How can we detect or disable Google's new "Homework help" Chrome browser feature during Canvas quizzes?

[thompsli]

Google has rolled out a new "Homework Help" button in the URL bar of Chrome, and I just tested it out. During a Canvas quiz, if I click that button in the URL bar and select a quiz question in Canvas, it'll spit out the answer right in a sidebar without leaving the page.

Is there a way to detect this in the quiz logs or otherwise keep this feature from being used during quizzes in Canvas? 

Here's a video of it in action: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uT_IsBKYnMhQfiyWjHdpyuYbheoTxJbS/view?usp=sharing 

[Renee_Carney · Accepted solution]

@thompsli & Community! 

We really appreciate you raising this concern. Google’s new “Homework Help” feature is a recent change, and we recognize the impact it can have on assessments delivered in Canvas.

We’re actively engaging with our partners to support institutions navigating these changes:

• With proctoring partners: We’re sharing what we know and collaborating closely so they can adapt their solutions to continue meeting the needs of customers in this evolving landscape of AI and assessment.
• With Google: We’re reaching out to emphasize our shared commitment to academic integrity and excellence, and to explore options for reducing the risk of misuse in testing contexts.
• With the education community: We’re joining and helping lead conversations on doubling down on authentic assessment approaches - projects, portfolios, oral responses, and discussions - that AI tools like Homework Help cannot trivially solve.

As institutions consider how best to deliver high-stakes assessments, options such as lockdown browsers or integrated proctoring tools can help reduce the likelihood of students accessing outside tools and features during a quiz.

This is just the beginning of many conversations around AI and assessment, and we’ll continue to keep you posted as things progress.

[sage_freeman · Accepted solution]

Hi All,

You may have also noticed that the "Homework Help" button only displays when visiting sites like Canvas (very sneaky Google!). However, you can click into the URL address bar on any website for options to "Ask Google about this page" using Google Lens.

I did some research and discovered the following:

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Chrome - Google Lens

• This new Google Lens feature was released in Chrome 140 (Tuesday, September 2, 2025).
  • See Chrome Enterprise and Education release notes > Contextual search suggestions in Chrome address bar.
• The Google Chrome Blog includes an article that describes this new feature: 5 Chrome features I use all the time as a college student.

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Google Workspace

Google Workspace Admins who manage Chrome browser or ChromeOS devices for schools may be able to disable the Google Lens feature with the LensOverlaySettings policy. Otherwise, the GenAiDefaultSettings policy is used as the default. 

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Use of Personal Google Accounts

Keep in mind, a Google Workspace Admin cannot manage Chrome browser settings for users on personal computers if they are not signed into a Chrome browser profile using their school managed account. Management is tied to the Chrome profile, not just the Google Workspace account itself.

I believe schools can enforce a policy that requires a separate, managed Chrome profile whenever a user signs into their managed Google Workspace account on an unmanaged (personal) device. This would ensure that school or work-related browsing data is kept separate and managed, protecting both personal data and the organization's data.

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Google's Term's of Service for Chrome AI Features

Students signed into personal Google accounts are not managed by their school's organization and are subject to different terms of service. In other words, data is sent to Google and used to train their AI model. This includes any of the built-in AI features in Chrome such as Text capture or Help me write.

Use of Gen AI features in Chrome "are not covered by Chrome’s enterprise data guarantees for generative AI as they are subject to their own guarantees and/or terms of service." See the Generative AI features and policies help page for Chrome Enterprise and Education. This page includes a list of built-in and additional Google generative AI features available through Chrome (including a breakdown of which terms of service are subject for each feature).

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How can school's respond?

If you are a school that uses Google Workspace, find out who manages your Google Workspace for Education account. Ask them to contact your Google Workspace for Edu account rep and let them know that capturing data from password protected sites like Canvas is unethical.

[Renee_Carney · Accepted solution]

Greetings all, in our conversations with Google they would like us to share that you can and should log your concerns at via Report an issue or send feedback on Chrome

The Google Lens product team has let us know that they are exploring updating the logic to better avoid triggering on sites related to quizzes, exams, etc. 

And from our proctoring partners: 

• Honorlock: Look for a release today, designed to address this new feature.
• Respondus: LockDown Browser embeds its own version of Chrome, preventing students from using the many AI extensions that are available.
• Proctorio: Google Lens, and therefore Homework Help, are both blocked in their solution.

[Gracenbrock · Accepted solution]

WE'RE SAVED! https://archive.is/20250918102314/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/09/18/google-homewo...

"Teachers got mad about a cheat button in Chrome. Now Google’s pausing it."

[dbrace]

I did not reply back to the journalist (or check with my institution's College Relations office) but I got an email from them asking if I wanted to talk about my recent experience with it.

-Doug

[J_Kurosaki]

I appreciate you sharing this information.
It was a great help.