Chrome multiple desktops with Hāpara Highlights Follow

In this article:

• How it works
• Viewing multiple desktops in Highlights
• Preventing students from avoiding Highlights with multiple desktops

How it works

Google Chromebook's Multiple Desktop feature allows students to add desks to organize multiple windows and multitask. Unfortunately, this feature cannot be managed in the Google Admin Console.

Viewing multiple desktops in Highlights

We are pleased to inform you that teachers can see all tabs during student browsing, even when students are browsing via a virtual desktop. Their open tabs will appear to the teacher as if the student were browsing Chrome in the same window.

However, this does require that the student is signed in to their school-issued Google account on all desktops. 

Preventing students from avoiding Highlights with multiple desktops

To keep students from signing in to Chrome with other Google accounts, which would allow them to avoid Highlights in other desktops once signed in to their Chromebook:

First we recommend checking Chrome Management for signed-in users as this essentially pushes Chrome config at the browser level. This means as long as a student is signed into the Chrome browser they should receive forced installed extensions, as per configured Google policy:

1. Open the Google Admin Console.
2. Navigate to Devices > Chrome > Settings.
3. Scroll down to Chrome management for signed-in users <-- or click for shortcut link.
4. Select a Student OU and select “Chrome Management for signed-in users”.

We recommend configuring this to “Apply all user policies when users sign in to Chrome, and provide a managed Chrome experience”.  Verify this is the selected option for the OU that contains student accounts, and save.

Next double-check that the Chrome Sync service is configured on, so when a user signs into their browser, Google updates including Chrome policies and force-installed Extensions sync across:

1. Apps > Google Workspace > Google Chrome Sync.
2. Click Service status.
3. Confirm this is On for everyone, and then click Save.

You may want to force users to sign in to the Chrome Browser also. This helps apply Chrome Management policies to managed Chrome Browsers on any device, including Windows and Mac.

Finally, we recommend blocking multiple sign-ins for your student OU which helps prevent multiple Google accounts signing in to the same device.

• Log into the Google Workspace Admin Console at https://admin.google.com as an administrator.
• Select the menu in the top-left corner. Click on Devices > Chrome > Settings > User and browser settings.
• Type in multiple sign to find the setting for Multiple sign-in access.
• Select the Organizational Unit that contains student accounts.

• Change Multiple sign-in access to Block multiple sign-in access for users in this organization. 

• Click Save at the bottom of the screen.

Students will not be able to sign in to any other accounts on this device, keeping them signed in to only their school-issued Google account. All tabs will then be visible to teachers in Highlights.

For other settings in your Google Admin Console to keep students from avoiding Highlights, see Strengthening Highlights and preventing student loopholes.

If you would like to be able to manage multiple desktops as an administrator, we suggest submitting a feature request to Google so they know this is something that would be helpful in the management of your student devices.