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Device Security

[For All Staff] Security is brightwheel's top priority! Check out these best practices to ensure that your local devices are set up to protect your data.

Vee Avenir avatar
Written by Vee Avenir
Updated over 4 months ago

Using brightwheel in your classrooms means that you have mobile devices with personal information about each of your students. So, how do you take the proper steps to ensure that the information on the app and any photos on the device are only accessed by those approved to use it?

Below you will find some simple steps that you can take to help protect your devices and the sensitive data it holds. 

Device Screen Lock

Setting up a passcode on your device's lock screen is your first step to secure your device. This prevents people from being able to just pick up your device and dig into your data.

Be sure that all devices that your staff are using brightwheel on are set up to be locked when the phone is asleep or turns on. With shared devices at your school, a passcode is best, if your staff are using their personal devices a fingerprint is also a great option (newer devices only).

Here is how to set up a Passcode or PIN on your lock screen:

iOS

On iOS the process to set up a passcode varies depending on how old the device is. Check out this Apple support article to learn more. 

  1. On iPhone X and later, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode. On earlier iPhone models, go to Touch ID & Passcode. On devices without Touch ID, go to Settings > Passcode. 

  2. Tap Turn Passcode On.

  3. Enter a six-digit passcode. Or tap Passcode Options to switch to a four-digit numeric code, a custom numeric code, or a custom alphanumeric code.

  4. Enter your passcode again to confirm it and activate it.

Android

Android devices allow users to choose from a Pattern (draw a simple pattern with your finger), PIN (enter 4 or more numbers, 6 is recommended), or a Password (enter 4 or more letters or numbers). To lean more, check out this Google support article.

  1. Open your device's Settings app.

  2. Tap Security & location. (If you don't see "Security & location," tap Security).

  3. To pick a kind of screen lock, tap Screen lock.

  4. If you’ve already set a lock, you’ll need to enter your PIN, pattern, or password before you can pick a different lock.

  5. Tap the screen lock option you’d like to use. 

  6. Follow the on-screen instructions.

To change your screen lock's settings, next to "Screen lock," tap Settings . Settings include automatic lock timing, Power button locking, and a lock screen message.

Lock Device on App

All smart devices come with the ability to lock the device to a single app so that you can control which features are available to the person using it. You can turn this feature on so that students, parents, or even teachers are not able to navigate away from the brightwheel app and access the rest of your device.

There are several names for this feature depending on the device you are using, in general it is called Guided Access on iOS and Pin Screen on Android. In both cases, the feature must first be enabled in your setting, and then you can turn it on and off as desired. 

Guided Access on iOS

Enable Guided Access on iOS

  1. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Guided Access.

  2. Turn on Guided Access

  3. Tap Passcode Settings, then tap Set Guided Access Passcode

  4. Enter a passcode, then reenter it

Start a Guided Access Session

  1. Open the brightwheel app, then triple-click the Home button. For iPhone X, triple-click the side button

  2. If you want parts of your screen to stop responding to touch, use one finger to circle those areas. You can move or resize the circle, or tap the X to remove it

  3. Tap Start

Or, to start a Guided Access session with Siri, open the app that you want, then tell Siri "Turn on Guided Access." 

End a Guided Access Session

  1. Triple-click the Home button or side button

  2. Enter your Guided Access passcode

  3. Then tap End

Screen Pinning on Android

Enable Screen Pinning on Android

  1. Open your device's Settings app

  2. Tap Security & Location > Advanced > Screen pinning

  3. Turn on Screen pinning

  4. When screen pinning is on, you'll see an option to ask for your PIN, pattern, or password before unpinning, turn this on

Pin a Screen

  1. Open the brightwheel app, or any screen you want to pin.

  2. Swipe up to the middle of your screen. If this doesn't open your Overview, go to the steps for Android 8.1 & below.

  3. At the top of the image, tap the app's icon

  4. Tap the Pin

Unpin a Screen

  1. On the pinned screen, touch and hold Back and Home. If your "Home" looks different, go to the steps for Android 8.1 & below

  2. If you chose to be asked for your PIN, pattern, or password before unpinning, you'll need to enter it

Find My Device

Almost all smart devices now come with a feature to help you locate your device if it is ever lost or stolen. While the hope is that you will never need it, this feature may end up saving you a headache down the road. 

To use the Find My Phone feature, your lost device must be properly set up. Ensure that you have done the following, prior to losing your device:

  • Be turned on

  • Be signed in to a iCloud or Google Account

  • Be connected to mobile data or Wi-Fi

  • Be visible on Google Play

  • Have Location turned on

  • Have Find My Device turned on

To see more on this feature, check out Apple's iOS support article or Google's Android support article. 

Wipe Device Remotely

Much like the Find My Phone feature, almost all smart mobile devices provide you with the ability to wipe your phone's data from anywhere by logging into your account online. Again, this feature needs to be enabled prior to the device being lost or stolen.

To see more on this feature, check out Apple's iOS support article or Google's Android support article. 

🚩 This action permanently deletes all data on your device (but might not delete SD cards). After you erase, Find My Phone will not work on the device.

Use Secure Passwords

There are a ton of great articles about what and what not to use as your password. Google's support article provides some great tips on how to create strong passwords that you can actually remember, these tips should also be applicable to your brightwheel account login!

  • Make your password unique - Reusing passwords for important accounts is risky. If someone gets your password for one account, they could access your email, address, and even your money.

  • Make your password long & more memorable - Long passwords are stronger. Try using: A lyric from a song or poem, A meaningful quote from a movie or speech, A passage from a book, A series of words that are meaningful to you, An abbreviation: Make a password from the first letter of each word in a sentence

  • Use letters, numbers, & symbols - Replace letters with numbers & symbols: Choose a word or phrase and use numbers and symbols instead of some letters.

  • Avoid personal information & common words - Avoid creating passwords from info that others might know or could easily find out, including: nicknames, birthdays, pets, or addresses. Password 123 should NEVER be your password.

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