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      Kitchen Display Screen (KDS) Mode

      Learn the ins and outs of KDS Mode on Dines.

      KDS Mode


      Welcome to our guide on KDS Mode! 👋


      In this article, we will walk you through everything you can do with KDS (Kitchen Display Screen) Mode on Dines. With KDS, you can replace traditional paper tickets with a digital screen, showing all incoming customer orders, with customisable sorting and filtering to suit your kitchen setup.


      So without further ado, let’s jump in. 


      Activating KDS Mode


      First of all, it’s important to note that KDS mode can not be used on the Dines for Venues iOS app, as enabling it here will override EPOS functionality, which you’ll need to take orders! 


      Instead, KDS Mode should be used on a separate device. But fear not, it’s very flexible! Because it runs on a browser, you can use almost any internet-connected device to power your kitchen screen. That includes laptops, desktop computers with a monitor, or even tablets. As long as it has a web browser and an active internet connection, it can be your KDS screen.


      To activate KDS, login to your Dines account, and then head to Settings > Operations > Order Management > KDS. Alternatively, click this link, which will take you straight there, providing you are already logged in. From here, you will see a "KDS Mode" toggle. Enabling this will activate KDS Mode for the device you’re currently using. When you hit “Save” at the bottom, your screen will update to reflect that KDS Mode is now active.

      Please Note: For KDS Mode to function correctly, you must have "Quick Service Mode" disabled on the device that will be sending orders via EPOS. To check this, open up the Dines app on your iOS device, and then head to Functions (⚙) > Checkout Settings > Quick Service Mode.


      Before we jump into KDS though, let’s have a look at all of the settings we can configure;

      • Press and Hold to Order Away: This one does as it says on the tin. With this enabled, you’ll be able to hold down on any order in KDS Mode for two seconds, which will progress that order to the next stage. If this is not enabled, the standard “Order Away” button will appear instead.

      • Warning Thresholds for Time to Serve: Orders in KDS Mode will change colours based on how much time has passed since they were placed. These colour-coded warnings apply across all devices on your account, and you can choose how many minutes will pass until the order becomes amber (urgent) or red (super urgent!). 

      • Order / Ticket Number: Here, you can choose whether the number displayed at the bottom of each order will be the Order Number (a random 4-digit number), or a sequential Ticket Number where you can set your own identifier (e.g., “ABC-001,” “ABC-002,” etc). More information on this can be found in our Ticket Numbers article.

      • Device-Specific Warning Thresholds: Exactly like “Warning Thresholds” two up, but can be used to override the “global” setting. So if you’d rather have different warning thresholds for this device specifically, you can set them here. 

      • Device Level Order Away Function: Enabling this will allow the specific device to mark orders as “away” when in KDS Mode. This is particularly useful in kitchens with multiple Prep Stations working on different parts of an order. For example, you might want only one screen (positioned at the final prep stage) to handle order completion, whereas others (like the grill or dessert stations) can be view-only. 

      • One Click Order Away: Turning this on will replace the “Mark Prepared” button with an “Order Away” button, removing the “Prepared” tab at the same time. This means that pressing “Order Away” will instantly complete the order rather than moving it to a “Prepared” tab, which can make the process a bit more efficient. If you’d rather keep the “Prepared” tab, however, don’t enable this. 

      • All Items Must Be Ticked: When enabled, an order cannot be progressed until all items have been marked as prepared. This makes sure that nothing gets missed before an order moves to the next stage. 

      • Self-Service Collection Mode: Enabling this will open a new icon for “Collections” on the left-hand side panel. If your venue offers the convenience of Collecting orders, this feature can be used to manage that efficiently. To exit this mode, simply click on the title of the Self-Service Collection screen. This will return you to Order Management Settings where you can disable it. 

      The option for "Collections" will appear like the below. 👇

      And the Self-Service Collection Screen looks like this! 👇The Self-Service Collection Screen

       

      ⚠ Please Note: KDS Mode must be enabled for all of the above settings to take effect. 

      Using KDS Mode


      Now that you’ve activated KDS, it’s time to put it to use!


      As mentioned earlier, you cannot use KDS Mode via the Dines app. It must be loaded up on the Dines web dashboard, ideally on a large screen or tablet, as orders will need to be ticked off and/or ordered away.


      To use KDS Mode, head to Settings > Operations > Order Management > KDS (Local Settings), and toggle “KDS Mode” to enable. When you hit “Save” at the bottom, your left-hand side panel will change to show more refined options. The one we’ll be using at the moment is, of course, the one at the top: KDS. 


      Here, you will see the “Live” tab, where all incoming orders are shown. If you don’t have the “One Click Order Away” setting enabled, you’ll also see a “Prepared” tab, which shows any orders that have been marked as prepared, which can then be ordered away by staff using EPOS.

      On each order, you will see various bits of information; 

      • The Order Number, or Ticket Number, based on what you have chosen in KDS Settings

      • The Table (or Device) that the order came from

      • Whether the order was placed via EPOS or Mobile Ordering

      • A list of items that should be prepared 

      • (If you have “Device Level Order Away Function” enabled) an “Order Away” button to progress the order.

      Orders display oldest-to-newest, left-to-right by default. As time progresses, you will notice that orders start to abide by the “Warning Thresholds for Time to Serve” or “Device-Specific Warning Thresholds” which you have set.


      For example, in the screenshot below, two of the orders have now turned amber. This is because I set my first Warning Threshold as “5,” and more than 5 minutes has passed since these orders were made. 



      If enough time passes, the orders will also turn red, indicating that the order has now exceeded your second threshold. 



      Once an order is fully prepared, you can click “Order Away” to progress it. If the “All Items Must Be Ticked” setting is enabled, you’ll need to tick off each item individually before the order can be completed. 


      Let’s now take a look elsewhere on the KDS screen. 


      At the top right, you will notice two options; “Check for Orders” and “Filters”


      “Check for Orders” is simple enough, it’s just a way to refresh the screen to see if anything else has come in. As standard, the system will check every ten seconds for new orders, but clicking this will force any new orders through immediately. 


      “Filters” lets you control exactly what orders appear on your KDS screen, which is especially handy if your kitchen is split across multiple different stations, or if you’re handling a particularly high volume of orders. 


      Here’s a breakdown of each Filter option available;  

        • Date: View orders from a specific day. This can help for reviewing past activity or preparing for upcoming collection/delivery orders. 

        • Slot Categories: Filter by the table or device that took the order (e.g., “Upstairs EPOS” or “Bar-Area Mobile Order.”) This can be helpful for multi-floor venues or separate service areas.

        • Collection Points: If you have set up different collection points via Mobile Ordering (Settings > Mobile Ordering > Collection > Collection Points), you can use this to filter by each one. For more on Collection, check out our article on Mobile Ordering. 

        • Item Types: Choose whether to display Food, Drink or Other item types, or all three! Item types are assigned when adding or editing items on your menu. For more on that, see our guide on Adding Your Menu.

        • Order Types: Choose whether you see only Table Service, Collection or Delivery orders. Alternatively, choose all three to get a wider view of your venue’s orders.

        • Order Flows: Choose between seeing Mobile Orders, or strictly orders from EPOS.

        • Sort Orders: Decide how you want your orders to be arranged on the screen. You can choose to show the oldest orders first (which is set by default), or reverse the order and have the newest orders show first.

        • Prep Stations: If you have configured Prep Stations (Settings > Operations > Prep Stations), you can filter by them here. Each Prep Station allows you to focus on specific categories or items (like “Burgers,” “Pizza,” “Pasta”), so that your team only sees what’s relevant to their section. 

        Don’t forget to select “Update” at the bottom once you’ve chosen your desired filters! The system will then remember these preferences and only show the orders that match your criteria.


        Exiting KDS Mode


        Once you’ve finished using KDS Mode and everything is set to your liking, you can exit at any time by clicking the “KDS Mode” heading at the top of the screen. This will return you to the main “Orders” view.

         



        And that’s everything! Thank you for reading through our guide on KDS Mode. If you have any questions or feedback at all, or if there is a particular Knowledge Base article you’d like to see, please get in touch. You can reach us via email at care@dines.co.uk, or use our Live Chat and WhatsApp support services by clicking here.