Standalone installation

1. Go to the App Store on your iPad.
2. Search for the app DocsPlus Universal.
3. Install the app.

Our iOS apps fully support the Pretorian APPlicator switch interface. This guide provides the steps required to configure the APPlicator so it integrates correctly with Clicker Apps.

Resolution

The Pretorian APPlicator (switch interface) must be in Mode 7 (~1) and/or Mode 8 (~3) for Clicker apps to recognize the switch input.

1. Plug the switch(es) into the APPlicator channel(s) set to Mode 7 and/or 8.
2. Open the DocsPlus app.
3. Tap the Accessibility icon (top-right corner).
4. Choose Single switch or Two switches, depending on your setup.

If you’re using the app for the first time, you may need your Organization ID (eg org123456) and your 12-character Enrollment password - your Subscription Manager can find these in Subscription Management.

Run in your web browser

1. Go to this link: https://docsplus.apps.cricksoft.com.
2. Log in with your Google account.
3. If requested, enter your Organization ID and Enrollment password.

As the app starts you may see instructions for unblocking the sign-in popup. We recommend you do this to make starting the app even easier next time.

Install (optional)

With the app running in your web browser (see above), click the install icon in your browser’s address bar. (The icon usually includes a down-arrow or “+” and shows a tooltip when you hover over it.)

After you install the app, it will run in its own window and can be used when you are offline.

When you open our DocsPlus App, a window appears asking you to enable pop-ups. 

Resolution

Pop-ups have been blocked in your browser. To enable them, click the “Pop-up blocked” icon on the right of the address bar and select “Always allow”. 

For IT Professionals: 

To apply this to all users: 

1. Sign into Google Admin Console (admin.google.com) as an administrator and go to Devices > Chrome > Settings > Users and browsers 

2. Select the correct organizational unit containing the relevant users 

3. Type “pop-ups” in the Search or add a filter field 

4. Under Content > Pop-ups, in the Allow pop-ups on these sites, enter: 
    
   https://docsplus.apps.cricksoft.com/

5. Click Save in the upper-right corner 

When opening the app from your Taskbar, Desktop or Launcher, nothing happens.

Resolution

Please update your Chrome OS to the latest version:

1. Sign into your Chromebook.
2. At the bottom right, select the time and then Settings.
3. At the bottom left, select About ChromeOS.
4. Click Check for updates.
   • If this option isn’t available, your Chromebook may be up to date.
5. If an update is available, it will say Updating your device. Once it reaches 100%, restart the Chromebook so it can finish.

If your Chrome OS Version is lower than 86, but it says Your Chrome device is up to date when you try to update:

• A Google Domain setting or technical problem may be preventing the update. For troubleshooting advice, visit:
  https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6238906.
• Your Chromebook may be past its End of Life date and no longer receiving updates. To check your Chromebook's End of Life date, visit:
  https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6220366.

If you're confident that you're running the latest Chrome OS, but the app still doesn't launch, please contact Support.

When in the Sound Recorder, clicking the red circle does nothing.

Resolution

The app needs permission to use your microphone:

1. In Chrome, type this into the address bar and press the Enter key:
   chrome://settings/content/microphone
2. Enable Sites can ask to use your microphone.
3. If the app's website is listed under Not allowed to use your microphone, click its Bin icon to remove it.
4. Back in the app, try recording again. When prompted, click Allow to let the app use your microphone.

If the issue continues, your microphone may be blocked by your IT Support. Please forward this article to them.

For IT Professionals

The corresponding setting in the Google Admin console is:

Devices > Chrome > Settings > Users & browsers > Audio input (microphone)

https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/2657289?hl=en#audio_capture_allowed&zippy=%2Caudio-input

If you’re installing for the first time, get your 20-character serial number - your Subscription Manager can find this in Subscription Management.

Standalone installation

1. Download the DocsPlus installer, entering the serial number if requested.
2. Run your downloaded installer.

Network installation (Windows)

We recommend uninstalling all old DocsPlus versions first. If Windows Group Policy or SCCM was used to deploy DocsPlus previously, use the same method to uninstall it.

For multiple orphaned DocsPlus installations that can’t be uninstalled remotely, you can use our Uninstall Tool.

GROUP POLICY OR SIMILAR

1. Run the downloaded file and click Install to start extraction. The installer should then start automatically (if not, run Setup.exe in the DocsPlus Installer folder).
   
2. Choose Install to computers on a network and click Install.
   
3. Provide your 20-character Serial Number.
   
4. Specify a location for your unique DocsPlus MSI package to be generated.
   
5. Specify the Home location (the default when opening / saving files in DocsPlus).
   If the clients have a cloud storage app installed, you can select it here. The locations used are:
   
   
   • OneDrive - %OneDrive%
     
   • Google Drive for Desktop - G:\
     
   • Dropbox - %UserProfile%\Dropbox\

Alternatively, provide a UNC path to a non-hidden network share that your users have read / write access to.

The Home location can be changed by the user after installation.

6. Each computer must activate a license before it can use DocsPlus. This usually happens automatically over the Internet during client installation. If your network has a proxy server, click Proxy Settings to supply the details.
   
7. When the network setup finishes, it will generate a unique MSI package at your chosen location. You can then do one of the following:
   
   
   • Deploy it to computers using Windows Group Policy or similar.
     
   • Install via command line, such as:
     msiexec /i "\\servername\sharename\DocsPlus-enGB.msi" /qn
     
   • On a computer, browse to the MSI share and run DocsPlus-enGB.msi manually.

MICROSOFT INTUNE / ENDPOINT 

1. Run the downloaded file and click Install to start unpacking it.
   
2. Close the DocsPlus Installer that auto-starts and extract "DocsPlus-enGB.msi" from the MSI subfolder.
   
3. In Intune, deploy the MSI as a Line-of-Business app.
   
4. Specify these parameters (where PIDKEY is your serial number and SHAREDFILES is where you’d like DocsPlus to save documents). Replace XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX with your serial number.
   
   /qn PIDKEY="XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX" SHAREDFILES="C:\Users\Public\Documents\DocsPlus"
   
   
5. If you would prefer to use cloud storage, replace SHAREDFILES with EXPLORER. Possible values for EXPLORER are “OneDrive”, “GoogleDrive” and “Dropbox”.

RM CC4 NETWORK 

Follow the instructions above to generate a custom MSI package. Use the RM Package Builder to install it on a single client. This will generate a CC4 package, which you can then deploy to other clients.

SYSTEM IMAGE 

If you deploy a system image containing DocsPlus, it will require activation on each computer:

1. Run the downloaded file and click Install to start extraction. The installer should then start automatically (if not, run Setup.exe in the DocsPlus Installer folder).
   
2. Choose Install to computers on a network and click Install.
   
3. Provide your 20-character Serial Number.
   
4. Specify a location for your unique DocsPlus MSI package to be generated.
   
5. Specify the Home location (the default when opening / saving files in DocsPlus).
   If the clients have a cloud storage app installed, you can select it here. The locations used are:
   
   
   • OneDrive - %OneDrive%
     
   • Google Drive for Desktop - G:\
     
   • Dropbox - %UserProfile%\Dropbox\

Alternatively, provide a UNC path to a non-hidden network share that your users have read / write access to.

The Home location can be changed by the user after installation.

6. Disable automatic activation.
   
7. After the MSI package is generated, install it to your system image.
   
8. Deploy your system image to computers.
   
9. Activate DocsPlus via command line.

Activation doesn’t require elevated privileges and is simple enough to be performed by a user if necessary (a prompt appears on launch).

THIN CLIENTS / VIRTUAL DESKTOPS 

A OneSchool Unlimited subscription is required to use DocsPlus on a thin client / virtual desktop system.

If DocsPlus is used in a virtual environment without an Unlimited subscription, activation will be unsuccessful.

Network installation (Mac)

We recommend uninstalling all old DocsPlus versions first.

1. Open the downloaded DMG file. In the DocsPlus Installer drive that appears in Finder, double-click the DocsPlus Installer file.
   
2. Choose Install to computers on the network and click Install.
   
3. Provide your 20-character Serial Number.
   
4. Specify the Home location (the default when opening / saving files in DocsPlus). If a cloud storage app is installed, you can select it here. Alternatively, select Network share. Click beneath it, click Choose, and then browse to a network share that users have read / write access to.
   
   The Home location can be changed by the user after installation.
   
   
5. Specify a location for your unique client package to be generated.
   
6. Agree to the license agreement and then click Install.
   
7. When the network setup finishes, a DocsPlus Client.dmg will be generated at your specified location. You can then do one of the following:
   
   
   • On each Mac client, browse to the DocsPlus Client.dmg, double-click it, and then run the DocsPlus Installer.pkg inside.
   
   OR
   
   
   • Install via command line, such as:
   
   OR
   
   
   • sudo installer -pkg /path/to/DocsPlus\ Installer.pkg -target /
   
   OR
   
   
   • Deploy the DocsPlus Installer.pkg to clients via Apple Remote Desktop or similar.

You would like to control our iPad apps with a mouse or eye gaze device, e.g. a Skyle.

Resolution

iPads running iPadOS 13 or newer have a feature named AssistiveTouch. Similar to Switch Control, it provides a universal way for all mice and eye gaze devices to work with iPads.

AssitiveTouch is designed to help people who have difficulty using touch screens effectively. It does so in two key ways:

• It displays a persistent floating icon, providing easy access to a custom menu of actions. These range from gestures like scrolling / pinching to common shortcuts such as the Home Screen and Control Centre.
  
• It provides a pointer that you can move with a mouse or eye gaze device. With Dwell Control enabled, you can select items by hovering the pointer over them for a specific period of time.

The official Apple documentation is here:
support.apple.com/guide/ipad/assistivetouch-ipad9a2466d3/

AssistiveTouch offers many settings. It can be daunting for first time users, so here's some advice to get started!

CONNECT DEVICE TO IPAD

If your device has a cable, plug it into your iPad.

If your device is wireless, it must be paired:

1. Open the iPad’s Settings app and tap Bluetooth in the left pane.
2. Enable Bluetooth on the right to start searching for devices.
3. Put your device into pairing / discovery mode. The method varies but often involves holding down a pairing button. If you're unsure, check your device's documentation.
4. When your device appears in the list on your iPad, select it, and then accept the pairing request.

This is typically all that's required for standard mouse control.

Eye gaze devices will require a companion app installing to configure the tracking. Check your device's documentation for details.

SET UP ASSISTIVETOUCH

For eye gaze users and mouse users requiring additional assistance, set up AssistiveTouch:

1. Open the iPad’s Settings app and tap Accessibility in the left pane.
2. On the right, tap Touch, tap AssistiveTouch and then enable AssistiveTouch.
3. A black and white icon will appear. Drag it to a different position if preferred.
4. Scroll down and enable Dwell Control.
5. Use the - / + buttons to specify the time needed to hover over an item to initiate a dwell.

COMMON SETTINGS

These settings in Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch are often used to help tailor the experience to a person's requirements:

• Customise Top Level Menu
  Choose which actions are offered when the AssistiveTouch icon is selected.
  
• Custom Actions
  Skip the menu by initiating certain actions directly.
  
• Movement Tolerance
  The circle indicates how much "wiggle room" the pointer has while dwelling over an item.
  
• Hot Corners
  Initiate an action by moving the pointer into a screen corner.

When trying to open or save a file, Google Drive doesn't appear in the Files app window.

Resolution

A Chrome OS setting controls whether Google Drive appears in the left sidebar of the Files app.

To enable it (for your Google account):

1. Sign into any Chromebook and launch Chrome.
2. Click the 3-dot icon in the top-right corner and choose Settings.
3. In the top search bar, search for Disconnect Google Drive account and ensure the setting is turned off.

If the Disconnect Google Drive account switch is dimmed out, the setting is controlled by your Google Admin (see below).

For IT Professionals

To configure the appearance of Google Drive in the Files app:

1. Sign into admin.google.com.
2. Go to Devices > Chrome > Settings > Users & browsers.
3. Select the appropriate Org Unit on the left.
4. In the Content section, ensure that Google Drive syncing and Google Drive syncing over mobile are set to enabled.

When you open a PDF in DocsPlus, you can’t select text to hear it spoken.

Resolution

The text in your PDF is probably a picture, rather than true digital text (especially if created by scanning a test paper). Therefore, the PDF appears empty to screen readers like DocsPlus.

Picture text can be converted to actual text using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. In simple terms, this intelligently guesses which letters are shown in the picture. Various software and websites offer an OCR feature, with varying performance. Paid software from big companies (e.g. Adobe Acrobat DC, Microsoft OneNote) use AI to boost the accuracy of their OCR. However, free options are also available. 

Google Drive is free and popular. Many people are unaware that you can create a new Google Doc from an existing PDF or picture. If it contains any picture text, Google will try converting it to digital text. 

To do this:

1. Sign into https://drive.google.com
2. Upload your PDF by dragging it into your Drive (or click New > File upload on the left).
3. Right-click the uploaded file and choose Open with > Google Docs.
4. The new document will include the original pictures. Any generated text will be included beneath them. Tidy up the text and correct any mistakes.
5. If an original picture is worth keeping (e.g. a diagram), right-click it and choose Crop image to exclude the unwanted parts. Otherwise, delete it.
6. Open the File menu and choose Download > PDF document.

The resulting PDF will contain true digital text and be readable by DocsPlus and other screen readers.

Remember, OCR isn't 100% accurate, so some human editing may be required!

After launching the app on your Chromebook, you receive this error message:
Unfortunately, there is a problem connecting to our server. Please check your Internet connection.

Resolution 

Please read the two sections below.

If neither apply, something is probably blocking our apps from connecting to the internet. Please forward this page to your IT Support.

CHECK THE ADDRESS

1. Double-click the address bar in Chrome.
2. If the address begins with http instead of https, add the missing s.
3. Press the Enter key to reload the app's website.

The app should now work correctly.

CHILD GOOGLE ACCOUNTS     

Google lets families create limited Google accounts for children under 13:

https://support.google.com/families/answer/7103338

However, Google blocks third-party apps from interacting with these child Google accounts. If you try launching our apps while signed into one, you'll receive the error message above.

Unfortunately, it's impossible to work around this restriction. Other apps such as Zoom and Duolingo are similarly affected.

For IT Professionals

First, ensure our subscription server is accessible:

apps.us.cricksoft.com via HTTP (Port 80) and HTTPS (Port 443)

GOOGLE AUTHENTICATION

In our experience, the following URLs can be involved with the Google's authentication service. Ensure these are accessible via HTTP (Port 80) and HTTPS (Port 443):

• oauthaccountmanager.googleapis.com
• www.googleapis.com
• clients4.google.com
• accounts.google.com
• accounts.google.co.uk
• accounts.youtube.com
• googleusercontent.com
• gstatic.com

A NOTE ON YOUTUBE

Google's authentication service normally uses accounts.google.com but sometimes uses accounts.youtube.com instead. This can cause sporadic problems in schools that block YouTube.

On first launch, our apps ask permission to see the user's Google account address (to check their subscription status). Unfortunately, this issue can prevent Google's permissions window from displaying, causing our apps to show the error message above.

To see if accounts.youtube.com is being blocked, visit this Google test page on the affected Chromebook:

https://toolbox.googleapps.com/apps/browserinfo

It should be possible to allow accounts.youtube.com while still preventing access to YouTube.

GOOGLE DOMAIN URL BLOCKING

The Google domain may be configured to block URLs for certain users (depending on policy):

https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/2657289#url_blocklist

To test this, connect the Chromebook to a different unfiltered Wi-Fi network (e.g. a 4G hotspot shared from a smartphone):

• If the problem stops, it's probably related to a firewall / proxy server / web filter.
• If the problem continues, it's probably related to the Google domain. Either URLs are being blocked (see above) or API Controls need configuring (see below).

API CONTROLS

The Google domain may be configured to block API access. If so, our apps need to be Trusted:

1. Sign into the Google Admin console.
2. In the left sidebar, go to Security > Access and data control > API controls.
3. Click Manage third-party app access.
4. Select the relevant app name in the list.
   Alternatively, select the relevant ID (see below).
5. Set the Access Configuration to Trusted and click Save.

If the app you're troubleshooting isn't listed, click Configure new app to add it manually using its OAuth2 Client ID:

DocsPlus Universal:
593464167746-a3905nlca2aam1m79oetvdjdvd09viah.apps.googleusercontent.com

DocsPlus (before 2021):
929407767019-9v94tlkdpbcb7g45tmcuq1nsem0qviss.apps.googleusercontent.com

When using our apps, some of the icons / menu items are dimmed out, such as My Files.

Resolution

The app is free to download and use in Limited Access Mode.

To use all the features, please activate a license or register a trial.

ACTIVATE A LICENSE

iPad licenses are per device. Chromebook licenses are per user.

To activate a license from your subscription:

1. Select the ( ? ) icon in the top-right corner and choose License.
2. Input your Organization ID and Enrollment Code (emailed to you after purchase and available from Subscription Management).

REGISTER A TRIAL

To start a full-featured 28-day trial:

1. Select the ( ? ) icon in the top-right corner and choose License.
2. Select Sign in with Apple / Google and follow the on-screen instructions.

If an error states that your trial has ended, it may be possible to arrange another. Please contact Support.

You would like to use our apps in a managed guest session (or kiosk mode).

Resolution

A managed guest session lets someone use a Chromebook without signing into a Google account. It can be thought of as a universal guest account with no password.

Unfortunately, our apps can't run in a managed guest session for technical reasons:

1. Authentication – the app has no way of linking you to the subscription you've purchased.
   
2. File saving – all local data is lost when the session ends. Without Google Drive, you can't save anything.

For IT Professionals

While it's possible to add our apps to managed guest sessions via the Google Admin console (Devices > Chrome > Apps & extensions), they won't actually install when a managed guest session starts.

This is because Chrome OS detects the apps as full packaged apps rather than basic kiosk apps.

You would like to add / remove a Subscription Manager on your subscription.

Resolution

Subscription Managers can control which users are included in the subscription and are notified when the renewal date approaches.

To add / remove Subscription Managers, please contact Support with the following information:

• Organization name
• Organization post code
• Full name and Google address / Apple ID of the person(s) you wish to add / remove.

When recording audio or video, the playback is silent and the Done button is dimmed out, so you can’t finish.

Resolution

Please allow the app to use your iPad's microphone:

1. Open your iPad's Settings app.
2. In the left pane, scroll down and tap Apps.
3. Find and tap the app name.
4. On the right, enable access to the Microphone.

It should now be possible to record successfully.

When you open a PDF in DocsPlus, you can’t select text to hear it spoken.

Resolution

The text in your PDF is probably a picture, rather than true digital text (especially if created by scanning a test paper). Therefore, the PDF appears empty to screen readers like DocsPlus.

Picture text can be converted to actual text using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. In simple terms, this intelligently guesses which letters are shown in the picture. Various software and websites offer an OCR feature, with varying performance. Paid software from big companies (e.g. Adobe Acrobat DC, Microsoft OneNote) use AI to boost the accuracy of their OCR. However, free options are also available. 

Google Drive is free and popular. Many people are unaware that you can create a new Google Doc from an existing PDF or picture. If it contains any picture text, Google will try converting it to digital text. 

To do this:

1. Sign into https://drive.google.com
2. Upload your PDF by dragging it into your Drive (or click New > File upload on the left).
3. Right-click the uploaded file and choose Open with > Google Docs.
4. The new document will include the original pictures. Any generated text will be included beneath them. Tidy up the text and correct any mistakes.
5. If an original picture is worth keeping (e.g. a diagram), right-click it and choose Crop image to exclude the unwanted parts. Otherwise, delete it.
6. Open the File menu and choose Download > PDF document.

The resulting PDF will contain true digital text and be readable by DocsPlus and other screen readers.

Remember, OCR isn't 100% accurate, so some human editing may be required!

When tapping My Files and selecting Google Drive in the left pane, your files appear by are dimmed out and won’t open.

Information

This is an issue with the Google Drive service itself.

There are many ways to upload a file to Google Drive. Depending on the method used, Google Drive may classify a DocsPlus file as a different type. This causes the file to appear dimmed and unopenable in our apps.

We've updated our software to reduce the chances of this happening. However, older files may still be affected.

Resolution

To open a file that appears dimmed out in My Files, use the Google Drive app instead:

1. Go to your iPad's Home Screen and open the Google Drive app.
2. Browse to your file.
3. Tap the 3-dot icon in the top-right corner and choose Open in.
4. When the iPad sharing popover appears, choose the relevant app from the list.

When launching the app on your iPad, you receive this error message:
Unfortunately, there is a problem connecting to our server. Please check your Internet connection.

Resolution 

If your device can browse normal websites, something is blocking our apps from connecting to the internet.

Please instruct your IT Support to make apps.us.cricksoft.com accessible via HTTP (Port 80) and HTTPS (Port 443).

When you have a sentence or word read back to you, you can’t hear the highlighted text.

Resolution

First, check your iPad's volume is set sufficiently (press the volume buttons along its edge).

If you still can't hear the speech, your iPad is probably in Silent Mode. This isn't always noticeable, as a muted iPad can still make noise!

To unmute your iPad:

1. Show the Control Center - swipe down from the top-right corner (bottom edge on iOS 11).
2. Tap the Bell icon so it changes from red (muted) to monochrome (unmuted).

If the Control Center doesn't show the Bell icon, it should be possible to unmute by using your iPad’s side switch.

For more help, please visit getsupport.apple.com.

When using our apps, some icons / menu items are dimmed out, such as My Files.

Resolution

The app is free to download and use in Limited Access Mode.

To use all the features, please activate a license or register a trial.

ACTIVATE A LICENSE

iPad licenses are per device. Chromebook licenses are per user.

To activate a license from your subscription:

1. Select the ( ? ) icon in the top-right corner and choose License.
2. Input your Organization ID and Enrollment Code (emailed to you after purchase and available from Subscription Management).

REGISTER A TRIAL

To start a full-featured 28-day trial:

1. Select the ( ? ) icon in the top-right corner and choose License.
2. Select Sign in with Apple / Google and follow the on-screen instructions.

If an error states that your trial has ended, it may be possible to arrange another. Please contact Support.

IPAD USERS

In rare cases, the app may remain in Limited Access Mode despite being licensed.

This can be fixed by reinstalling the app. To do this without losing any files:

1. Open the iPad's Settings app.
2. On the left, tap General. On the right, tap iPad Storage.
3. Select the app in the list.
4. Tap Offload App and confirm it.
5. When the button changes to Reinstall App, tap it again.
6. When the button changes back to Offload App, press the Home button to return to the Home Screen, and then launch the app.