To set up LockDown Browser on Chromebook, open your school’s own LockDown Browser download link in Chrome, click Add to Chrome in the Chrome Web Store, then start your exam from your course page. The extension launches by itself when the exam requires it. This works on personal and school-managed Chromebooks, as long as your exam runs in Canvas, Blackboard Learn, D2L Brightspace, Schoology or Moodle.
The trouble starts when you search for it. You can’t find the right app by name in the Chrome Web Store, old forum posts claim personal Chromebooks are not supported, and exam day is a bad time to learn that your school restricts extension installs. Students lose time they don’t have, usually because of one skipped step.
At takemyproctoredexam we cover topics around proctored exams and exam support. This guide covers compatibility, the install, a pre-exam check, launching the exam, and fixes for managed Chromebooks, in that order.
Check that your Chromebook is compatible
Yes, a Chromebook can run Respondus LockDown Browser through a Chrome extension, whether you own the device or your school manages it. Confirm two things before you install anything: your learning platform and your device type.
Which platforms and exam tools it supports
Respondus offers the Chromebook extension for exams delivered in Canvas, Blackboard Learn, D2L Brightspace, Schoology and Moodle. It also works with Respondus Monitor, the webcam-based proctoring add-on, on every platform except Schoology.
| Platform | LockDown Browser extension | Respondus Monitor |
|---|---|---|
| Canvas | Yes | Yes |
| Blackboard Learn | Yes | Yes |
| D2L Brightspace | Yes | Yes |
| Moodle | Yes | Yes |
| Schoology | Yes | No |
Personal versus school-managed Chromebooks
Older forum threads say only managed Chromebooks work. That is out of date. Respondus states that the extension supports student-owned and managed devices. The earlier kiosk-mode app is no longer supported, so skip any guide that tells you to install it.
You need a Chromebook on current ChromeOS, the Chrome browser, and a stable internet connection. If your exam uses Monitor, you also need a working webcam and microphone.
Any Chromebook with the extension can run LockDown Browser, but your school’s settings decide whether you can install it yourself.
Step 1. Add the extension from your school’s link
Open your school’s LockDown Browser download link in Chrome on the Chromebook, then select Add to Chrome. That is the whole install, and it takes about a minute.
Install it in four moves
- Sign in to your Chromebook and open Google Chrome.
- Find your school’s LockDown Browser download link. Check your course page, the quiz instructions, or your school’s IT help page.
- Open the link. It redirects you to the Chrome Web Store listing automatically.
- Select Add to Chrome and confirm the prompt.
Why searching the store is a mistake
Respondus says students can’t search for the app directly in the Chrome Web Store. The school link is what ties the extension to your institution’s setup. Some testing platforms also publish their own branded versions of the extension, so a store search can land you on a listing built for a different school or district.
Always install from the link your school gives you, never from a store search.
If you can’t find the link, ask your instructor or help desk for it by name. Asking for "the LockDown Browser download link for Chromebook" gets a faster answer than "how do I install the exam software."
Step 2. Run a pre-exam check
Test your setup at least a day before the exam, because most Chromebook failures show up before the quiz even loads. Five minutes now prevents a panicked support ticket later.
Confirm the extension and your hardware
Open Chrome’s extensions menu and check that the extension is listed and enabled. Then work through this list:
- Update ChromeOS and restart the Chromebook.
- Plug in the charger. An exam can run an hour or more.
- Test the webcam and microphone if your exam uses Respondus Monitor.
- Switch to a reliable network and move close to the router.
- Close extra tabs and windows you won’t need.
Handle speech-to-text and keyboard settings
If your accommodations include speech-to-text, allow the microphone for the browser before exam day, since the extension needs that permission. If you type in more than one language, check the keyboard language switching instructions in the Respondus help center first.
A practice quiz, if your instructor offers one, is the only real test of your exact exam setup.
Step 3. Launch your exam
Log in to your learning platform in Chrome, open the exam, and the extension starts automatically when the quiz requires LockDown Browser. You don’t open the extension manually.
What happens when you start
Once the quiz begins, the browser is locked. You can’t print, copy and paste, go to another URL, or open other applications. You also can’t exit until you submit the exam, so start only when you have the full time block. Close anything you need to keep before you begin.
Who locks the Chromebook, and is this allowed?
You don’t lock the Chromebook yourself. Your instructor turns on the requirement for the quiz, and the extension does the rest. Instructors must enable it through the LockDown Browser Dashboard, because other methods cause errors on student Chromebooks. LockDown Browser is a standard commercial tool used by schools, and using it for an assigned exam is not illegal. Your school’s syllabus and policies set the rules for what you may do during the exam.
Start the exam from your course page in Chrome and let the extension launch itself.
Step 4. Fix problems on managed Chromebooks
Most install failures on school Chromebooks come from permissions, not from the extension. The fix is either a setting your IT team changes or a quiz setting your instructor corrects.
Match the symptom to the cause
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Add to Chrome" is blocked or missing | School policy blocks extension installs | Ask IT to allow it or push it to your account |
| Extension never starts | Quiz not enabled through the Dashboard | Ask your instructor to re-enable it there |
| Chromebook rejected for the exam | School’s Respondus profile disables Chromebooks | Ask your instructor to check the profile setting |
| Wrong or unfamiliar extension installed | Installed from a store search | Remove it and use your school’s link |
What IT administrators need to do
Students either need permission to install Chrome extensions, or the extension must be pushed to them through the Google Admin console. Admins can assign the extension to an organizational unit and set it to Force Install. To target only students, they should do it at the user OU level, not the device OU level. The exact steps are in the "Managed Chromebooks" guide in the Respondus Admin Area, and Google documents managing ChromeOS device policies. If the problem persists, open a ticket with Respondus support and say you are using LockDown Browser for Chromebook.
If the install is blocked, that is an IT permission issue. Contact your help desk before exam day, not during it.
Ready for exam day
Installing LockDown Browser on a Chromebook comes down to four moves: confirm your platform is supported, add the extension from your school’s link, test your hardware and permissions early, and launch the exam from your course page. If something blocks you, it is almost always a school policy or an instructor setting, and a short message to IT or your instructor solves it.
If you want more plain-language walkthroughs of proctoring tools and what they do during an exam, browse our other proctored exam guides, or get WGU OA exam assistance if you are sitting a WGU assessment.