For this specific case, we will learn how to block Google Doodles using Safe Doc in the GWFE. Google's Home Page has a special feature called Google Doodle. On some special occasions, like a festival or any special event, you will see a Graphic HTML image in place of the Google logo.
Why do you need to Block Google Doodles in Google Workspace for Education?
Most of the time, the Google Doodle is static and has an HTML graphic, but there have been times when the Google Doodle is dynamic and interactive. It could be a game you could play or a video that you could see. Some of these Google Doodles are playable html5 games like the Celebrating Bubble Tea or Gerald Jerry Lawson's 82nd Birthday Doodle or Doodle Champion Island Games released on August 31, 2020, to celebrate the Tokyo Olympics 2020. However, games like these can be addictive to students.
Most Google Doodles have a link that redirects you to that specific page, where you can access it. Therefore, having this feature is problematic, and students could get distracted.
This could further become a nuisance for the teacher, who might find it difficult to control the class because the student's focus has been disrupted because of the Google Doodle. The students could play games while a class is going on. Therefore, this feature needs to be eliminated so that the students cannot access it. This is where Safe Doc is a useful tool. Safe Doc is also a handy piece of software because it helps the K-12 school administrators, teachers, and managers to maintain the necessary discipline while the class is going on.
It also helps students to remain focused on their lesson and not get involved elsewhere when the class is in full flow. Since there is no option to disable the Google Doodle on the home page, we need Safe Doc to disable and remove it. Google also has no specific policy to remove this doodle, so most people are helpless and have to use the Google Homepage as it is.
Although this problem has an unconventional remedy, it is not a permanent solution to the problem. If you use Google.com instead of your local Google page (it is different for every country), then this problem could be solved. But you never know. What if Google put a Doodle on the home page itself?
Why do we need Safe Doc?
To fill the gaps in these features of Google Workspace, we need Safe Doc, which helps alter undesirable features. If required, these features can be completely eliminated also.
How to block Google Doodles using Safe Doc?
This policy blocks Google Doodles on the Google Search Home page and the Search Result Pages. Since Google Doodle can be accessed by one and all, removing it from the page is essential. You can use Safe Doc BlockGoogleDoodle policy version 1.41.0. This policy helps remove the doodle from the Google Homepage and helps to create a distraction-free environment for both students and teachers.
You need to follow these steps to enable this feature in Google Meet-
- First, you need to install Safe Doc. Install it by following the instructions provided deploy safe doc to your students’ Chrome browser.
- After installing Safe Doc on the browser, you need to follow the instructions to configure Safe Doc.
- Go to the Google Admin Console.
- After that click on Devices > Chrome>Apps & Extensions>Users & Browsers.
- Click the Organizational Unite (OU ), where you want to apply the policy, and click on the installed Safe Doc extension.
- Copy the Policy. It should look something like this given below
"BlockGoogleDoodle": { "Value": true } - ON/OFF default value? Off.
- Then click on Save.
Given below are the changes that are brought by the policy. Here are the screenshots of before implementing the policy and after enabling the policy.
Closing note
Safe Doc is one of the most useful tools for managing your virtual classroom in the Google Workspace for Education service. With the help of using Safe Doc, you can easily enable or disable several safety features and set up the virtual classroom as per your own requirement. In this write-up, we showed you how to block Google Doodles. Blocking Google Doodle is one of the few things that many people in the past have demanded, and now it is possible with the help of Safe Doc. Not only this, but you can also block the raise hand option in Google Meet with the help of Safe Doc. And you can also Disable Private Comments in Google Classroom. In this way, Safe Doc helps in creating a safe learning environment for both the teachers and students. If you also wish to explore Safe Doc, then you should check out the 30 days free trial and make up your mind regarding Safe Doc.
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