Android Display Photo Frame

A monitor with Android, Wi-Fi and storage built in. Install Pixette and you have a big, permanently powered photo frame fed by your own NAS.

Why a panel instead of a tablet? #

A tablet in a frame is the cheapest route and it works well. But tablets were made to be picked up and charged now and then, not to hang on a wall for five years. These panels were made for exactly that: a screen, Android, Wi-Fi, Ethernet and storage in one housing rated for continuous use, from 7 to 55 inches. iiyama, ProDVX, Elo, Philips, ViewSonic and a long tail of unbranded makers all sell them, as touch panel PCs, signage or kiosk computers.

0 batteries

Mains or PoE powered. No battery to swell from being charged around the clock, which is how most tablet frames die

1 cable

PoE models take power and network over one Ethernet run. As clean as a wall install gets

24/7 rated

Built to run continuously in landscape, portrait or face-up, on a standard 100×100 VESA mount

How big do they get? #

From a 10" desk panel to a 55" feature wall. Most people hanging one as a photo frame land on 24".

10"

15.6"

24"

32"

55"

10" desk or shelf
15.6" hallway
24" the usual wall frame
32" living room
55" feature wall, portrait 4K

Drawn to scale by screen diagonal. Every size shown is a panel listed further down the page.

When a tablet is still the better pick #

Cost. A second-hand iPad or Android tablet is roughly $50–$100. A new 24-inch panel is around €480, and the big ones run past $1,000.
Sharpness. Most panels are Full HD, so a 24-inch one looks coarse next to a Retina iPad up close. They're best a few steps back.
No cable at all. A tablet's battery lets it sit on a shelf untethered for a while; a panel is always plugged in.
You may already own a tablet, which makes it free. Still the cheapest way to try Pixette as a frame.

Leaning that way? The photo-frames guide has frames, stands and wall mounts for tablets.

Will Pixette run on my display? #

Pixette is an ordinary Android app, so an ordinary Android display runs it. Four things matter, two more are nice to have.

Android 7.0 or later

These panels typically ship with Android 8.1 through 14, so this is rarely the limit.

A way to install apps

Google Play if the panel has it, otherwise the APK. Some commercial panels ship without Google services.

Wi-Fi or Ethernet

To reach your NAS. PoE panels get network and power from the same cable.

A few GB of free storage

Pixette caches resized copies locally, so playback stays smooth. The usual 16–32 GB is plenty.

Portrait or face-up mounting

Optional. Set the orientation in the panel's Android display settings.

A scheduled power or backlight timer

Optional. Pixette's own Sleep Mode already handles overnight quiet, so this is a bonus, not a requirement.

Installing Pixette on a panel #

If the panel has the Play Store, it's an ordinary install. Commercial panels are inconsistent: some ship without Google services, and some are missing from Play's device catalog, so the listing can look unavailable even when the store is there.

Either way, the APK installs directly. Mirrors such as APKPure carry Pixette, or email [email protected] and I'll point you at the current build. It updates itself normally afterwards, and people already run Pixette on Android frames installed this way.

One caveat before you buy: the Premium upgrade goes through Google Play, so a panel with no Google services can run the free tier but can't complete the purchase on the device itself.

Setting it up #

1

Install Pixette on the display

Open Google Play on the panel and install Pixette. No Play Store, or the listing shows as unavailable? Install the APK instead: mirrors such as APKPure carry it, or email [email protected] and I'll point you at the current build. Sideloaded copies update themselves normally.
2

Connect it to your NAS

Pixette connects natively to Synology Photos and Immich, or over WebDAV to QNAP, Nextcloud, TrueNAS and others. Pick your folders and let the initial index run.
3

Set it up from your phone with a QR code

A wall-mounted panel is an awkward place to type a server address. Configure Pixette on your phone, then transfer the whole setup to the display with a QR code.
4

Choose the orientation

Most of these panels are rated for landscape, portrait or face-up use. Set the orientation in the panel's own Android display settings before you mount it.
5

Trim the bezel with Custom Margins

If a mount or recess covers part of the screen, Pixette's Custom Margins let you pull each edge in independently, so the slideshow only uses the visible area. Precision Mode fine-tunes it pixel by pixel.
6

Schedule sleep and wake

There's no battery to protect here, but nobody wants a lit screen at 3am. Sleep Mode turns the slideshow off overnight and brings it back in the morning.
7

Lock the panel to Pixette

Use Android's Screen Pinning, or the panel's own kiosk and auto-start settings if it has them, so it boots straight into the slideshow and stays there.

Step-by-step instructions for your own NAS are in the setup guides, and the QR-code transfer is described here.

Which Android displays run Pixette #

There's no "official" Pixette display: they all run ordinary Android, so they all run the slideshow. Below are the makers worth knowing, with their own published specs. I don't sell or certify hardware, so treat this as a starting point, not a compatibility list.

Prices are rough street prices in each brand's home currency, and they move. These are commercial products, sold through AV and IT resellers (B&H, CDW, Newegg, Bechtle, Ballicom) rather than consumer shops, and some brands only quote through a dealer. Ex-signage panels turn up on eBay for a fraction of new.

iiyama ProLite TW series #

~€480 / £430 for the 24-inch

The most widely available of these panels in Europe, from 10.1" to 31.5", on Android 8.1 to 14 depending on the model year. PoE on the newer -B3P models, VESA 100×100, rated for 24/7 in landscape, portrait or face-up.

Google services vary by SKU and firmware: some ship with the Play Store, some don't. If yours doesn't, the slideshow runs perfectly well from a sideloaded APK.

iiyama ProLite TW2424AS (-B1 / -W1 / -B3P)

23.8" Full HD IPS, 10-point touch · Android 12, or 14 on the -B3P · Mains; PoE on the -B3P

32 GB storage, anti-glare coating, black or white bezel. A good default size for a wall frame.

iiyama ProLite TW2223AS

21.5" Full HD, 10-point touch · Android 12 · Mains; PoE on the -B3P

The smaller, cheaper sibling. The -B2 pairs 4 GB of RAM with 32 GB of storage.

iiyama ProLite TW3226AS-B3P

31.5" Full HD, 10-point touch · Android 14 · PoE

The biggest of the family, and bigger than any consumer photo frame on the market.

iiyama ProLite TW1625LASC-B3PNR

15.6" Full HD, 10-point touch · Android 14 · PoE

Hallway or desk size, with an RGB LED bar around the screen and an NFC/RFID reader.

iiyama ProLite TW1023ASC

10.1" touch · Android 8.1 to 14, depending on the SKU · PoE

Tablet-sized but wall-mounted and permanently powered. A favourite as a smart-home wall panel.

ProDVX APPC series #

On quote through resellers

Dutch-made commercial Android panel PCs in 7, 10, 12, 13, 15, 22, 24 and 32-inch sizes, on Android 11 to 13, built for 24/7 and mounted with a single PoE+ cable. The panels are non-glare, which suits a slideshow better than glossy glass.

ProDVX APPC-22XP-R23

21.5" Full HD touch · Android 11 · PoE+

Rockchip dual processor with Mali-T860 graphics. The size most people land on for a wall-mounted frame.

ProDVX APPC-32X

32" touch · Android 13 · PoE+

The largest APPC, and the newest Android in the family.

ProDVX APPC-15XP

15.6" Full HD touch · Android 11 to 13, depending on the revision · PoE+

Hallway or desk size, VESA mounted, one cable for power and network.

ProDVX APPC-10XP-R23

10.1" touch · Android 12 · PoE+

Quad-core RK3568. Small enough for a shelf, powered like an appliance.

Elo I-Series for Android #

~$1,300 for the 22-inch

US commercial touch computers in 10, 15.6 and 22-inch sizes that ship with Google Play Services, so the Play Store is simply there. Sold for kiosks, point of sale and meeting-room signage.

The safest pick if you want to avoid sideloading entirely: Google Play Services is part of the product description rather than a maybe.

Elo I-Series 4 for Android, 22"

21.5" Full HD, 10-point TouchPro PCAP · Android 10 · Mains

Snapdragon 660 with 4 GB / 64 GB, or a Rockchip RK3399 with 4 GB / 32 GB. Draws about 20 W running.

Elo I-Series 4 for Android, 10"

10.1" Full HD touch · Android 10 · Mains

The small end of the range, with the same Google-services story.

Elo I-Series 3.0 for Android, 22"

21.5" Full HD touch · Android with Google Play Services · Mains

The previous generation, and much cheaper second-hand than the I-Series 4.

Philips Signage Solutions (T-Line) #

~€580 / £515 for the 24-inch

Philips' Android-powered touch signage, sold through AV resellers and PPDS. Widely available second-hand, which makes it one of the cheaper ways into a 24-inch panel.

Watch the Android version: several T-Line models shipped on Android 7.1, which only just clears Pixette's Android 7.0 minimum. Prefer a newer model where you have the choice.

Philips 24BDL4151T

23.6" Full HD, 10-point PCAP · Android 7.1.2 · PoE

16 GB storage, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, bezel-less front. The classic 24-inch signage touch panel.

Philips 10BDL4551T

10.1", 1280×800 multi-touch · Android 7.1 · Mains

300 nits, 2 GB of RAM. Sold for shelf-edge advertising and wayfinding.

ViewSonic ePoster (EP series) #

~$1,290 for the 32-inch

All-in-one signage from a 10-inch desktop unit up to 32-inch billboards and 55-inch 4K portrait totems. Nothing else gets you a wall-sized frame in a single box.

These are sold as managed signage, driven by ViewSonic's own ePoster software, and the smaller models use an embedded media player rather than open Android. Confirm with the reseller that the model you're buying lets you install your own Android apps before you commit.

ViewSonic EP3220T

32" Full HD, 10-point touch · Android version varies by model · Mains

16 GB of internal memory, 300 nits, wide viewing angles. Sold as a digital billboard.

ViewSonic EP5542T

55" 4K portrait, 10-point touch · Android 8.0 · Mains

16 GB storage, tempered glass front, portrait by design. The 4K panel is the one case where your photos really can outresolve the screen.

ViewSonic EP1042T

10" interactive touch · Android version varies by model · Mains

Desk or counter sized, an all-in-one alternative to a small tablet.

Generic Rockchip panel PCs #

Often half a brand-name panel

Unbranded Android panels sold through eBay, Alibaba and signage resellers, often at half the price of a brand-name equivalent. The bargain of the category, and the riskiest.

Specs and firmware change batch to batch, and the listing photos are often of a different unit. Ask the seller about Google Play and about the Android version in writing before you buy.

Unbranded Rockchip Android panel PC

21.5" to 32", usually Full HD · Android 11 to 13 · Mains, sometimes PoE

Specs vary batch to batch and firmware support is thin. Ask the seller about Google Play, and expect to sideload.

Screens that look right but won't work #

Samsung signage displays and The Frame. They run Tizen, not Android, so no Android app can be installed.
LG signage displays. They run webOS, which likewise can't install Android apps.
Amazon Echo Show and Google Nest Hub. Closed assistant displays. Neither lets you install your own apps, whatever their internals.
Consumer "Android" photo frames. Many 21-inch-and-up frames do run Android underneath, but the firmware is locked to the vendor's own app, with no Play Store and no sideloading. Unless the seller says plainly that you get access to Android, assume you can't install anything.

Where these end up #

A hallway or kitchen wall at home, often beside a smart-home panel. A lobby or waiting room showing the company's own photography instead of a stock loop. A portrait panel cycling a portfolio in a shop or studio. All of it from folders on a NAS you control.

Comparing this with a store-bought smart frame?

A 24-inch panel against an Aura or Nixplay, on cost, privacy and library size.

Frequently asked questions #

Does Pixette work on an all-in-one Android display like the iiyama ProLite TW2424AS?

Yes, and not just that model. Pixette is a normal Android app and these panels run normal Android, so the Android version matters more than the brand: anything on Android 7.0 or later runs it, and current panels ship with Android 11 to 14. That covers iiyama ProLite TW, ProDVX APPC, Elo I-Series, Philips Signage Solutions, ViewSonic ePoster and the unbranded Rockchip panels alike. Install from Google Play, or sideload the APK if the panel has no Play Store.

How much does an all-in-one Android display cost?

Roughly €480 for a 24-inch iiyama ProLite TW2424AS, €580 for the equivalent Philips, and around $1,300 for a 22-inch Elo I-Series 4 or a 32-inch ViewSonic EP3220T. ProDVX quotes through dealers. That's more than a store-bought smart frame and far more than a second-hand tablet: you're paying for a big screen built to run continuously and hang on a wall with one cable. Ex-signage units on eBay cost a fraction of new. All figures are approximate and move with the market.

Which brands make all-in-one Android displays?

iiyama (ProLite TW), ProDVX (APPC), Elo Touch (I-Series), Philips (Signage Solutions) and ViewSonic (ePoster), plus a large supply of unbranded Rockchip panels on eBay, Alibaba and through signage resellers. All of them are sold as touch panel PCs, interactive signage or kiosk computers rather than photo frames, which is why they're easy to miss. Sizes run from 7 inches to 55.

Does Pixette work on a Samsung or LG signage display?

No. Samsung's signage screens and The Frame run Tizen, and LG's run webOS. Neither can install Android apps, so Pixette can't run on them at all. The same goes for closed assistant displays like the Amazon Echo Show and Google Nest Hub. You need a screen that runs actual Android and lets you install your own apps.

My display doesn't have the Play Store. Can I still install Pixette?

Yes, install the APK directly. Mirrors such as APKPure carry Pixette, or email [email protected] and I'll point you at the current build. It updates like any other app afterwards. One caveat: the Premium upgrade is processed through Google Play, so a panel with no Google services can run the free tier but can't buy Premium on the device itself.

Does the display need a touchscreen?

No. Set Pixette up on your phone and transfer the configuration to the display with a QR code. After that the slideshow just plays, so a panel mounted out of reach is fine. Most of these displays have 10-point touch anyway.

Can I mount it in portrait?

Usually yes. Most of these panels are rated for landscape, portrait and face-up use, and some ViewSonic ePoster models are portrait by design. Set the orientation in the panel's own Android display settings. Portrait suits a hallway; landscape suits most photo libraries, since that's how most photos are shot.

Is it safe to leave it running 24/7?

That's what this hardware is built for. Commercial panels are rated for continuous operation, unlike a tablet whose battery degrades from being permanently charged. Pixette's Sleep Mode still switches the screen off overnight and back on in the morning.

Does it work over Ethernet or PoE instead of Wi-Fi?

Yes. Pixette just needs to reach your NAS, and a wired connection beats Wi-Fi for streaming full-resolution photos. On a PoE panel, one Ethernet cable carries both network and power.

What about the large Android photo frames sold on Amazon?

Be careful with those. Many 21-inch and larger "digital photo frames" do run Android underneath, but the firmware is locked to the vendor's own app, with no Play Store and no sideloading. Unless the seller says plainly that you get access to Android, assume you can't run Pixette on it.

Put your NAS library on the wall

Pixette is free to download and works on Android displays, tablets and phones alike.