Layers — Installation Guide

Deploy or install the Layers Chrome extension

v1.4.1
⚡ Ready in under 5 minutes

Get started with Layers

Choose your setup path below. Teachers start with a personal install, IT admins deploy to all devices at once.

🧑‍🏫

I'm a teacher

Install Layers on your browser, create a classroom room, and learn to control student screens in real time.

⏱ ~5 min
→ Start teacher setup
🔧

I'm IT / school admin

Deploy Layers to all student devices at once — no student action needed. Requires admin access.

⏱ ~3 min
→ Choose deployment method
Install1
Room2
Students3
Controls4
1

Install the Layers teacher app

⏱ ~2 min
▾
1

Download Layers for Windows

Click the button below to download the Layers .zip file. Extract it and you'll find the Layers.exe file inside — no installer needed.

⬇ Download Layers.zip
💡 On a school computer? If the app won't open from your Downloads folder, copy Layers.exe to your Desktop first, then run it from there.
2

Handle the Windows SmartScreen warning

When you double-click Layers.exe, Windows will show a blue SmartScreen warning saying "Windows protected your PC". This is normal for independent software that isn't signed with an expensive Microsoft certificate.

Step A Click "More info"
Step B Click "Run anyway"
⚠️ You only need to do this once. After the first launch, Windows will remember your choice and open Layers normally.
3

Layers is running

The Layers toolbar will appear floating on your screen. It starts in trial mode — all features work for 14 days, no license key needed.

✓

App installed

✅

Layers is ready on your computer

The toolbar floats above all your apps — PowerPoint, Chrome, YouTube, everything. Now continue below to create a classroom room.

2

Create a classroom room

⏱ ~2 min
▾
1

Open the Settings panel in Layers

Click the 🗂️ icon to open the Layers toolbar, then click the ⚙ Settings button at the bottom of the toolbar.

2

Click "Create Room" and enter a name & password

Give your room a memorable name (e.g. English 3A) and set a password. Students will need the Room Name and Password to join.

💡 The Room Name is your Room ID — keep it simple and easy to type. You can save multiple rooms and switch between them in Settings.
3

Write the Room Name & Password on the board

Students will need your Room Name and Password to connect in the next step. Display them where the class can see.

💡 You can change the password at any time in Settings.
✓

Your classroom is live

🎉

Students are connected — you're in control

Use the teacher controls below to focus, lock, or send links to all student browsers at once. Changes take effect within seconds.

3

Students install & join

⏱ ~2 min
▾

Students need to install the free Layers Chrome extension, then join the room you created. Show them the QR code or share the link — it takes under a minute.

Translation, dictionary, notes & timer — floats over any page

Scan the QR code
chromewebstore.google.com/detail/alielgklefmocpmnmfahepacngmeomof
🔗 Open Chrome Web Store

Can't scan? Click the link above

After installing — students join your room
1

Students open the Layers toolbar

Students click the 🗂️ icon in the top-right of their Chrome toolbar to open Layers, then click ⚙ Settings.

2

Students enter the Room Name & Password

Students type the Room Name and Password you created in Step 2, then click Join Room.

💡 Write the Room Name and Password on the board so students can see it. You can change the password later in Settings.
✓

Students are connected

🎉

Your classroom is live

You'll see a green indicator in your Layers toolbar showing how many students are connected. Each student's number appears in your teacher panel.

4

Master the controls

⏱ ~2 min
▾

Once students are connected to your room, you control their Layers toolbar from yours. Here is what each command does — try the interactive demo below.

🎯

Focus Mode

Collapses the student toolbar to a minimal strip. Students can still use the timer and notes but cannot open other panels. Keeps students on task.

Soft restriction
🔒

Lockdown Mode

Fully locks the student toolbar with a PIN. Students cannot close or interact with it until you release. Use during tests or assessments.

Hard restriction
🔗

Push a Link

Opens a specific URL on all connected student browsers simultaneously. Useful for sharing a reading, a Google Form, or a video.

Opens new tab
🚫

Block Sites

Sends a list of blocked domains to student extensions. Any student who tries to open a blocked domain is redirected. Works in addition to IT-level blocking.

Per-room override
🗓️

Schedule

Set a daily time window during which Focus or Lockdown turns on automatically. Set it once and it runs every day without any teacher action.

Runs automatically
🆘

Student Help Signal

Students press a Help button inside their Layers toolbar. Their student number flashes in your teacher panel — no hands raised, no noise.

Silent alert
Interactive Demo — Try the teacher controls

Click the buttons on the right to see how student screens respond. Click any student tile to simulate a help request.

🧑‍🏫 Layers Teacher Panel
English 3A  ·  8 students
Connected Students
Commands
› Room active — 8 students connected. Click a command or a student tile.
💡 Click any student tile above to simulate a help request — the tile flashes amber. Click again to dismiss. In your real classroom, this happens automatically when a student presses the Help button in their toolbar.

🎉 Setup complete!

You're all set. Open Layers on your computer to start your first classroom session.

ChromeOS

Chromebook Admin

Force-install via Google Workspace Admin Console

Windows

Windows Admin

Force-install via registry on Windows 10/11 PCs

macOS

Mac Teacher App

Download & first-launch setup for macOS

🔒 This guide requires Google Workspace admin access. If you're a teacher without admin rights, ask your school's IT department to follow these steps, or use the Teacher Setup tab instead.
ℹ️ This installs the Layers Chrome extension on every student Chromebook automatically — no student action needed. The extension appears immediately and cannot be removed by students.
1

Open Google Admin Console

Sign in with your Google Workspace admin account.

https://admin.google.com
2

Navigate to Chrome App Management

Follow this path in the left sidebar:

Devices› Chrome› Apps & Extensions› Users & Browsers
3

Select the Student Organisational Unit

In the left panel, click the OU that contains your students (e.g. Students or Year 1). This ensures the extension only installs for students, not staff.

4

Add the Layers Extension

Click the ＋ button (bottom-right) → Add from Chrome Web Store. Search for "Layers", or paste the extension ID:

iclfdiolilnmjeimkdoeloeiioaongnh

Select the Layers extension and click Select.

5

Set Installation Policy to Force Install

After adding the extension, a settings panel appears. Set:

Installation policy Force install
Pin to toolbar Enabled (recommended)
⚠️ Do not choose "Allow install" — students must not be able to remove it. Choose Force install.
6

Save

Click Save in the top-right corner. The policy deploys immediately.

✓

Done — What Happens Next

🎉

Extension auto-installs on all student devices

Students will see the Layers icon in their Chrome toolbar the next time they sign in or restart Chrome. No student action required. The extension cannot be removed while the policy is active.

🔒 This guide requires Windows administrator rights. If you're a teacher without admin access, ask your school's IT department to follow these steps, or use the Teacher Setup tab instead.
ℹ️ This adds a registry entry that tells Chrome to force-install the Layers extension on Windows PCs. Students cannot remove it.
Recommended

⚙️ Registry (.reg file)

Double-click to install. 30 sec per machine.

Fastest

💻 Silent .bat Script

Run from USB or network share. No clicks.

1

Download the .reg file

Save it anywhere on the target PC.

⚠️ Windows may warn "Unknown publisher" — click Yes to continue. This is normal for .reg files.
2

Run as Administrator

Right-click layers-install.reg → Merge (or double-click). Accept the UAC prompt.

3

Restart Chrome

Close and reopen Chrome. The extension installs automatically within seconds.

✓

Done

🎉

Layers is now force-installed

The 🗂️ icon appears in the Chrome toolbar. The extension cannot be removed while the registry key exists.

What's inside the .reg file (for reference):

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallForcelist]
"1"="alielgklefmocpmnmfahepacngmeomof;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx"
💡 If value "1" is already taken by another extension, change it to "2" or any unused number.
1

Download the .bat script

2

Run as Administrator

Right-click layers-install.bat → Run as administrator. A black window flashes briefly.

⚠️ Must be run as Administrator or the registry write will fail silently.
3

Restart Chrome

Close and reopen Chrome. The extension installs automatically within seconds.

✓

Done

🎉

Layers is force-installed

Copy the .bat to a USB stick and run it on each student PC in under 60 seconds each.

What's inside the .bat file:

@echo off
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallForcelist" ^
  /v 1 ^
  /t REG_SZ ^
  /d "alielgklefmocpmnmfahepacngmeomof;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx" ^
  /f
echo Layers extension force-install policy applied.
pause
🍎 Download the Layers Teacher app for Mac (.dmg). The app is not yet code-signed, so the first launch requires one extra step.
1

Download the .dmg from Google Drive

Open the folder and download the Layers Teacher.dmg file.

⬇ Open Google Drive folder
2

Open the .dmg and drag the app to Applications

Double-click the downloaded .dmg file. Drag Layers Teacher.app into your Applications folder.

3

First launch — right-click to open

Because the app is not yet code-signed, macOS will block it on the first launch with the message: "Layers Teacher.app cannot be opened because it is from an unidentified developer."

🖱️ Right-click the app in Applications → click Open → click Open in the dialog. You only need to do this once — after that, the app opens normally.
💡 Alternative: go to System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down, and click Open Anyway next to the Layers warning.
✓

Done — Layers is running

🎉

The toolbar is floating on your screen

From now on, double-click the app to open it normally. Layers floats above Keynote, Safari, YouTube, and any full-screen app. A 14-day free trial starts automatically — no license key needed to begin.