Chrome for Education and Chromebook Management

Introduction

Managing a fleet of Chromebooks and Chrome browsers in an educational environment can be challenging. This guide covers Chrome for Education and Chromebook management in the Google Admin console: setup, student and teacher policies, content filtering, apps and extensions, and the device lifecycle. The steps follow Google’s Set Chrome policies for users or browsers help.

Google Admin Console Setup

Setting up the Google Admin console is crucial for managing Chromebooks in educational settings. Follow these steps to configure the console:

1. Log into the Google Admin console with administrator credentials.
2. Navigate to Menu > Devices > Chrome > Settings. The User & browser settings page opens by default. Settings for the Chromebooks themselves are under Device settings.
3. Configure user settings, such as the default search engine and homepage URL, to match school policies.
4. Use Organizational Units to apply settings and policies specific to different groups such as students and teachers.

Student and Teacher Policies

Implementing specific policies for students and teachers can enhance security and productivity:

1. Go to Devices > Chrome > Settings > Users & browsers and select the students’ or teachers’ organizational unit.
2. Under Content, set SafeSearch and Restricted Mode to filter out explicit content.
3. Under Security, set Password manager to control whether Chrome can save passwords.
4. Use Apps & extensions to restrict or allow the installation of specific apps and extensions.

Content Filtering and SafeSearch

Ensure a safe browsing environment for students by enabling content filtering and SafeSearch:

1. In the Admin console, navigate to Devices > Chrome > Settings > Users & browsers.
2. Scroll to Content and open SafeSearch and Restricted Mode. For K-12 education domains, Google’s default already forces SafeSearch on Google Search.
3. Use URL blocking to block specific sites, or third-party content filtering solutions for more granular control.

Separately, Safe Browsing protects students from malware and phishing sites, and can be turned on for them with the Safe Browsing Protection setting.

App and Extension Management for Schools

Managing apps and extensions is essential for security and educational focus:

1. Visit Devices > Chrome > Apps & extensions > Users & browsers.
2. Select the organizational unit you wish to manage.
3. Allow or block specific apps and extensions as per school policies.
4. Choose Force install as the installation policy to make sure critical educational tools are available for all users. Users cannot remove force-installed items.

Chromebook Lifecycle Management

Effective lifecycle management ensures that devices remain functional and secure:

• Keep Chromebooks updating automatically, and manage update timing under Device settings in the Admin console.
• Monitor devices from the ChromeOS device list in the Admin console. Its Dashboards tab shows fleet insights once reporting policies are turned on.
• Plan replacements using Google’s Auto Update policy, which lists the date each Chromebook model stops getting automatic updates. After the final update, policies may not work as intended.

Platform-Specific Instructions

Windows, macOS, and Linux

While the Google Admin console is web-based and works across platforms, you can manage Chrome settings locally on Windows, macOS, and Linux as follows:

• Windows: Open settings at chrome://settings and use Ctrl + Shift + Delete to clear browsing data.
• macOS: Open settings at chrome://settings and use Command + Shift + Delete to clear browsing data.
• Linux: Same as Windows, chrome://settings and Ctrl + Shift + Delete.

Android and iOS

For mobile devices, Chrome settings are managed in the app:

• Android: In Chrome, tap More > Delete browsing data.
• iOS: In Chrome, tap More > Delete Browsing Data.