---
title: Device Management — Bind, Claim, and Manage Your TVs
description: "This guide explains how to **bind physical TV devices** to your Twinnoverse organization, manage their lifecycle, and monitor their health. --- ## 1. What Is a Device? A **device** is a physical screen (TV, monitor, or display) running the Twinnoverse Reader app. Each device:…"
url: "https://twinnoverse.com/docs/device-management-bind-claim-and-manage-your-tvs/"
updated: "2026-06-18"
category: Dashboard Builder / Dashboard Builder Setup
---

# Device Management — Bind, Claim, and Manage Your TVs

This guide explains how to **bind physical TV devices** to your Twinnoverse organization, manage their lifecycle, and monitor their health.

---

## 1. What Is a Device?

A **device** is a physical screen (TV, monitor, or display) running the Twinnoverse Reader app. Each device:

- Has a unique **device ID** in the system
- Stores a **device token** locally for secure communication
- Is assigned to **one playlist** at a time
- Reports **heartbeat** and **data-fetch status** to the cloud

---

## 2. Add a New Device (Claim Flow)

### Step-by-Step

1. Go to **Devices** in the left navigation
2. Click **Add Device**
3. On your physical TV running the Twinnoverse Reader app:
   - The app shows a **claim screen**
   - The TV generates or requests a **claim code**
4. In the admin portal:
   - enter that claim code in the device claim field
   - save or approve the device
5. The TV automatically:
   - Registers itself with the backend
   - Receives a secure device token
   - Starts its first **bootstrap** to fetch assigned playlist/layout
6. Back in the admin portal, the device now appears with status **Online** ✅

### What Happens Behind the Scenes

![dashboard builder bind device](https://twinnoverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Twinnoverse-dasboard-builder-bind-device-683x1024.webp)

---

## 3. Device Status & Health Indicators

Each device in the list shows:

| Status | Icon | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Online** | 🟢 Green | Connected and reporting normally |
| **Stale** | 🟡 Yellow | Not seen recently (may be offline temporarily) |
| **Offline** | 🔴 Red | Disconnected for an extended period |
| **Data Error** | ⚠️ Orange | Device is online but data fetch is failing |

---

## 4. Device Actions

Each device row offers these actions:

### 👁️ Preview

See what the TV is currently displaying — directly in your browser. The preview uses the **same rendering engine** as the real TV, so what you see is what the device *should* be showing.

> **Note:** Preview shows the intended display content, but it does not guarantee the physical panel is online or showing those pixels right now.

### 🔄 Reclaim

Use **Reclaim** when:

- The same physical TV lost its connection/token
- The TV app is still installed with its local identity intact
- You need to re-authorize the same device without creating a new row

**How it works:**

1. Click **Reclaim** on the device
2. The same device row is placed back into reclaim approval mode
3. The TV shows a claim code again
4. Enter that code in the admin reclaim approval flow
5. The existing device row is re-used — no new device slot consumed

### ✏️ Edit

Modify the device's playlist assignment, name, and prodline ids.

### 🗑️ Delete

Use **Delete** when:

- The TV app was **reinstalled** (local identity lost)
- Local storage was **cleared** on the TV
- The physical TV was **replaced**
- You need to remove a **stale/orphaned** device row

> ⚠️ **Important rule:** Do NOT use **Add Device** to reclaim an already-known TV. If the old local identity is gone, **Delete** the old row first, then use **Add Device** for a fresh claim.

---

## 5. Device Playlist Assignment

Each device can be assigned to **one playlist**. The playlist determines:

- Which layouts the device displays
- In what order
- For how long each layout stays on screen

### Assign or Change a Playlist

1. Open the device's **Edit** modal
2. Select a playlist from the dropdown
3. Save the device picks up changes on its next bootstrap cycle

---

## 6. What Is the Runtime Taskbar?

When a TV is displaying a dashboard, the **bottom taskbar** (reader overlay) shows:

| Item | Description |
| --- | --- |
| 🟢 Status dot | Green = healthy, Yellow = warning, Red = error |
| TV name | The device's configured name |
| Last fetch | Time of last successful data fetch (or "No data source assigned") |
| App version | Currently installed reader version |

The taskbar is useful for **on-site debugging** — operators can glance at the TV and confirm it's working.

---

## 7. Device Lifecycle Summary

![Device Lifecycle Summary](https://twinnoverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/device-claim-summary-1024x768.webp)