How to Install LockDown Browser on a Chromebook

Eric DawsonByEric Dawson Updated Computers & Software

For how to install LockDown Browser on a Chromebook, start with the LockDown Browser download link from your school, instructor, course page, or required exam. The link opens the Chrome Web Store, where you select “Add to Chrome” and then “Add Extension.” Do not search the store independently for the extension.

Restart the Chromebook, or close and restart Chrome if your institution directs you to do that, then return to the exam in Canvas, Blackboard Learn, D2L Brightspace, Schoology, or Moodle. LockDown Browser launches when you open an assessment configured to require it. School-managed Chromebooks may need extension-installation permission or an administrator-pushed extension.

Install LockDown Browser on a Chromebook

Begin with the LockDown Browser link provided by your school, instructor, course, or exam page. Chromebook users install the Respondus LockDown Browser Chromebook extension through that approved route, not by searching for it independently in the Chrome Web Store.

Use Your Course’s Installation Link

First, sign in to the Chromebook and open Google Chrome; Canvas courses may display a link labeled “Download Respondus LockDown Browser.”

  1. Log in to your Chromebook and launch Google Chrome.
  2. Open the course.
  3. Navigate to the LockDown Browser-required quiz, exam, or your institution’s regular installation page.
  4. Select the school-provided LockDown Browser download link.
  5. Select it in the Chrome Web Store.
  6. When Chrome asks “Add LockDown Browser?”, choose “Add Extension.”
  7. Restart the Chromebook, then return to the course assessment.

After installation, restarting the Chromebook is the most conservative documented approach. Some institutions instead provide different restart instructions before the test. Once you select the configured assessment, the Chromebook LockDown Browser extension starts automatically rather than opening like a standard Chrome app.

Installation on School-Managed Chromebooks

School-managed devices can require a different setup because students may not have permission to add Chrome extensions. Administrators can deploy the extension through Google Admin Suite, while students with extension-installation permission can follow the same Chrome Web Store steps. Contact your school when the “Add to Chrome” option is missing or the extension will not install on a managed Chromebook.

The extension works with supported learning systems. Beyond that, respondus Monitor can also work with the Chromebook extension in those supported learning systems except Schoology. Before a graded test, a brief non-graded LockDown Browser practice exam can help you confirm that the extension opens correctly and familiarize yourself with the exam process.

Since 2023, I have owned a Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1300 in north Columbus, Ohio, a receipt scanner that reminds me paperwork rarely becomes clearer through repeated button pressing. For installing LockDown Browser on a Chromebook, a missing Add to Chrome option is the cue to contact the school, then confirm the exam page links to the expected course system.

LockDown Browser Chromebook Requirements

Chromebook use is limited to eligible instructor-required exams. Before an assessment can open, the institution’s Respondus configuration and the quiz’s LockDown Browser settings must permit Chromebook use, while the student must be allowed to use the extension on the device.

Access begins at the course level: a student needs an exam for which the instructor has required LockDown Browser. Respondus enables its LockDown Browser for Chromebook setting by default across Respondus Server profiles, placing Chromebook support within the standard profile configuration. However, if an institution disables that Server Profile Setting, Chromebooks cannot be used for any exam requiring LockDown Browser. Instructors also need to turn on the LockDown Browser requirement for each applicable quiz through the LockDown Browser Dashboard.

Dashboard configuration automatically enables the quiz-level Chromebook setting when the instructor enables LockDown Browser for a quiz. Other ways of setting that requirement are unsupported and may produce errors when Chromebook students attempt the assessment. Proper setup therefore depends on both the institutional profile and the individual quiz configuration, rather than on the extension alone.

Requirement What Chromebook Students Need
Supported learning system Canvas, Blackboard Learn, D2L Brightspace, Schoology, or Moodle
Course requirement An instructor-required exam configured for LockDown Browser
Institutional setting The LockDown Browser for Chromebook Server Profile Setting must be enabled
Quiz setting The instructor must configure the quiz through the LockDown Browser Dashboard
School-managed device Permission to install Chrome extensions or an administrator-pushed extension through Google Admin Suite
Respondus Monitor Supported on the listed learning systems except Schoology

Managed devices add a permission requirement. Student-owned Chromebooks follow the regular student workflow, whereas a school-controlled device may require institutional deployment before the extension is available. Administrators have extension-management instructions in the Managed Chromebooks guide in the Respondus Admin Area.

Respondus Monitor also has an exception. Professors can require multiple identification steps before an exam, with the exact sequence determined by their settings. Monitor-enabled courses begin that startup sequence before the test opens, adding a requirement beyond the ordinary LockDown Browser launch.

Some Chromebook features have institution-listed limitations that students should understand before a test day. UHD lists the optional password field, Early Exit, Calculator, and Spreadsheet features among unsupported Chromebook items. Another limitation also applies.

Practice exams can help students become familiar with the required environment before a graded assessment, and Respondus recommends that instructors provide a brief, non-graded practice exam. That one-page Student Quick Start Guide is available in LockDown Browser Resources for instructors to distribute through the course when they choose to do so.

Start a LockDown Browser Exam

Return to the assessment page in your learning system, then open the test title or launch control your instructor provided. Canvas users following UHD’s documented workflow can click the test title after restarting Chrome; it automatically launches the Chromebook version of LockDown Browser. The extension launches only when an assessment requires it, rather than through a separate Chromebook application for students.

Depending on your institution’s instructions, you may first need to agree to the Respondus Terms of Use.

Follow each on-screen prompt until the test is ready to open. Respondus Monitor’s startup sequence begins before the test opens when the course uses it. Proceed after that sequence has finished and the assessment opens for you.

Once that startup is complete, the assessment opens in the locked exam environment. During the Chromebook exam view described by UHD, Canvas test works like a normal Canvas test while a LockDown Browser bar appears across the top. At this stage, follow the assessment instructions and complete the work within the exam window. Students who attempt to enter through a regular browser receive a message telling them to use LockDown Browser instead.

If you leave an exam before submitting it, Respondus says you must enter a reason that the instructor can view in LockDown Browser dashboard. Instead of closing the session early, submit the assessment when you have finished.

On completion, UHD says a Respondus message indicates completion and tells you to click “Continue” to exit LockDown Browser. After submitting, Respondus says you can exit the browser and Chromebook returns to normal. Use that prompt to finish.

Finally, use any available practice exam. Should the Chromebook LockDown Browser not start when the exam opens, return to course process rather than attempting to enter through a regular browser. For questions or bug reports, Danville Area Community College directs users to its Respondus support ticket site at https://support.respondus.com.

What LockDown Browser Does During an Exam

During a required assessment, Respondus LockDown Browser locks the Chromebook into the exam environment and limits actions outside the test. Students can answer questions in the assessment, but they cannot print, copy, visit other web addresses, access other computer applications, run web searches, use instant messaging, or minimize the browser. Those controls remain in place for the duration of the active exam.

Within Canvas, the test works much like a standard Canvas quiz, with a LockDown Browser bar displayed across the top of the screen. That bar identifies the secured exam session while you work through the questions. Normal browser features and other computer functions remain unavailable until the assessment is submitted or exited under the applicable procedure.

You can then resume normal use. Completion matters because the browser restrictions are tied to the assessment session rather than to ordinary course navigation.

Leaving before submission follows a different process. Instead of simply closing the secured session, a student must enter a reason for exiting the exam early. Instructors can view that reason in the LockDown Browser dashboard, which gives them a record of the early departure. Because an unfinished attempt requires a reason, instructors can view the recorded explanation in their LockDown Browser dashboard afterward.

Practice can make the restrictions less surprising on test day. Respondus recommends this practice option. A practice attempt lets students see how the assessment behaves while the controls are active, without making their first encounter with the software part of a graded exam.

Remember that LockDown Browser is designed to keep the student inside the assessment, not to function as an ordinary Chrome session. Once the exam has been submitted and the completion message appears, selecting “Continue” ends the secured session properly.

For an exit before submission, provide the required reason rather than attempting to bypass the exam environment. That distinction helps instructors review an early exit and helps students finish a completed assessment through the intended route. Accordingly, use the completion control after submitting, and use the reason prompt only when leaving early instead.

Fix LockDown Browser Chromebook Problems

Most LockDown Browser Chromebook problems come from extension permissions on a managed device or from the way an instructor configured the quiz. Begin by identifying which point failed: adding the extension, opening the required assessment, or starting any Respondus Monitor steps.

When Extension Installation Fails

If that installation process fails, the Chromebook may be managed by the institution without permission for students to install extensions. Ask the school’s technical team or course contact about access, since the institution can deploy the extension through Google Admin Suite.

Avoid hunting for LockDown Browser independently in the Chrome Web Store; students are directed to begin from their institution’s regular installation link.

When a Required Quiz Will Not Open

Errors that appear when a required quiz opens can stem from quiz configuration rather than the Chromebook itself. Have the instructor verify that the LockDown Browser requirement was enabled in the LockDown Browser Dashboard tool.

Respondus identifies other setup methods as unsupported and says they can cause errors for Chromebook students attempting an exam. Because enabling LockDown Browser for a quiz automatically enables its Chromebook quiz-level setting, a dashboard check addresses both settings. Regular-browser access to a LockDown Browser-required assessment produces a prompt to use LockDown Browser instead.

After the extension is available, restarting the Chromebook is the conservative documented step before returning to the course assessment. Alternatively, some Canvas instructions direct students to close or restart Chrome, log back in to Canvas, and select the test title. Depending on course settings, users may need to accept the Respondus Terms of Use before the test opens.

Several Chromebook limitations can look like a failure even when the extension is working correctly. UHD and Alamo Colleges District list Help Center limitations on Chromebook.

For technical questions or bug reports, use the Respondus support ticket site. Support requests can describe the device’s managed status, the exact point where the extension or exam failed, and any message shown when the quiz opened, helping the school or Respondus support team identify the relevant installation, permission, or configuration issue.

Know Chromebook Limits Before Test Day

Chromebook users should review the platform’s documented feature limits before a graded exam, especially if their course uses Respondus Monitor. Monitor has the documented Chromebook limits described earlier on this page. Preparation matters because a practice assessment can reveal how the required startup and identification steps work for a particular course.

Features to Plan Around

Several functions have documented Chromebook limits. UHD lists these documented Chromebook limitations for those features. Alamo Colleges District also lists the Help Center as unavailable on Chromebook.

Instead, ask the instructor about any exam tool or exit option that the course expects students to use before test day. A normal Canvas-style test view can still appear within the secured environment, marked by a LockDown Browser bar at the top.

Before a graded assessment, use the provided practice exam if available. Respondus recommends this preparation for students before a graded assessment. That trial gives students a chance to see the assessment flow without treating the first secured session as their introduction to the Chromebook LockDown Browser extension. Course staff can also distribute Respondus’s one-page LockDown Browser Student Quick Start Guide through LockDown Browser Resources.

Getting Technical Help

Danville directs students there for extension help. After submitting the exam, the computer returns to its normal state. Leaving before submission requires a reason that the instructor can view in the LockDown Browser dashboard, which makes a practice run especially useful before a graded test.

Schools using Monitor may require the startup sequence described earlier. Because Monitor is Respondus’s proctoring system, students should leave time to complete that sequence before the assessment begins. Schoology supports Chromebook LockDown Browser exams, but not Respondus Monitor.

Remember that the extension is designed for an instructor-required assessment, rather than as a general-purpose browser tool for course work. Checking the course directions ahead of time helps students identify which secured-test features apply to their exam.

This guide does not advise on institution pricing or licensing choices; this page focuses on the student setup process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Search the Chrome Web Store for LockDown Browser?

No. Start with the regular LockDown Browser installation link provided by your school, instructor, course, or exam page. That link takes Chromebook users to the Chrome Web Store, where you select “Add to Chrome” and then confirm “Add Extension.”

Which Learning Systems Support Respondus LockDown Browser on a Chromebook?

LockDown Browser for Chromebook is available for exams delivered through Canvas, Blackboard Learn, D2L Brightspace, Schoology, and Moodle. Your instructor must require LockDown Browser for the specific quiz or exam before the extension follows its intended launch process.

Why Can I Not Add the LockDown Browser Extension on My School Chromebook?

A school-managed Chromebook may not give students permission to install Chrome extensions. In that case, the institution may need to deploy the LockDown Browser extension through Google Admin Suite. Contact your school if the installation option is unavailable or the extension cannot be added.

Does Respondus Monitor Work with LockDown Browser on a Chromebook?

Respondus Monitor works with the Chromebook extension for supported learning systems except Schoology. If your course uses Respondus Monitor, a startup sequence begins before the assessment opens. Your professor’s settings can also determine which identification steps you must complete.

What Should I Do if a LockDown Browser Exam Will Not Open on My Chromebook?

First, make sure you installed the extension through your institution’s LockDown Browser link and restarted the Chromebook or Chrome as directed. If an error appears when opening a required quiz, the instructor should confirm that the quiz was configured through the LockDown Browser Dashboard. Respondus says other setup methods are unsupported and can cause Chromebook exam errors.

What Happens After I Submit a LockDown Browser Exam?

After you submit the assessment, a Respondus completion message indicates completion. Select “Continue” to exit LockDown Browser, and the Chromebook returns to its normal state. If you exit before submitting, you must enter a reason that the instructor can view in the LockDown Browser dashboard.

For a Chromebook, the key is to begin with your school’s LockDown Browser link rather than searching the Chrome Web Store on your own. School-managed devices may need administrator help with extension permissions, while exam configuration questions may need attention from the instructor.

References

Sources read in September 2026.

Eric Dawson

I'm Eric Dawson, and I write The Money Watch from north Columbus, Ohio. Most of what I cover comes from my own life: renting, a 2014 Honda Fit, parking, computers, food and the bills behind all of it. I spent four years in an apartment-property office and eleven on a distributor's operations desk, reading leases and invoices. Where you need real information, I research the maker's or agency's own page and independent sources and report what they publish. I don't give tax, investment, legal or medical advice.