How do you install and start it on each device?
We combined Respondus’s device articles into one table. Install once per device, then use the start method that matches your quiz type. Your instructor’s course says which type a quiz is; if you are unsure, follow the course’s own instructions.
| Device | Install | Classic Quiz | New Quiz | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 or 11 | School link, signed in as a local administrator; run the .exe and accept the defaults | Open LockDown Browser from the desktop icon, log in to Canvas, go to the quiz | Open the quiz in a standard browser such as Chrome or Firefox and use the launch button on the quiz page | Windows S mode and SE are not supported |
| Mac (macOS 12+) | School link with an administrator account; unzip if needed, then open the .pkg installer | Open LockDown Browser from Applications, log in, go to the quiz | Open the quiz in a standard browser and use the launch button | System Integrity Protection must be on |
| Chromebook | School link, which opens the Chrome Web Store; choose “Add to Chrome” | Go to the course, then Quizzes or the module, and click the quiz title | Managed Chromebooks may need IT to allow or push the extension | |
| iPad (iPadOS 15+) | “LockDown Browser” app from the App Store | Open the app, pick your institution and server the first time, log in, go to the quiz | Open the quiz in Safari or Chrome; the app launches | Not the Canvas Student app; webcam exams need your instructor to allow iPads |
Where do you get the download link?
From your school. Respondus says students “should only use the download link unique to that institution,” which “may be provided by the instructor or institution directly, or some institutions’ learning systems provide the link from within a test that requires the use of LockDown Browser.” The address has the form download.respondus.com/lockdown/download.php?id= followed by your school’s 9-digit Institution ID, and Respondus warns not to use the placeholder version. On a Chromebook the same link takes you to the Chrome Web Store; Respondus says you “will NOT be able to search for the app directly from the Chrome web store.”
The install “only needs to be done once (per device).”
Why do Classic and New Quizzes start differently?
Respondus’s install guide says that for Canvas “Classic” quizzes you start LockDown Browser yourself, from the desktop icon on Windows (a blue diamond with a gold padlock) or the Applications folder on a Mac. It opens your school’s Canvas login page; you log in and go to the quiz “just as they would in a regular browser.” If you open a Classic Quiz in a normal browser instead, you “will see a message indicating that they must instead use LockDown Browser.”
New Quizzes work the other way round. On an iPad, Respondus says to “Open your mobile browser (Safari, Chrome, etc.), log into your learning system, and navigate to the quiz. Start the quiz; the LockDown Browser app will automatically launch.” On a computer, most systems use a button on the quiz page; Respondus notes the label varies: “Launch LockDown Browser, Launch Quiz, View Assessment, etc.”
What are the system requirements?
From Respondus’s requirements page:
- Windows: 11 and 10 (version 10.0.19045 or newer). “Windows 10/11 ‘S mode’ is not a compatible operating system,” and neither is Windows SE. LockDown Browser is not in the Microsoft Store.
- Mac: macOS 12 or later.
- ChromeOS: at least the version Google offers on its Long Term Support channel; Respondus recommends the current Stable version.
- iPad: iPadOS 15.0 or later, with a compatible LMS integration.
- Memory: 2 GB RAM, and “A minimum 4gb of available RAM is necessary” for an exam that also uses a webcam.
- Disk: 300 MB free on Windows, 400 MB on a Mac.
What if the quiz also needs a webcam?
Some quizzes add Respondus Monitor, which records with your webcam. Respondus says you will be “guided through a brief set of screens prior to the start of the exam,” starting with a webcam check, and your instructor may add steps “such as showing your identification, or recording a brief video of your examination setting.” Our exam-day guide to LockDown Browser walks through what that looks like.
To test ahead of time, open LockDown Browser, log in and pick a course. A Help Center button then appears on the toolbar with a “Webcam Check,” a “System Check” and a “Knowledge Base.”
How do you fix common LockDown Browser errors?
“Respondus LockDown Browser Required” on a Chromebook
Respondus gives three causes. The extension may not be installed or turned on: check chrome://extensions and reinstall from your school’s link if it is missing. Cookies may be stopping it from being recognized: clear cookies and site data, restart, and try again. Or you reached the quiz by a route it can’t read: go “first to the course, then to the quizzes content area (or relevant module), then click the quiz title,” and avoid “reminder, calendar, or ‘to-do’ links.”
The webcam isn’t detected
Respondus’s steps start with updating: click the “i” icon on the LockDown Browser toolbar (a globe on a Mac) and choose to check for a new version. If that doesn’t help, restart the computer and close any other apps that use the camera, then run the system check and webcam check in Help Center. In the webcam check you can switch cameras; Respondus says to pick the real built-in or external camera and to “Never select anything labeled ‘splitter’ or ‘filter.’” If problems persist, it suggests an external USB webcam.
Windows says the app isn’t Microsoft-verified
Your PC is set to install only Microsoft Store apps. Respondus says to change Settings > Apps > Apps and features > Choose where to get apps to “anywhere” and run the installer again. If the PC is in S mode, LockDown Browser won’t run on it.
LockDown Browser closes on a Mac
LockDown Browser for Mac “now requires that System Integrity Protection (SIP) be fully enabled.” To check, open Terminal and type csrutil status; Respondus says the output should read “System Integrity Protection status: enabled.” If it says disabled or unknown, Respondus links Apple’s instructions for turning it back on.
The iPad says your instructor hasn’t enabled tablets
Then that quiz has to be taken on a Windows or Mac computer. Respondus also says not to start Apple’s Guided Access before opening LockDown Browser.
Still stuck
Contact your instructor or your school’s help desk first, since they hold the course settings. Respondus also takes support tickets at support.respondus.com.
Questions people ask
How do I download LockDown Browser for Canvas?
Use your school’s own Respondus download link, which your instructor or school provides and some Canvas quizzes show on the quiz page. It only needs to be installed once per device.
Do I open LockDown Browser first or Canvas first?
For Canvas Classic Quizzes, open LockDown Browser first and log in to Canvas inside it. For New Quizzes, open the quiz in your normal browser and launch LockDown Browser from the quiz page.
Can I use LockDown Browser on an iPad with Canvas?
Yes, with the LockDown Browser app on iPadOS 15 or later, if your instructor allows tablets. It does not work with the Canvas Student iPad app.
Does LockDown Browser work on a Chromebook?
Yes, as a Chrome extension installed from your school’s link. You can’t find it by searching the Chrome Web Store, and managed Chromebooks may need IT to allow it.
Why does Canvas say Respondus LockDown Browser Required?
On a Chromebook, Respondus says the extension may be missing or off, cookies may be interfering, or you opened the quiz from a calendar, reminder or to-do link instead of the course’s quiz list.
Does LockDown Browser work on Windows S mode?
No. Respondus says Windows 10/11 S mode and Windows SE are not compatible.
Sources
All fetched and checked November 2, 2026.
- LockDown Browser: The Student Experience (Respondus support)
- How do I install LockDown Browser? (Respondus support)
- Can an iPad be used to take a LockDown Browser exam? (instructions for students) (Respondus support)
- Can a Chromebook be used with LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor? (Higher Ed) (Respondus support)
- What are the computer requirements for installations of Respondus LockDown Browser? (Respondus support)
- Canvas: “Respondus LockDown Browser Required” Message Returned (Respondus support)
- What is the “Help Center” icon on the toolbar in LockDown Browser for? (Respondus support)
- Cannot detect or configure the webcam (Respondus support)
- The App You’re Trying to Install isn’t a Microsoft-Verified App (Respondus support)
- LockDown Browser for Mac System Integrity Protection (Respondus support)
How this guide was made. Drafted with AI from the official Respondus help docs listed above and checked by Silent Student on November 2, 2026. We quote each article directly. The device table is our combination of Respondus’s separate Windows, Mac, Chromebook and iPad articles. Some Respondus articles are a few years old, so your school’s link page and quiz may look different.
Related guides: Respondus LockDown Browser: what to expect on exam day · Does Canvas track tabs? · What happens when a Canvas quiz time limit runs out? · What can teachers see on Canvas? · All guides · Canvas
Written by the company that makes Silent Student. Silent Student is not affiliated with or endorsed by Respondus or Instructure. LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor are trademarks of Respondus, Inc. Canvas and Instructure are trademarks of Instructure, Inc.