloud domains to whitelist with your network administrator, provider, or IT support.

9. Have you tried clearing the app or device cache?
Device or app cache can sometimes be the culprit of performance issues, bugs, or glitches while using digital services. The cache is important as it stores information and content to run offline if your digital device loses internet connection or there’s a network failure, but devices that have ongoing connection issues may require cache clears. You can do this directly from your ScreenCloud account in the “Screen” section and directly on the ScreenCloud app for any device. Click here to learn more about how to clear your ScreenCloud App cache.

10. Are there any other factors that could impact hardware?
There are a number of reasons that your hardware or device could be experiencing performance issues. Please click here to view the ScreenCloud Troubleshooting Guide for Hardware. These key tips can help you identify common issues or impacts that can affect your digital signage device from running properly. Please note that these issues can be unrelated to ScreenCloud, but our team can help investigate instances of hardware issues further by following the guidelines below.

It’s beneficial when troubleshooting any piece of hardware or software to see if an issue is isolated with a specific factor or cause. For example, if you notice an error or issue with your hardware or software occurs while using other apps and services. This would indicate that the issue is not isolated to ScreenCloud and could require further troubleshooting with the manufacturer directly. You can commonly find errors associated with hardware and software by performing a Google Search or reviewing support documentation from the original manufacturer’s website (i.e. if you purchased a macOS device from Apple, you would find information about general macOS errors from https://www.apple.com).

Please note, if an issue is isolated to using the ScreenCloud app (i.e. only occurs while using ScreenCloud across networks and/or devices) to submit an email with the ScreenCloud Support Team at [email protected]. We advise reviewing the checklist here for information to send our team that would be useful and important for troubleshooting further. If you are struggling with finding information on troubleshooting a general error or issue with your hardware or operating system, our team will do the best we can to help provide you with resources available to you.

The issue is not related to ScreenCloud, what can I do?
If you’re experiencing an issue directly with your hardware or software that is not related or specific to ScreenCloud, we advise you to reach out to the original equipment manufacturer or retail/service provider where the device was originally purchased. If there is an issue with the device or manufacturer defect (e.g. issues with audio, display, internet connectivity, using application software, streaming services, bugs not associated with or while using the ScreenCloud app) we also advise you to reach out to the original equipment manufacturer or retail/service provider where the device was originally purchased.

For the best hardware and software experience? Check out ScreenCloud OS.
ScreenCloud has developed its own hardware to run digital signage. You can learn more about ScreenCloud OS in the video below or click here for the ScreenCloud OS Introduction Guide.