Setup guide
How to download Picture Me, install it, and activate your license on first launch.
Last updated: 2026-10-31
Follow these steps in order the first time you put Picture Me on a kiosk PC. Apart from the download it takes about ten minutes. An internet connection is required.
0. What you need
- A PC running Windows 10/11. A Mac build is coming later.
- One USB camera. A 4×6 photo printer is optional; without one, customers get a QR download.
- A license key. Sign up on this site and redeem your invite code; the key appears under My devices as
PM-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX. No invite code yet? Use the contact link in the footer.
1. Download
Use the download buttons on the home page, or these links:
- Windows: Download the Windows installer
- Mac: coming soon. The download button on the home page lights up when it is ready.
The installers are not code-signed yet, so your browser may warn about an "unsafe file". Choose "Keep" or "Continue" to save it.
2. Install
Windows
Install and set up with the Windows account the kiosk actually runs under. Installing under a different account can break photo storage and settings.
- Run the downloaded
PictureMe-Setup-*.exe. - If "Windows protected your PC" appears, click More info → Run anyway.
- Choose "Only for me (current user)". No administrator rights are needed.
- Launch the app from the Picture Me icon on the desktop.
Mac (coming soon)
The Mac build is not shipped yet. Once it is, install it as follows.
- Open the dmg and drag PictureMe into Applications.
- The first launch is blocked because the app is not signed by Apple. Open PictureMe once from Applications, dismiss the "cannot be opened" notice, then go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click "Open Anyway" near the bottom.
- If you see "is damaged and can't be opened", the file is fine; it is the download quarantine flag. Clear it with one line in Terminal:
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/PictureMe.app
After the first launch it opens normally.
3. First launch: the setup screen
A new device opens the setup screen instead of the idle screen. Work through the menu in numbered order.
License
- Enter the key in the License section. Hyphens are added automatically.
- Give the device a name (optional) so you can tell your kiosks apart on the website.
- Press Activate. The device is registered with this website; the server address is built into the app.
If you see a message:
- "Please check the license key" → re-check the key.
- "This license cannot be used" → it is suspended or expired. Contact your administrator.
- "Cannot reach the server" → check the internet connection and try again shortly.
Screen · camera · printer
- Screen: landscape (default) or portrait. Prints are one 4×6 portrait sheet either way.
- Camera: the first connected USB camera is selected. Pick another from the list, press "Search again" if it is missing, and turn on "Mirror" if needed.
- Printer: the default is "QR only, no printer". To print, choose a printer and run "Test print" once; starting requires a successful test print.
- Style pack: bundled with the app and prepared automatically on first launch. If "Style pack not installed" persists, restart the app once.
Save and start
When everything is ready, "Save and start" becomes available. Press it: settings are saved, the app restarts into the idle screen, and you can take customers.
4. Day to day
- Reopen settings: hold the logo in the top-left of the idle screen for 5 seconds, or press Ctrl+Shift+S. It will not open while a customer is mid-session.
- Lock screen: the website has stopped this device. Once an administrator re-enables it, the lock clears by itself within 60 seconds; no restart needed.
- Release this device: Settings → License → "Release this device". Only the license and device link are removed; photos and customer records stay. Also release the device under My devices on the website.
- Where data lives: Windows
C:\ProgramData\PictureMe, Mac~/Library/Application Support/PictureMe. Uninstalling or upgrading keeps this folder.
5. Upgrading
Download the new installer and run it over the existing installation. Photos, settings and the license are kept.
Contact
Stuck somewhere? Use the contact link in the footer and tell us which screen and which message you saw.