AI Apps on Student Devices: District Policy Options and Blocking
AI chat apps, homework solvers and AI companions now arrive on student iPads and Chromebooks faster than any policy committee meets. Pick a policy per grade band, then let category blocklists enforce it.
Should ChatGPT be allowed in schools? Four policy options
There is no single right answer, and most districts end up mixing options by grade. What matters is that the policy is written down and the device settings match it.
Block consumer AI apps
Every AI chat, companion and homework solver app is blocked on student devices. Teachers use AI tools on staff devices only.
Managed AI only
Consumer AI apps are blocked. One or two AI tools, vetted and under a district agreement, are allowed with school sign-in.
Grade-band access
Elementary devices block all AI. Middle school gets teacher-led use of a managed tool. High school gets wider access with rules.
Open with rules
AI apps are allowed for older students, with an acceptable use policy, citation rules and teaching about AI. Companions stay blocked.
A grade-band matrix for AI app types
A starting point many districts can adapt. Each cell maps to a device group in your MDM, so the matrix becomes settings rather than a document nobody reads.
| AI app type | K to 5 | 6 to 8 | 9 to 12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| General AI chat apps (consumer) | Block | Block | District decision |
| District-managed AI tool, school sign-in | Block | Teacher-led | Allow |
| AI companion and character chat apps | Block | Block | Block |
| Photo-solve and homework answer apps | Block | Block | Review per app |
| AI image and video generators | Block | Block | Teacher-led |
| AI keyboards and writing assistants | Block | Block | Review per app |
| AI language tutors and practice apps | Review per app | Review per app | Allow if vetted |
| AI features inside approved apps | Switch off if possible | Review per app | Review per app |
Vendor age rules and laws to factor in
Store ratings are one signal. The vendor's own terms and new state laws often set stricter limits, and they change quickly. Check each vendor's current terms before you finalize a grade band.
ChatGPT terms
OpenAI says ChatGPT is not meant for children under 13, and that users aged 13 to 18 need parental consent. It added parental controls for linked teen accounts in 2025.
Store rating in our records: 12+Character.AI change
Character.AI announced in October 2025 that it would end open-ended chat with its characters for users under 18 by November 25, 2025, using age assurance.
Store rating in our records: 17+California SB 243
Signed in October 2025 and in effect from January 2026, it regulates companion chatbots: disclosure that the user is talking to AI, safety protocols, and extra protections for users known to be minors.
Other states are considering similar bills. Check the current status.AI chat apps: verified bundle IDs and package names
The big general-purpose AI assistants. Age ratings are as listed in the App Store in our records; Apple's newer tiers may show 13+, 16+ or 18+ on current devices.
| App | iOS bundle ID | App Store ID | Android package | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | com.openai.chat | 6448311069 | com.openai.chatgpt | 13+ |
| Google Gemini | com.google.gemini | 6477489729 | com.google.android.apps.bard | 13+ |
| Claude | com.anthropic.claude | 6473753684 | com.anthropic.claude | 18+ |
| DeepSeek | com.deepseek.chat | 6737597349 | com.deepseek.chat | 13+ |
| Perplexity | ai.perplexity.app | 1668000334 | ai.perplexity.app.android | 18+ |
| Grok | ai.x.GrokApp | 6670324846 | ai.x.grok | 16+ |
| Meta AI | com.facebook.stellaapp | 1558240027 | com.facebook.stella | 13+ |
| Poe | com.quora.app.Experts | 1640745955 | com.poe.android | 16+ |
Need an app that is not here? Paste its name or store link into the bundle ID lookup. The full category is on the AI apps list.
Homework helper apps: photo-solve and answer apps
These apps let a student photograph a question and get the answer with steps. Many are rated 4+, so an age-rating block misses them entirely. They need their own decision.
| App | iOS bundle ID | Android package | Rating | Typical district view |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photomath | com.microblink.PhotoMath | com.microblink.photomath | 4+ | Some allow for practice in high school; block on testing devices |
| Gauth | com.gauthmath.intelligence | com.education.android.h.intelligence | 4+ | Usually blocked |
| Brainly | com.brainly.us | co.brainly | 13+ | Usually blocked; community answers |
| Mathway | com.bagatrix.mathway | Look up | 4+ | Review per course |
| Question.AI | com.qianfan.aihomework | com.qianfan.aihomework | 4+ | Usually blocked |
| Answer.AI | com.cyberdavinci.gptkeyboard | com.cyberdavinci.gptkeyboard | 4+ | Usually blocked |
| Nerd AI | com.codeway.homework | com.codeway.homework | 4+ | Usually blocked |
| Chegg Study | com.chegg.mobile.consumer | Look up | 4+ | Usually blocked |
| Course Hero | com.coursehero.Course-Hero | Look up | 13+ | Usually blocked |
| Symbolab | com.symbolab.symbolab | Look up | 4+ | Review per course |
"Typical district view" describes common choices, not a rule. Math departments often have strong opinions both ways, so involve them in the decision.
AI companions and character chat
Companion apps are built for ongoing personal conversation with an AI character. They are a different risk from homework help, and most districts block them at every grade.
iOS and Android, listed 17+
iOS and Android, listed 17+
iOS and Android, listed 17+
iOS and Android, listed 12+
Why districts block them
- They are designed for emotional, ongoing conversation, not school tasks.
- Several are listed 17+ in the App Store, above every K-12 grade band except seniors.
- Regulators are focused on them: California's SB 243 targets companion chatbots directly.
- New companion apps launch constantly, so a category block matters more than any single ID.
A list of AI app types and their uses
"AI app" covers far more than chat. For a policy discussion, group apps by what students do with them. One example per group is shown with its iOS bundle ID.
Note takers raise a separate issue: recording other students and teachers in class. Most districts require teacher permission for any recording app.
Why AI apps are "not blocked" after you block ChatGPT
Blocking one app by ID closes one door. Students find the others within a day. These are the five gaps admins see most.
Clones
Chat apps with similar names and icons, built on the same AI models.
Homework apps
Photo-solve apps rated 4+ that age blocks miss.
AI keyboards
Keyboard apps that write text inside any app.
Web versions
The same assistant in Safari, Chrome or another browser.
Built-in AI
Assistants added to apps you already allow.
Our AI apps blocklist is built from the AI / LLM Tools category, so new clones join it in the next monthly update. Our AI tools data also covers 11,800+ AI tool domains in 18 categories for the web side.
App block vs web block: how to block ChatGPT and DeepSeek fully
People search "how to block ChatGPT website", "block ChatGPT on Edge" and "block ChatGPT on firewall". Each is one layer. A full block needs the device layer and the web layer.
Device layer: the apps
- Block the apps by bundle ID and package name in your MDM.
- Use a category file so clones are covered.
- Restrict which browsers can run, so the web filter cannot be skipped with an unmanaged browser. See blocking other browsers.
- Per app steps: block the ChatGPT app and block DeepSeek.
Web layer: the sites
- Block the AI category in your web filter or firewall, on and off the school network.
- In managed browsers such as Edge and Chrome, a URL blocklist policy adds a second check.
- Main web addresses to include:
Blocking AI apps in Intune and other MDMs
The steps are the same shape in every MDM. The exact menu names change, so check the current admin console as you go.
Pick the file
Download the AI apps blocklist for iOS and Android in the format your MDM imports.
Create the policy
On supervised iPads, a restrictions profile can hide or block listed apps. On Android, block the packages in Managed Google Play or a policy.
Assign by grade
Target the device groups from your grade-band matrix. Leave staff groups out.
Refresh monthly
Replace the list with each monthly update so new AI apps are covered.
Intune specifics are on blocking apps in Intune. Apps inside Microsoft Teams are managed in the Teams admin center, separate from device policies.
Testing devices: block AI regardless of policy
Whatever your AI policy for daily use, assessments need a locked device. An AI app one tap away during a test undoes the whole policy debate.
During state and district tests
- Most testing apps lock an iPad into one app for the length of the test.
- For shared or testing carts, Single App Mode keeps the device on one app. See shared iPads and Single App Mode.
- Check that AI keyboards are not enabled on testing devices, since they work inside other apps.
During classroom quizzes
- Homework helper apps matter most here, since a photo of the question returns the answer.
- Block photo-solve apps on all devices used for graded work, even if AI chat is allowed.
- Ask teachers which quiz tools they use, and confirm those tools can lock the browser or app during a quiz.
What the AI section of your policy should decide
Device settings enforce a policy, they do not replace one. These six decisions belong in writing before IT builds the device groups.
Who may use AI
Which grade bands, which tools, and whether use is teacher-led or independent.
Maps to: device groups per grade bandFor which tasks
Brainstorming, feedback, research or none. Say which assignments allow AI and which do not.
Maps to: teacher guidance, not settingsHow students disclose it
A simple rule for noting AI help on submitted work, the same across schools.
Maps to: acceptable use policyWhat data may go in
No names, grades, health details or other students' information in prompts.
Maps to: training and the acceptable use policyWhich tools are approved
Only vetted tools under agreement, everything else blocked by category.
Maps to: allowlist plus AI blocklistWhen it is reviewed
AI products change monthly. Review the policy at least once a year and when a major tool changes its terms.
Maps to: review calendarStudent devices and staff devices need different AI rules
Teachers often want AI for planning and feedback while students are restricted. Keep the two in separate device groups so one decision does not overwrite the other.
| Question | Student devices | Staff devices |
|---|---|---|
| Consumer AI chat apps | Blocked or grade-band rules | Often allowed, with data rules |
| Student data in prompts | Not allowed | Not allowed in consumer tools; allowed only in tools under agreement |
| AI companions | Blocked | Usually blocked on district-owned devices |
| Homework solvers | Blocked on graded work | Allowed, so teachers can see what students see |
| Who decides | Policy committee, by grade band | Technology and HR, with privacy input |
Explaining AI blocks to families
Families hear about AI tools from the news and from their children. A short, consistent explanation prevents a flood of one-off questions to each school.
Say what is blocked by category, such as "AI chat and companion apps", rather than naming dozens of apps.
Say what is allowed instead, and for which grades, so the message is not only "no".
Explain that the blocks apply on school devices at home too, because the settings live on the device.
Point to the acceptable use policy for the rules on disclosing AI help in school work.
Give one contact for questions about a specific app, rather than every school's front office.
Share when the policy will next be reviewed, so families know it is not set in stone.
If you allow AI: the managed way
Districts that allow AI for older students usually do it through one managed tool rather than open access to every app. These conditions keep it defensible.
A signed data privacy agreement that covers student prompts and outputs.
School sign-in only, so the district controls the accounts.
Student input not used to train the vendor's models.
Teacher visibility of student use where the tool supports it.
Clear rules on citing AI help in the acceptable use policy.
Consumer AI apps still blocked, so the managed tool is the one in use.
Add the AI rules to your student device acceptable use policy so students and families read the same thing the devices enforce.
AI apps on student devices: questions
Should ChatGPT be allowed in schools?
It depends on grade. Many districts block consumer AI chat for younger students and allow a managed tool for older ones. OpenAI's terms say ChatGPT is not for under-13s and that 13 to 18 year olds need parental consent.
What is the ChatGPT bundle ID?
The iPhone and iPad app is com.openai.chat with App Store ID 6448311069. The Android package is com.openai.chatgpt.
How do I block DeepSeek?
Block com.deepseek.chat on iOS and Android in your MDM, and block the website in your filter. The AI category file also catches look-alike DeepSeek apps.
Why are some AI apps not blocked?
Clones, homework helpers, AI keyboards, browser versions and AI inside allowed apps. Blocking one app by ID leaves those open. A category blocklist closes most of them.
Are AI companion apps safe for students?
Most are listed 17+ in the App Store, and Character.AI ended open-ended chat for under-18s in late 2025. Most districts block companion apps at every grade.
Is there a list of AI apps and their uses?
Yes. The AI apps list groups chat assistants, homework helpers, companions, image tools and keyboards, with verified IDs for the big apps.
Do the blocks still work when students take devices home?
Yes. App restrictions are stored on the device, so they apply on home Wi-Fi too. Rules that should differ after school hours are covered in take-home device restrictions.
How do we block AI apps in Microsoft Teams?
Apps that run inside Teams are allowed or blocked in the Teams admin center, not in your device MDM. Check the current admin center, since app and AI options there change often.
Which AI apps are safest for student privacy?
The ones under a district agreement with school sign-in and no training on student input. Privacy depends more on the contract than on the app, so vet each one.
Block AI apps by category, not one ID at a time
The AI apps blocklist covers chat assistants, homework solvers, companions and clones on iOS, iPadOS and Android, updated monthly, with separate files per school on the district plan.
ChatGPT is a trademark of OpenAI. Gemini, Chrome and Android are trademarks of Google LLC. Claude is a trademark of Anthropic.
DeepSeek, Perplexity, Grok, Poe, Character.AI, Replika, Kindroid, zeta, Photomath, Gauth, Brainly, Mathway, Question.AI, Answer.AI, Nerd AI, Chegg, Course Hero, Symbolab, ChatOn and Grammarly are trademarks of their respective owners.
Meta AI is a trademark of Meta Platforms, Inc. Microsoft Intune, Microsoft Teams and Edge are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Apple, iPad and App Store are trademarks of Apple Inc.
Names are used only to identify the products discussed. AppBlockList is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by these companies.