iPads in Kiosk Mode losing WiFi and won't reconnect

[Kaitlin]

I have 6 iPads (9th Gen) that are in single app Kiosk mode using the PropioOne app (a language translation service app) that are losing WiFi connection.  These devices are not used regularly. The devices get an error on the screen saying "Guided access app not available, contact your system administrator" and the devices are essentially bricked.  The screen will not let me enter the passcode, the touch is unresponsive, even after multiple reboots it will not connect to network or respond to touch.  The only way I can get the devices to work is to restore and start over. 

I have manually put each device into single app mode for PropioOne.

Here is the profile settings:

The only work around I have found is to have the device displays never turn off.  Does anyone have any ideas on why this is happening?  I have other devices in single app kiosk mode with no issues but they are used all the time.

Thanks!

[BlakeRichardson]

If you have a Apple USB ethernet adaptor plus a Apple lightning to camera adaptor you can make a makeshift ethernet adaptor

[Kaitlin]

I don't have that equipment but this is more for after the device drops off the network.  I am trying to find out why they are dropping off the network in the first place and preventing it from happening at all.

[BlakeRichardson]

What is your wifi coverage like and what method of authentication are they using? 

[Kaitlin]

We have decent wifi coverage over the entire facility with access points distributed all over the facility.  They are planning on doing an overhaul in 2025. Our authentication method is WPA2-Personal with PSK (Preshared Key).

I am wondering if the guided access setting in accessibility is another factor in it not responding because none of the accessibility settings are setup by default on the devices.

[GreenMan]

Have you tried deploying a second WiFi profile, for an SSID that is normally not advertised, that you can enable if you ever lose touch via the primary profile?

[PaulF]

This ^^^^^^^

This really is the best solution: Have an emergency SSID which is turned off by default, and have all the devices provisioned with this SSID also

This allows you, in the event of a device falling off the network, to bring up the SSID, allowing the device to (probably after a reboot) to join the network.

But, this is not fixing the issue. You really do need to find out why devices are falling off the network and failing to rejoin

One last, left field, solution, is something called Autonomous Single App ? Kiosk mode: This firstly needs support from the application developer (which is INCREDIBLY simple to build in) and allows you to *tell* the app to go into kiosk mode, rather than the device going into kiosk mode with the app: There's a difference. It allows the app to go into kiosk mode itself. It also, via a hidden menu or whatever, allow the app to come out of kiosk mode. You get all the benefits of Kiosk Mode without having bricked devices