Overview
Focus Mode puts student devices into whitelist-only browsing. When activated, students can only access a specific list of approved websites — everything else is blocked. This is ideal for standardized testing, focused research assignments, or any lesson where you want to eliminate distractions completely.
Think of it as a digital blinder: students see only what you want them to see.
Prerequisites
- Teacher account in KyberClassroom, or Admin access in the KyberGate dashboard
- Students on managed devices connected to KyberGate
- A list of URLs or domains you want to allow during Focus Mode
Steps
Step 1: Open Your Class
Log in to teachers.kybergate.com and select the class you want to put into Focus Mode. Alternatively, admins can activate Focus Mode from the dashboard under Classroom.
Step 2: Activate Focus Mode
Click the Focus Mode button in the class toolbar (it looks like a crosshair/target icon). A configuration panel will appear.
Step 3: Add Allowed Sites
In the Allowed Sites field, enter the domains or URLs students should be able to access. For example:
- docs.google.com
- drive.google.com
- khanacademy.org
- your-textbook-site.com
You can also select from Focus Presets — pre-configured lists for common scenarios:
- Google Workspace Only — Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, Classroom
- Testing — only the testing platform (configure your testing URL in advance)
- Research — Google, Wikipedia, Google Scholar, approved databases
- Math — Desmos, Khan Academy, IXL, calculator tools
Step 4: Set Duration
Choose how long Focus Mode should last:
- 15, 30, 45, or 60 minutes
- Until end of period (requires bell schedule)
- Custom duration
- Manual (stays active until you turn it off)
Step 5: Activate
Click Start Focus Mode. Within seconds, every student device in the class will switch to whitelist-only browsing. Students will see a KyberGate Focus Mode notification on their screen.
What Students See
When Focus Mode is active, students experience the following:
- A small Focus Mode banner appears at the top of their browser indicating restricted browsing is active
- Allowed sites load normally
- Blocked sites show a KyberGate block page with the message: "Focus Mode is active. Only approved sites are available right now."
- The block page shows the teacher's name and class so students know who activated it
- Students cannot disable or bypass Focus Mode on supervised devices
Step 6: End Focus Mode
Click End Focus Mode in the class toolbar when you are done. Normal filtering resumes immediately. Focus Mode also ends automatically when the duration expires.
Tips
- Save your most-used site lists as Focus Presets to avoid re-entering them each time
- Test Focus Mode with your own device first to make sure all necessary sites are included — some sites load resources from subdomains (e.g., allowing "docs.google.com" may also require "accounts.google.com" for login)
- Use Focus Mode during testing to satisfy your testing platform's distraction-free requirements
- Focus Mode overrides all other policies, including teacher overrides and bell schedules
- Combine Focus Mode with Lock/Unlock for full device control during high-stakes assessments
- If a student needs a site not on the list, you can add it without ending Focus Mode — click the Focus Mode badge and add the domain
FAQ
Q: Can students still access anything outside the whitelist? A: No. Focus Mode is a strict whitelist. Only the domains you explicitly approve are accessible. Everything else — including search engines, social media, and other educational sites not on your list — is blocked.
Q: Does Focus Mode affect all tabs or just new ones? A: All tabs. Existing tabs on non-whitelisted sites will show the block page when Focus Mode activates. Students cannot pre-load sites to bypass the restriction.
Q: What happens if I forget to turn off Focus Mode? A: If you set a duration, it ends automatically. If you chose "Manual," Focus Mode stays active until you explicitly end it or the school day ends (based on bell schedule). IT admins can also end Focus Mode from the dashboard.
Q: Is Focus Mode logged? A: Yes. Activation and deactivation events are logged with the teacher's name, class, duration, and allowed site list. This is visible to IT admins.