The Lockdown Browser Chrome Extension for Chromebooks is an extension that locks down the testing environment. When students use the Chrome Lockdown Browser to access an assessment, they are unable to print, copy, go to another URL, or access other applications. Students are locked into an assessment until it is submitted for grading. This article walks through the different methods administrators can use to install the Lockdown Browser extension onto students' Chromebook devices.
Before You Begin
Required Permissions: Users must have administrator access to the Google Apps for Education domain, and have the ability to add extensions via the Chrome device policy settings in the Google Apps admin panel.
Installing the Chromebook Lockdown Browser extension onto students' Chromebook devices allows assessment administrators to enable the Lockdown Browser feature for both Quick Code and Student Portal administrations as desired. The Lockdown Browser creates a testing environment that prevents students from completing functions that may aid in cheating, such as printing or copy/pasting test materials, or accessing the wider internet or other applications.
The Chromebook Lockdown Browser extension can be simply whitelisted, allowing individual students and/or instructors to install the extension on a case-by-case basis, or the extension can be automatically installed to all managed Chromebook devices.
The Chromebook Lockdown Browser used to require a Respondus Kiosk Application. Before completing installation of the Lockdown Browser extension, ensure that any prior Chrome Respondus Kiosk Application has been removed from Chromebook devices before installing the Chrome Extension.
Visit Chromebook Help for further guidance on specific steps in support of this feature.
Why the Change?
The previous method to lock down the student testing environment on Chromebook devices was the Respondus Lockdown Kiosk Application. However, Google made a change in the latest version of Chrome OS that Respondus did not anticipate, removing support for a critical security feature required by the Lockdown Kiosk Application. Due to this change, the application can no longer load an encrypted security library needed for secure operation.
In coordination with Respondus, the Respondus Lockdown Browser for DnA has been updated to a Chrome Extension, replacing the Kiosk Application for Chromebooks. This extension was released on Thursday, March 13, 2025.
Districts that wish to continue to utilize the Respondus Kiosk Application can remain on ChromeOS 130, or roll back to ChromeOS 130 if they have already updated. However, Renaissance advises all DnA clients who utilize Chromebooks for student testing and wish to use the Respondus Lockdown Browser to replace the Kiosk Application with the Chrome Extension to avoid issues with ChromeOS support.
What are the Differences?
The previous Respondus Lockdown Kiosk Application allowed students to first open the Kiosk Application on their Chromebooks, and then access DnA assessments, ensuring that any assessment would be administered in Lockdown mode. This meant that individual assessment administrations did not require the Lockdown Browser to be enabled.
Because the new Lockdown Browser is an extension, rather than an application, students will no longer be able to open any assessment administration through the Lockdown Kiosk Application. For students to test in a lockdown environment, instructors and administrators must enable the Lockdown Browser within the administration settings for an assessment.
To learn how to create a Quick Code administration to start testing, see the guide Online Testing Setup Using a Quick Code. To learn how to create a Student Portal administration, see the guide Online Testing Administration Setup Using the Student Portal. To view the steps for enabling the Lockdown Browser within an administration, see the Enabling Chromebook Lockdown Browser for Assessments section below. To view the current student lockdown experience, see the student login guide Lockdown Browser Guide for Students: Chromebook.
Where to Start
- Log into the Google Suite management interface with your Admin account.
- From the left-hand navigation bar, select Devices.
- Select Chrome.
- Select Apps & extensions.
If the prior Chromebook Respondus Kiosk Application was installed to utilize the lockdown browser, this application must be removed from Chromebook devices before installing the Chrome Extension.
- Select the Kiosks tab.
- Select the kiosk application Illuminate Lockdown Browser.
- Select Delete.
There are two options for Google administrators to make the DnA Lockdown Browser Chrome Extension available on managed Chromebook devices. The Chromebook Extension can be made available for installation by the student, or it can be automatically installed on all managed Chromebook devices. The steps below allow students to manually install the Chromebook Extension.
- Select the User app settings tab.
- Next to the Allow/block mode setting for the Chrome Web Store, select Edit in legacy view.
- Edit the Allow/block mode settings to be Block all apps, admin manages allowlist.
- Select the Users & browsers tab.
- Select the Organizational Unit where you wish to install the Chrome Extension.
- Select the yellow plus button.
- Select Add Chrome app or extension by ID.
- In the Extension ID field, enter the following ID: mlielbniglaejdghpjogbbmngpagkckk
- Select Save.
- Select Allow install to add the LockDown Browser to the allowlist.
- Toggle on Include in Chrome Web Store Recommended to display the extension in the Chromebook web store.
There are two options for Google administrators to make the DnA Lockdown Browser Chrome Extension available on managed Chromebook devices. The Chromebook Extension can be made available for installation by the student, or it can be automatically installed on all managed Chromebook devices. The steps below automatically install the Extension on all managed Chromebook devices.
- Select the Users & browsers tab.
- Select the Organizational Unit where you wish to install the Chrome Extension.
- Select the yellow plus button.
- Select Add Chrome app or extension by ID.
- In the Extension ID field, enter the following ID: mlielbniglaejdghpjogbbmngpagkckk
- Select Save.
- Change the Installation policy from Allow install to Force install.
The Lockdown Browser Chromebook Extension will be automatically pushed out to all of the managed Chromebook devices.
Required Permission: Online Testing - Allow Use of Locked Browser
- To prepare an assessment for administration using the Lockdown Browser for Chromebooks, first create either a Quick Code or Student Portal administration.
- During administration creation, or when editing an existing administration, access the Online Testing - Administration Settings menu.
- The Browser settings will default to Any Browser / Device. Select Locked Browser Only to enable the Lockdown Browser for students accessing the assessment through their Chromebook devices. When this setting is enabled, if the Chromebook Lockdown Browser has been properly installed on student Chromebooks, the Lockdown Browser will automatically open once students access the assessment with their Quick Code or through the Student Portal.
The previous Chromebook Lockdown Kiosk Application did not necessitate enabling the Lockdown Browser within the assessment administration, allowing students to simply open an assessment through the Kiosk Application. The new Chromebook Lockdown Browser Extension does not automatically enter testing students into Lockdown. The Lockdown Browser must be enabled within the administration settings to lock down the student assessment environment.
Next Steps
To learn how to create a Quick Code administration to start testing, see the guide Online Testing Setup Using a Quick Code. To learn how to create a Student Portal administration, see the guide Online Testing Administration Setup Using the Student Portal.
For information about the student experience, see the student login guide Lockdown Browser Guide for Students: Chromebook.