App Packs for Education
Many teachers deploying Chrome and Chrome Devices for Education want to force install or recommend Chrome web apps on their students' devices. However, given the thousands of Chrome web apps available, it's not always apparent which ones are the best for your class. Google has created Chrome App Packs, which are groups of popular applications from the Chrome Web Store that are tailored to meet students' needs.
These curated apps save teachers time, offer discounts for bulk app purchases, and help teachers find the best apps by category and grade level. Many of these apps integrate with Google Drive to provide an easy way to turn in homework, and many of these apps offer lesson plans for teachers.
App Packs for 3 grade levels
App Packs are groups of Chrome web apps bundled by grade level:
You can access the App Packs from the Admin console by going to Device management > Chrome management > User settings > Manage force-installed apps.
App Packs are only available for Google Apps for Education customers. When you force install these apps on your students' managed Chrome devices, your students will see them when they sign in to their Chrome devices. Also, if your students are using Chrome on a Windows, Mac, or Linux computer, they will see these apps when they sign in to Chrome with their Google Apps account on that device.
How much do they cost?
Each App Pack has 3 types for Chrome web apps:
- Free: These apps are provided free of charge.
- Freemium: These apps are provided free of charge, but a premium is charged for advanced features.
- Paid: Many of these apps come with a demo version, but cost money to use the full version.
To learn the price of an app you'd like to install, sign in to your Chrome Settings page, go to the Applications tab, and click on bulk purchase. This takes you to the Apps for your classroom page, which has information on what type of app it is.
How to install apps and App Packs
- Free: Click Try to try a single app with your admin account. Follow these steps to force install a free app to your students' Chrome devices. Instead of force installing these apps, you can also recommend them in your Chrome Web Store private collection.
To add only free apps available in App Packs to your students’ Chrome devices, follow these steps:- Sign in to the Admin console.
- Click Device management > Chrome management > User settings > Manage pre-installed apps.
- In the dialog box opens up, click on the App Pack you want (Elementary School, Middle School, or High School).
- Click Add all free apps.
This adds all free and freemium apps in the app pack that you've selected to your students' Chrome devices.
- Freemium: These apps are provided free of charge, but a premium is charged for advanced features. The steps to Try, force install, or recommend the apps are the same as free apps.
If you want your students to access the advanced functionality of the app, click on Upgrade in the Bulk Purchase site. Enjoy a discount when you purchase 20 or more user licenses. (See Purchase apps in Bulk). The app provider will activate the app for your students once the purchase is complete, and they will be able to use the premium features in the app when they're signed in to their Google Apps accounts.
- Paid: These apps cost money to use. When you click Try, your single admin account will likely be given access to a demo version of the app. In some cases, you can request trial access for multiple student accounts. Click Buy to purchase one or more licenses for the app. Enjoy a discount when you purchase 20 or more licenses. (See Purchase Apps in Bulk). After your purchase, return to the User settings page in the Admin console to install the app for your users. The app provider will give you specific instructions to activate licenses for your students so that they can use the app when signed in to their Google Apps accounts.
Purchase apps in bulk
Purchasing Freemium or Paid apps in an App Pack as a Bulk Purchase (20 or more user licenses per app) can save you money. You can bulk purchase apps by clicking the note under Allowed Apps and Extensions: "You can now bulk purchase apps for your classroom". The bulk purchase link takes you to the Apps for your classroom site, where you can choose to purchase some or all of the apps in an App Pack.
Once you complete the transaction, the app provider provisions or activates the licenses. Return to the User Settings page in the Admin console to force install or recommend the app for your users.
Chrome web apps included in App Packs
To view the latest App Packs available for your grade level, see the following: