How to Deploy Helperbird in ChromeOS Kiosk Mode for Exams

This guide is for school IT administrators who manage shared Chromebooks used in kiosk mode for exams. It covers how to deploy Helperbird so that accessibility features are available to students during assessments, even when no personal Google account is signed in to the device.

This is especially useful when you have multiple shared Chromebooks (for example, one assigned to [email protected], another to [email protected]) that different students use for exams. Since you don't know which student will use which laptop, you need the Helperbird policy and license to be tied to the device, not to a student account.

What Is Kiosk Mode?

Kiosk mode is a ChromeOS feature that locks a managed Chromebook into a single app or web experience. When a Chromebook is in kiosk mode:

• The device runs a single app or opens a specific URL (for example, docs.new for exam use).
• There is no personal Google account signed in to the device itself.
• The Chromebook uses a special kiosk session that is managed through your Google Admin Console.
• Students can still sign in to Google services (like Google Docs) through the browser, using their own school email, but the device-level session is the kiosk account.

Kiosk mode is commonly used in schools for exam Chromebooks where students with IEP accommodations or 504 plans need accessibility tools during assessments.

How Helperbird Works in Kiosk Mode

Helperbird can run in kiosk mode because Chrome allows extensions to be force-installed and configured at the device level. Here is how it works:

• Policies are device-level, not user-level. In kiosk mode, there is no signed-in Google user on the device. Instead, the kiosk session has its own internal identity on Google's device management server. Policies you set in the Kiosks section of Google Admin are pushed to this kiosk identity.
• chrome.storage.managed works in kiosk mode. Helperbird reads its configuration (subscription key, admin settings, disabled features) from chrome.storage.managed. This storage area is populated by the managed JSON policy you set in Google Admin. It works the same in kiosk mode as it does for regular user sessions.
• The license key is tied to the device, not the student. When you push the subKey through the JSON policy in the Kiosks section, every Chromebook in that organizational unit gets the license automatically. It does not matter which student uses the device.

Before You Start

Make sure that:

• Your Chromebooks are enrolled in your Google Admin Console as managed devices
• Your Chromebooks are assigned to the correct organizational unit (OU) for exam devices
• You have administrator access to admin.google.com
• You have your Helperbird subscription key ready
• You know the Helperbird Chrome extension ID: ahmapmilbkfamljbpgphfndeemhnajme

If you haven't set up an organizational unit for your exam Chromebooks yet, see our guide on How to Set Up a Child Organizational Unit for Helperbird.

Step-by-Step Setup

Step 1: Open Google Admin Console

1. Go to admin.google.com.
2. Sign in with your admin account.

Step 2: Navigate to the Kiosks Section

This is the most important step. You must set the policy under Kiosks, not under Users & browsers.

1. Go to Devices > Chrome > Apps & extensions.
2. Click on the Kiosks tab at the top. Do not use the "Users & browsers" tab — policies set there will not reach kiosk sessions.
3. Select the organizational unit that your exam Chromebooks belong to (for example, "Exam Devices" or "Shared Chromebooks").

Step 3: Add Helperbird to the Kiosk OU

1. Click the + button (Add) to add a new extension.
2. Select Add from Chrome Web Store.
3. Search for Helperbird or enter the extension ID: ahmapmilbkfamljbpgphfndeemhnajme
4. Click on Helperbird to add it.

Step 4: Set the Installation Policy

1. Under Installation policy, select Force install.
2. This means Helperbird will be automatically installed on every Chromebook in that OU when it enters kiosk mode. Students cannot remove it.

Step 5: Set the Managed JSON Policy

1. In the Helperbird app settings panel, find the Policy for extensions or Managed configuration field.
2. Enter the following JSON:

{
  "subKey": {
    "Value": "YOUR-SUBSCRIPTION-KEY-HERE"
  },
  "isAdminControl": {
    "Value": true
  }
}

Replace YOUR-SUBSCRIPTION-KEY-HERE with your actual Helperbird subscription key.

Tip: In kiosk mode the browser toolbar may be hidden, so students might not see the Helperbird icon. Add "floatingButton": { "Value": true } to show a floating Helperbird button on every page. See our guide on How to Enable the Helperbird Floating Button for details.

3. Click Save.

Step 6: Optional - Disable Specific Features

If you want to limit which Helperbird features are available during exams, you can add feature disabling to the policy:

{
  "subKey": {
    "Value": "YOUR-SUBSCRIPTION-KEY-HERE"
  },
  "isAdminControl": {
    "Value": true
  },
  "disableFeatures": {
    "Value": true
  },
  "disabledFeatures": {
    "Value": [
      "EditorReader",
      "VoiceTypingOptions",
      "ScreenshotOptions"
    ]
  }
}

For a full list of feature codes, see our guide on How to Disable Helperbird Features Using JSON Policy.

Step 7: Optional - Enable the Floating Button

In kiosk mode the browser toolbar is often hidden, which means students cannot see the Helperbird extension icon. You can add a floating Helperbird button to the bottom-right corner of every page so students can open Helperbird with one click:

{
  "subKey": {
    "Value": "YOUR-SUBSCRIPTION-KEY-HERE"
  },
  "isAdminControl": {
    "Value": true
  },
  "floatingButton": {
    "Value": true
  }
}

For more details, see our guide on How to Enable the Helperbird Floating Button.

Step 8: Optional - Exclude Specific Domains

If you want Helperbird to be disabled on certain websites (for example, a testing platform), add domain exclusions:

{
  "subKey": {
    "Value": "YOUR-SUBSCRIPTION-KEY-HERE"
  },
  "isAdminControl": {
    "Value": true
  },
  "excludedDomains": {
    "Value": true
  },
  "excludedDomainsList": {
    "Value": [
      "testplatform.com",
      "examsite.edu"
    ]
  }
}

For more details, see our guide on How to Disable Helperbird on Specific Websites Using JSON Policy.

How Policies Sync to Devices

After you save the policy in Google Admin, it does not arrive on the Chromebook instantly. Here is how the sync works:

• ChromeOS devices check for policy updates every 3 hours by default.
• In practice, after you save a change in Google Admin, it can reach the device anywhere from under a minute to about 10-15 minutes.
• The fastest way to force a sync is to reboot the Chromebook. On boot, the kiosk session fetches a fresh policy from Google's device management server before launching.
• If you can access the browser in the kiosk session, you can also go to chrome://policy and click Reload policies to force an immediate sync without rebooting.

Verifying the Policy Arrived

To confirm the policy is active on a Chromebook:

1. In the kiosk session, open a browser tab and go to chrome://policy.
2. Look for the Helperbird extension ID (ahmapmilbkfamljbpgphfndeemhnajme) in the list.
3. You should see your subKey, isAdminControl, and any other values you set.
4. If the values are not showing, the most common fix is to reboot the Chromebook and check again.

How It Works on Exam Day

Here is the typical flow for a shared exam Chromebook in kiosk mode:

1. The Chromebook boots into kiosk mode.
2. The kiosk session opens the exam URL (for example, docs.new).
3. The student is prompted to sign in to Google with their school email.
4. Helperbird is already running because it was force-installed at the device level. The subscription key was pushed through the kiosk policy, so the student does not need to enter a license or sign in to Helperbird.
5. The student can use Helperbird features (text-to-speech, dyslexia fonts, reading rulers, etc.) during the exam.
6. When the exam is over, the next student can use the same Chromebook. Helperbird stays configured because the policy is tied to the device, not the student.

Troubleshooting

Helperbird is not appearing in kiosk mode

• Make sure you set the policy under Devices > Chrome > Apps & extensions > Kiosks, not under "Users & browsers". This is the most common mistake.
• Confirm the Chromebook is in the correct organizational unit in Google Admin. Check under Devices > Chrome > Devices and verify the OU for each Chromebook.
• Make sure the Chromebook is enrolled as a managed device. Unenrolled Chromebooks do not receive policies.
• Reboot the Chromebook to force a fresh policy sync.

The subscription key is not working

• Go to chrome://policy in the kiosk session and check that the subKey value is showing correctly.
• Make sure the JSON format is correct. Use our JSON Policy Validator to check for errors.
• Make sure you are using the correct subscription key. If you are unsure, check your Helperbird admin dashboard or contact our support team.

Policy changes are not taking effect

• ChromeOS checks for policy updates every 3 hours. Reboot the Chromebook to force an immediate sync.
• Alternatively, go to chrome://policy and click Reload policies.
• If the policy still does not appear after a reboot, double-check that the policy is set under the Kiosks tab (not Users & browsers) and that the Chromebook is in the right OU.

Helperbird features are disabled that should not be

• Check your disabledFeatures list in the JSON policy. Make sure you have not accidentally disabled features the student needs.
• Feature codes are case-sensitive. Check them against the tables in our feature disabling guide.

The device is in the wrong OU

• In Google Admin, go to Devices > Chrome > Devices.
• Find the Chromebook by serial number or enrolled email.
• Click on it and move it to the correct organizational unit.
• Reboot the Chromebook after moving it.

Validate Your Policy

Before deploying, use our JSON Policy Validator to check for errors, validate feature codes, and see exactly what each setting does.

Related Guides

• How to Enable the Helperbird Floating Button
• How to Use the Floating Helperbird Button (User Guide)
• How to Provision Helperbird with SDS, SFTP, or Clever
• How to Use Helperbird in Locked Mode on Chromebooks
• How to Deploy Helperbird to Your School
• How to Set Up a Child Organizational Unit for Helperbird
• How to Disable Helperbird Features Using JSON Policy
• How to Disable Helperbird on Specific Websites Using JSON Policy
• Force Installing the Helperbird Extension
• Installing Helperbird Through the Google Admin Console
• How to Deploy Helperbird to an Entire School District
• How to Login to Helperbird

References

• Manage Chrome kiosk app settings - Google Help
• Set ChromeOS device policies - Google Help
• Kiosk mode and public sessions - Chromium Docs
• Add web apps to Chrome kiosks - Google Help
• Automatically install apps and extensions - Google Help
• View and configure apps and extensions - Google Help
• Kiosk apps on ChromeOS - ChromeOS.dev
• Check policies in kiosk mode - ChromeOS.dev
• Manifest for managed storage - Chrome for Developers