Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about Silent Student — how it works, what it supports, and how to get started.
Getting started
What is Silent Student?
Silent Student is a desktop application for Mac and Windows that automatically completes your Canvas LMS assignments. It handles quizzes, essays, discussion posts, and file uploads natively, plus external courseware like WebAssign, Apex Learning, Cengage MindTap, Packback, McGraw Hill SmartBook, and myBusinessCourse.
How is this different from a Chrome extension?
Chrome extensions run inside your browser, which means Canvas can detect them, they interfere with your normal browsing, and they can't handle complex platforms like WebAssign's equation editor. Silent Student is a standalone desktop app that runs its own browser in the background. Your real browser stays completely untouched.
How do I install it?
Go to the download page, grab the installer for your OS, and run it. The Mac version is Apple-notarized and the Windows version is Azure Trusted Signing certified — no "unidentified developer" warnings. Sign in with your Canvas credentials and sync your courses. You're running in under two minutes.
What Canvas credentials do I need?
Your normal Canvas username and password — the same ones you use to log into your school's Canvas portal. Silent Student signs into Canvas the same way you do, through your school's login page. It supports direct login, SSO (Okta, ClassLink, Clever), and CAS authentication.
How it works
Does it submit assignments automatically?
For quizzes, yes — it reads each question, determines the answer, and submits. For essays and discussion posts, it creates a draft first and waits for you to approve, edit, or regenerate before submitting. You always have final say on written work.
How does it handle math and science homework?
Silent Student has dedicated solvers for math-heavy platforms. WebAssign gets full equation-editor support with derivatives, integrals, matrices, and chemical notation (H₂O, Na⁺). Cengage MindTap handles ChemPad formulas and SIM activities. Each sub-question is submitted and verified individually — it never moves on from a wrong answer.
Can it handle Apex Learning quizzes and tests?
Yes. The Apex Learning solver works with the Kuiper player — it navigates study activities, practices, quizzes, and tests at human-like pace with jittered timing. It skips locked activities and auto-advances through units. Scoring is calibrated to avoid suspicious perfect scores.
What about AI detection on written assignments?
For platforms like Packback where AI detection is active, Silent Student applies a humanization layer that adjusts sentence structure, vocabulary, and writing patterns. It also matches your personal writing style if you provide writing samples. The goal is natural-sounding prose, not evasion.
Can I run it overnight?
Yes. Queue your assignments, set it running, and close your laptop lid. Silent Student processes assignments in due-date order and stops when the queue is empty. Check your grades in the morning.
Platforms and compatibility
Which LMS platforms does it support?
Silent Student works primarily with Canvas LMS by Instructure. It also supports D2L Brightspace (eCampus) as a primary LMS. It does not currently support Blackboard, Moodle, or Google Classroom.
Which external courseware works?
Seven platforms have dedicated solvers: WebAssign (math, physics, chemistry), Apex Learning (full courses), Cengage MindTap (math + SIM), McGraw Hill SmartBook (adaptive learning), Packback (discussions), myBusinessCourse (accounting), and Cengage Vapor Pressure SIM. Anything else falls back to the vision agent, which uses screenshots to navigate and answer.
Does it work on Mac and Windows?
Yes. macOS 13 Ventura or later (Apple Silicon and Intel), and Windows 10 or later (64-bit). Both installers are code-signed — Apple-notarized on Mac, Azure Trusted Signing on Windows. See system requirements.
Pricing and accounts
How much does it cost?
Three tiers: Starter at $12/month (Canvas-native assignments only), Pro at $24.99/month (adds all external platforms), and Unlimited at $49.99/month (unlimited runs + vision agent + writing style matching). See the full pricing comparison.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Monthly billing, cancel anytime from your account page. No contracts, no cancellation fees.
Is there a free trial?
You can see the app in action on the live demo page before downloading. Paid plans start after you subscribe through the app.