Home>Orders

Set up Square KDS

In this article
Who is this article for?
  • Account owners or team members with the account and settings permission to configure hardware settings, create, edit, and delete devices, and create, edit, and delete device profiles. Set permissions in Square Dashboard.
  • Square for Restaurants Plus or Premium subscribers, or Square KDS subscribers.

    • About Square KDS

    Square KDS is a kitchen display system that connects with Square Point of Sale, Square Online, Square for Restaurants, Square for Retail and third-party ordering and delivery platforms. Square KDS is included in the Square for Restaurants Plus Subscription or as a standalone KDS subscription.

    Before you begin

    Square KDS is available in different screen sizes for purchase on Square Shop and is compatible with the Android devices listed below:  

    If you choose to use a different device, we cannot guarantee the quality of how Square KDS will appear on your device and bug support for the devices listed above will be prioritized.

    If you’re locked out of your MicroTouch device and cannot remember your passcode, we can replace your MicroTouch device. Learn how to warranty or return your Square hardware.

    For the best experience using Square KDS, we recommend a device that meets these minimum requirements:

    • At least 3 GB of RAM

    • Google Play Store enabled

    • Running Android OS 9 or later

    Select a device with the most recent OS version your vendor provides when given the option. If you prefer an Android device not listed above, share your feedback in the Android KDS Feedback Survey.

    You can create two types of KDS devices:

    • Preparation (Prep): best for kitchen staff who focus on preparing a specific part of each order, require less interaction with the overall ticket, and need a detailed view of only the items they are responsible for preparing. 

    • Expeditor (Expo): best for kitchen staff who bridge front-of-house and back-of-house operations, finalize orders for delivery to diners, need high-level visibility and control over prep stations, and require more interaction with each ticket.

    You have two options for each KDS device type (Expo or Prep) to complete and recall orders in your Square KDS app:

    • Expeditor (Expo) device:

      • Complete for all devices: Complete or recall a ticket or item from an individual KDS device to complete or recall it at all other Expo and Prep stations at the same location.

      • Complete only on this device: Complete or recall a ticket or item from an individual KDS device to affect only that device.

    • Preparation (Prep) device:

      • Complete for all devices: Complete or recall a ticket or item from an individual KDS device to complete or recall it at all other Prep stations at the same location.

      • Complete only on this device: Complete or recall a ticket or item from an individual KDS device to affect only that device.

        • Example: Your steakhouse has separate KDS devices for grilling steaks and preparing garnishes and vegetables. With this feature, the grill cook can complete the ticket for a steak, and the vegetable cook can still complete the garnish for that order.

    Device mounts

    If you choose a device with a larger screen, such as the MicroTouch, you can mount it to a wall using an optional arm mount (sold separately on Shop) or pair it with a 100 x 100 mm VESA®-compatible mounting device.

    If you are currently using Square KDS on iPads, you will need to migrate your hardware and software in order to continue your team’s access to your kitchen display system. Learn more about this product change in the Square Community and how to migrate to Android from Square KDS on iOS.

    Step 1: Create a Square KDS device code

    1. Sign in to your Square Dashboard and click Settings > Device management.

    2. Click Device codes > Create.

    3. Enter the number of device codes you want to create and click Next.

    4. Click Kitchen display system, select a location from the drop-down menu, then choose Prep or Expeditor.

    5. Enter the device code name and click Create.

    6. Click Done.

    Step 2: Download the Square KDS app and sign in

    1. Open the Google Play Store app on your device.

    2. Tap the search field and search for Square KDS.

    3. Tap Install.

    4. Sign in to the Square KDS using your device code.

    Step 3: Set your KDS layout

    You can configure your layout to support your kitchen workflows by selecting different layouts based on your preferred text size and the number of tickets you want displayed. 

    Square Dashboard

    1. Sign in to your Square Dashboard and click Settings > Device Management > Devices.
    2. Select your device then, next to Assigned modes, click Manage.
    3. Click Layout.
    4. Toggle ON your preferred Ticket layout and number of Columns, then select your Text size.
    5. Click Save.

    Square KDS app

    1. Open your Square KDS app and tap Settings > View all settings.
    2. Tap Layout.
    3. Tap your preferred Ticket layout, number of Columns and Text size.

    Step 4: Set timers & alerts

    You can customize ticket timers and alerts.

    Square Dashboard

    1. Sign in to your Square Dashboard and click Settings > Device Management > Devices.
    2. Select your device, then next to Assigned modes, click Manage.
    3. Click Timers & Alerts.
    4. Set the times after your Yellow timer and Red timer activate by clicking minutes next to them.
    5. Toggle ON/OFF Play sound when new tickets arrive.
    6. Click Save.

    Square KDS app

    1. Open your Square KDS app and tap Settings > View all settings.
    2. Tap Timers & Alerts.
    3. Set the times after your Yellow timer and Red timer activate by tapping minutes next to them.
    4. Toggle ON/OFF Play sound when new tickets arrive.

    Related articles

    In this article

    Still need help?

    Chat with us
    Our support team is here to help
    Ask the community
    Get answers from Square sellers