Is The Sphero Edu Web App Right for My School?Updated 5 months ago
There are two ways you can access Sphero Edu, connect to your robots, and work on programs:
- The Sphero Edu Web App
- The Sphero Edu native apps
What's the Difference?
The Sphero Edu Web App is a website that you access in your browser. It allows you to connect, drive, and program your robots utilizing web Bluetooth. This means there is no app to install and you access it by going to the website in your browser.
The Sphero Edu native apps are applications you install on your device. You do not access them in a browser. These applications often have specific performance and interface optimizations for their respective platform.
Should I Use the Web App or a Native App?
The web app may or may not be a good fit depending on the devices you will use with Sphero Edu and which robots you have. Here are some considerations to think about:
- The Sphero Edu Web App is a website, so you need to have a compatible browser (Chrome or Edge) and a reliable internet connection to use it. If you intend to use your robots in an offline environment, then the native apps are a better option for you.
- The Sphero Edu Web App stores your programs to local storage when you aren't using an account. Your browser's local storage can be cleared easier than the local data in an application, which means there is increased risk you lose your programs if cache is cleared often. You may need to use accounts for program storage or consider one of the native apps if your browser data is frequently cleared. You can learn more here.
- Depending on how an IT department handles app deployment, the Sphero Edu Web App may be a simpler deployment solution. Instead of needing to deploy and install applications to a fleet of computers or mobile devices, IT administrators can just allowlist the website URL.
- Not all browsers support Web Bluetooth. For example, Safari, Opera, and Firefox do not have support, whereas both Chrome and Edge do. If you don't use either of those browsers, the web app is not a good option.
- The Sphero Edu Web App does not support legacy Sphero robots. The web app only supports BOLT+, BOLT, Mini, and RVR/RVR+. If you use an older robot, you'll need to use a compatible native app.
What’s the Best Option for My Platform?
If you use Chromebooks:
Best option: web app
If you or your school use Chromebooks, then there are two options. You can use the Sphero Edu Web App in the Chrome Browser, or install the Android version of Sphero Edu. Generally, Chromebooks are optimized for web use, so we recommend using the web app. It's much easier to deploy than the Android app, which has a number of Chrome OS related limitations. For example, you cannot use the Android app if you use guest mode on your Chromebook, and the app is unavailable if you have your Chromebook set to the long term service channel for extended updates.
If you use iPads or iPhones:
Best option: native iOS app
iPads and iPhones do NOT support Web Bluetooth, which is required for the web app to connect to robots. As a result, we only recommend the native iOS app, which is optimized and easy to deploy on iOS devices.
If you use Android tablets or phones:
Best option: native Android app
Currently the web app is not supported on mobile browsers. As a result, we only recommend the native Android app, which is optimized for over 10,000 Android devices.
If you use Windows computers:
Best option: depends on browser!
Generally the web app is a great solution on Windows computers. However, it requires the Chrome and Edge browser to connect to your robots. If you use either of these browsers, we recommend the web app. If you use a different browser, we recommend the native Windows app.
If you use Mac computers:
Best option: depends on browser!
Generally the web app is a great solution on Mac computers. However, it requires the Chrome and Edge browser to connect to your robots. If you use either of these browsers, we recommend the web app. If you use a different browser (like Safari), we recommend the native Mac app.
If you use Amazon Fire tablets:
Best option: native Fire OS app
Currently the web app is not supported on mobile browsers. As a result, we only recommend the native Fire OS app, which is optimized for Fire Tablets.