How to Use Helperbird During Google Forms Locked Quizzes
Learn how to use Helperbird accessibility features during a Google Forms locked quiz. Turn on your features before starting the quiz and they will stay active throughout.
When a teacher turns on locked mode for a Google Forms quiz, the Chromebook screen is locked down so you cannot open other tabs or apps. The good news is that Helperbird can still work during locked quizzes. The key is to have your features turned on before you click Start on the quiz.
Before You Start
For Helperbird to work during a locked quiz, it must be force-installed on your Chromebook by your school admin. If you installed Helperbird yourself, it will be disabled during locked mode.
If you are not sure whether Helperbird is force-installed, ask your teacher or IT admin. They can check by following our admin setup guide.
How It Works
When you have Helperbird open and your features turned on before clicking Start on the locked quiz, those features will stay active throughout the quiz. Helperbird remembers your settings, so once a feature is on, it stays on.
This means you should set up everything you need before you begin the quiz, not after.
Step by Step
Step 1: Open the quiz page
Navigate to the Google Forms quiz your teacher has shared with you. Do not click Start yet.
Step 2: Open Helperbird
Click the Helperbird icon in your browser toolbar to open the Helperbird panel.
Step 3: Turn on the features you need
Turn on any features you want to use during the quiz. For example, text-to-speech, a reading ruler, dyslexia fonts, color overlays, or the highlight menu.
Make sure each feature is active and working on the page before you move on.
Step 4: Start the quiz
Once your features are set up and working, click Start on the locked quiz. Your Helperbird features will stay active while you take the quiz.
Recommended Features for Quizzes
Here are some features that work well during locked quizzes:
- Text-to-speech to have questions and answer choices read aloud.
- Highlight menu to highlight key words in questions.
- Reading ruler or line focus to help track your place on the page.
- Dyslexia-friendly fonts like OpenDyslexic or Lexie Readable.
- Color overlays to reduce glare and make text easier to read.
- Font size and spacing adjustments for more comfortable reading.
Troubleshooting
Helperbird is not showing during the quiz:
- Helperbird must be force-installed by your school admin. If you installed it yourself, it will not work in locked mode. Ask your teacher or IT admin for help.
I forgot to turn on my features before starting:
- Unfortunately, you may not be able to open the Helperbird panel once the quiz is locked. Ask your teacher if you can exit and restart the quiz so you can set up your features first.
My features stopped working during the quiz:
- Try clicking the Helperbird icon in the toolbar to reopen the panel.
- If that does not work, your school admin may need to check the force-install settings. See our admin guide for details.
