How to lock down the browser with Chromebook Kiosk 

This guide walks Chromebook administrators through configuring ThinkCERCA to launch as a managed kiosk on enrolled ChromeOS devices. When set up correctly, a Chromebook boots directly into ThinkCERCA, so students cannot leave the app.

Setup takes about 10 minutes for a single organizational unit, plus device propagation time.

Prerequisites

• Google Workspace for Education with admin access to the Google Admin console
• Enrolled, managed ChromeOS devices grouped into an organizational unit (OU)
• Students have existing ThinkCERCA accounts (any sign-in method works: Clever, Google SSO, or ThinkCERCA-native)

Setup

Step 1. Register ThinkCERCA as a kiosk app

1. In the Google Admin console, go to Devices → Chrome → Apps & extensions → Kiosks.
2. In the left panel, select the OU that contains the Chromebooks you want to deploy to.
3. Click the yellow + button in the lower-right corner, then Add by URL.
4. Enter the following url exactly as it is here:
    

   https://learn.thinkcerca.com/?mode=kiosk
   

    

   The ?mode=kiosk query parameter is required. Without it, the app launches in its normal mode.
5. Click Save.

Step 2. Set ThinkCERCA Learn to auto-launch (optional)

1. In the kiosk app list, click ThinkCERCA Learn.
2. Toggle Auto-launch kiosk app to On.
3. Click Save.

Chromebooks in the selected OU will now boot directly into ThinkCERCA after their next restart and policy refresh.

If this is not configured, the ThinkCERCA app will be listed for students to choose in the login screen.

Step 3(optional). Recommended device policies

Under Devices → Chrome → Settings → Device for the same OU, the following settings are recommended:

Camera, microphone, and Bluetooth can remain at defaults — ThinkCERCA does not currently require them.

Verifying the kiosk works

After restarting a Chromebook in the configured OU:

1. The device boots straight into ThinkCERCA — no ChromeOS login screen, no shelf, no address bar.
2. The student signs in with their normal ThinkCERCA credentials.
3. After sign-in, the footer on the login and password-recovery screens shows only the copyright notice. Other links are hidden.
4. External links inside learning content are not clickable.
5. Standard ChromeOS shortcuts (Ctrl+T new tab, Alt+Tab, search key) do nothing.

If any of those don't match, see Troubleshooting below.

What students experience

• The Chromebook starts on the ThinkCERCA sign-in screen. There is no other app or website to navigate to.
• For shared classroom carts, restart the Chromebook between students to clear the previous session.

Troubleshooting Guide