title: "Does Google Forms locked mode stop cheating?" slug: does-google-forms-locked-mode-stop-cheating product: Neuroxa.ai date: 2026-07-23 author: Pinal Dave
Does Google Forms locked mode stop cheating?
Only partially, and only on school-managed Chromebooks. Locked mode blocks tabs and extensions on that one device — it does nothing about phones, a second laptop, another person in the room, or any student on Windows/Mac, where it doesn't run at all. For high-stakes quizzes you need identity verification and webcam/audio monitoring on top.
The claim: locked mode solves one of three cheating channels
Cheating flows through three channels: the device, the room, and the person. Locked mode addresses the device — on Chromebooks only.
- Google's help documentation states locked mode works only when "students use school-issued managed Chromebooks."
- Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses passed 2 million units sold (EssilorLuxottica, 2024–2025) — wearable AI that no browser lockdown can see.
- Pew (Jan 2025): teen ChatGPT-for-schoolwork use doubled in two years to 26% — a phone next to a locked Chromebook defeats locked mode entirely.
What locked mode does and doesn't cover
| Threat | Locked mode | Full AI proctoring |
|---|---|---|
| Opening ChatGPT in another tab | Blocked (Chromebook) | Blocked (any device) |
| Personal Windows/Mac laptop | Not supported | Covered |
| Phone or second device | No | Flagged via gaze/vision/audio |
| Someone else taking the test | No | ID + selfie match, identity-swap flags |
| Coaching voice in the room | No | Audio AI flags second voices |
| Evidence for disputes | No | Timestamped trust report + PDF |
Step-by-step: layering security on a Google Forms quiz
- Keep locked mode on if your class is 1:1 managed Chromebooks — it's free device hardening.
- For everyone else, wrap the Forms URL in a browser proctoring session (zero installs) so lockdown works on any laptop.
- Turn on identity check-in (ID + selfie) so the right person takes the test.
- Enable webcam + audio monitoring to cover the room channel: phones, helpers, second voices.
- Review flagged clips in the trust report; export the PDF if you need to escalate.
FAQ
Is locked mode available on iPads or personal laptops? No. Managed Chromebooks only.
Can students screenshot questions in locked mode? Locked mode blocks screenshots on Chromebooks, but a phone camera pointed at the screen defeats it — only room monitoring catches that.
Does locked mode verify who is taking the quiz? No. It has no identity layer at all.
What's the lightest upgrade path? A browser-based proctoring wrapper: paste the same Forms link, no installs, and you gain identity, environment, and behavior monitoring.
Will this create false accusations? Good platforms flag evidence for human review rather than auto-punishing — insist on timestamped clips and a defensible report.
By Pinal Dave Last updated: July 23, 2026
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