CleanBrowsing Chromebook App

What the App Does

The CleanBrowsing Chromebook App provides DNS content filtering specifically designed for ChromeOS. Unlike the standard Android app — which uses Accessibility Service to automate Private DNS configuration — the Chromebook app uses a local VPN tunnel as its primary filtering method.

This design choice exists because ChromeOS runs Android apps inside a container (ARC), and the Accessibility Service cannot interact with ChromeOS system settings the way it does on a standard Android phone or tablet.

When you enable a filter, the app:

• Creates a local VPN tunnel that intercepts all DNS queries on the device
• Routes DNS queries through DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) to CleanBrowsing's encrypted resolvers
• Blocks access to websites that match your selected filter's categories
• Supports landscape orientation, freeform windows, and resizable layouts — designed for laptop and desktop use

The app requires a Chromebook with Android app support (most Chromebooks manufactured after 2019).

VPN-Based Encrypted DNS

The Chromebook app routes all DNS traffic through an encrypted tunnel using Android's VPN API. Here's how it works:

1. When you select a filter, the app requests VPN permission from ChromeOS
2. A local VPN service starts on the device — this VPN only handles DNS traffic, not your browsing data
3. All DNS queries are sent over DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) to CleanBrowsing's resolvers on port 443
4. CleanBrowsing resolves allowed domains normally and blocks domains that match your filter's rules

Because DNS queries travel over HTTPS (port 443), they are encrypted end-to-end and are extremely unlikely to be blocked by any network — unlike DNS-over-TLS (port 853), which some networks block.

The VPN icon will appear in your ChromeOS status bar while filtering is active. This is normal — it indicates the local DNS tunnel is running.

Free and Paid Filters

The app supports the same filter options as the Android app:

Free Filters

• Family Filter — Blocks adult content, pornography, mixed content sites, malware, and phishing. Forces Safe Search on Google, Bing, and YouTube. Best for families with children.
• Adult Filter — Blocks adult content and malware. Allows mixed-content sites like Reddit and social media.

Paid / Custom Filter

• Enter your activation code from the CleanBrowsing Dashboard to use your custom filter configuration
• Custom block/allow lists, category-based filtering with 26+ categories, and per-device policies
• The activation code is securely stored using Android's encrypted storage (AES-256)

Built for Chromebook

The Chromebook app is a dedicated build of the CleanBrowsing Android app, optimized for ChromeOS:

• No Accessibility Service required — The app uses VPN-based DNS filtering directly, so you don't need to grant Accessibility permissions (which don't work on ChromeOS anyway)
• No Device Admin required — Device Administrator and uninstall protection features are not available on ChromeOS, so these options are hidden from the settings page
• Landscape and freeform windows — The app supports all orientations and resizable windows, so it works naturally in the Chromebook desktop environment
• Simplified setup — The setup wizard skips the Accessibility and restricted settings steps. You just pick a filter, approve the VPN permission, and you're protected

What's Different from the Android App

Password Protection

You can set a PIN to prevent unauthorized changes to the app's settings. When a PIN is set:

• Changing filters requires the PIN
• Resetting the app requires the PIN
• Updating or removing the PIN requires the current PIN

PINs are stored using SHA-256 hashing with a random salt — they cannot be recovered from the device.

Built-in Update Checker

The app includes an update checker that compares the installed version against the latest available version on CleanBrowsing's servers. When a new version is available, the app displays the version number and provides a link to download the update.

The app also includes a log viewer in Settings that lets you view, copy, and share diagnostic logs for troubleshooting.

Download and Install

The Chromebook app is installed as an Android APK:

1. Verify your Chromebook supports Android apps (Settings > Apps > Google Play Store should be enabled)
2. Download CleanBrowsing Chromebook v8.3
3. Open the downloaded file in the Files app — ChromeOS will prompt you to install
4. If prompted, enable "Install unknown apps" for the Files app
5. Launch the app and select your filter (Family, Adult, or Custom)
6. Approve the VPN connection when prompted — this creates the local DNS tunnel

For Managed Chromebooks (Schools and Businesses)

If you manage Chromebooks through the Google Admin Console, you can deploy the app across all devices:

• Upload the APK as a private app in the Google Admin Console
• Force-install it to your organizational units
• Use Google Admin policies to prevent users from removing the app
• Pair with a CleanBrowsing paid plan for custom filtering and per-device policies

System Requirements

• ChromeOS with Android app support (Google Play Store enabled)
• Approximately 7 MB installed size
• Works on Chromebook laptops, Chromeboxes, and ChromeOS tablets