From screen to live display in under 10 minutes.
No IT team. No consultant. No complicated setup guide. Here’s exactly what happens once you have a display in hand.
Pick your display type
Lobby runs on three surfaces: physical e-ink hardware, a virtual display in any browser, or a multi-room overview screen. The rest of this guide assumes physical. Going virtual? Skip steps 1, 4, and 5.
Physical e-ink
A TRMNL e-ink display beside every meeting room door. Buy it from trmnl.com (about $139) and own it outright. Runs up to 12 months on a single charge.
Virtual
Any browser, tablet, or TV you already own. Live in 2 minutes. No hardware, no mount, no pairing.
Room overview
One screen showing every room at a glance. Configure rooms in the dashboard, then point any screen (e-ink or browser) at the URL.
Get your display
Lobby doesn't sell hardware. Pick whichever route suits you: hook up a screen you already have, buy a TRMNL e-ink display from trmnl.com (about $139 each, yours to keep), or order tablets from your usual supplier. Whatever you choose arrives ready to pair, with no hardware setup before it does.
Going virtual? Skip ahead to Step 2. Any browser, tablet, or TV you already own works, with nothing to buy. For e-ink, order the TRMNL display direct from trmnl.com and add a mount (see our mount guide).
Create your Lobby account
Go to app.usethelobby.com and sign in with your Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 account. This takes 60 seconds and doesn't require any technical configuration.
Requirements: A Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 account with admin access (to authorise the calendar integration)
Connect your meeting room resources
In the Lobby dashboard, click “Connect calendar” and pick Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. Lobby will ask for read access to your meeting room resources, the same resources you already use when booking rooms. Select the rooms you want to display and confirm.
Note: If your meeting rooms aren't set up as Google Workspace resources or Microsoft 365 room mailboxes yet, our setup guide walks you through creating them. It takes about 5 minutes in Google Admin or the Microsoft 365 admin centre.
Mount the display
Choose where you want the display on the wall next to your meeting room door, then put up the mount you picked — the official TRMNL wall mount, a no-drill magnetic plate, or a 3D-printed bracket. Hang the display on it and it powers on, showing a pairing code automatically.
Virtual displays skip this step. There’s nothing to mount. Just open the display URL in the browser of the screen you’re using.
Pair and go live
In the Lobby dashboard, enter the pairing code shown on the display. Select which room resource it should show. Hit “Activate.” The display will connect to your WiFi and sync your calendar data within 30 seconds.
Virtual displays skip pairing entirely. There's no code, just a URL. Your display is now live. That's it.
Add more displays
Repeat steps 4–5 for each additional meeting room. Each display takes under 2 minutes to mount and pair once your calendar is connected. For virtual displays, just open another URL on another screen.
A few things people usually ask.
Do I need to set up new room resources in my calendar?
Only if you don't have them already. Most offices on Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 have room resources / room mailboxes set up. If not, we'll walk you through it. It takes 5 minutes in either Google Admin or the Microsoft 365 admin centre.
Can I run Lobby on a tablet or TV?
Yes, that's what virtual displays are. Same room view as the e-ink, runs in any browser. Open the URL on any tablet, TV, or screen you already own. No hardware, no mount, no pairing code. Counts toward your plan limit the same way a physical display does.
What happens if the WiFi drops?
The display continues showing the last known schedule. E-ink screens retain their image with zero power even when disconnected. As soon as WiFi is restored, the display resyncs automatically.
Can my team book rooms from the display?
Not currently. Lobby displays are read-only. They show what's in your Google Calendar or Microsoft 365 calendar, but bookings are made in your existing calendar tool. This is by design: we didn't want to introduce a new booking interface that competes with what your team already knows.
Get started: 10 minutes to your first display
Connect Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 and go live on a screen you already own — or add a TRMNL e-ink display.
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