The Sphero Edu Jr™ app works with many iOS and Android mobile devices using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE 4.0).

The Sphero Edu Jr&#x2122; app works with many iOS and Android mobile devices using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE 4.0). &#xA0;Specific operating systems and device requirements are as follows:iOS:The Sphero Edu Jr&#x2122; app will work on any Apple device that runs iOS 12 or higher. This includes many iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touch models. The below table provides some examples of devices that will work.<table><tbody><tr><td>Device Model</td><td>OS Version</td></tr><tr><td>iPad (5th gen) or newer</td><td>iOS 12+</td></tr><tr><td>iPad Air (1st gen) or newer</td><td>iOS 12+</td></tr><tr><td>iPad Pro (1st gen) or newer</td><td>iOS 12+</td></tr><tr><td>iPad Mini 2 or newer &#xA0;</td><td>iOS 12+</td></tr><tr><td>iPhone 5s or newer &#xA0; &#xA0;</td><td>iOS 12+</td></tr><tr><td>iPod Touch 6th Generation or newer</td><td>iOS 12+</td></tr></tbody></table>Android:Android devices must meet the following requirements to run the Sphero Edu Jr&#x2122; application:&#xA0;<ul><li>Android 5.0 or higher</li><li>Bluetooth LE (4.0)</li><li>Wi-Fi capabilities or a reliable cellular network connection (for installation)</li></ul><div class="note-callout">Even though some older Android devices may meet the requirements described above, they may not be fully compatible due to variation in the quality of Bluetooth hardware. Contact us at <a href="mailto: support@sphero.com">support@sphero.com</a> about compatibility if you are purchasing Android devices for school use or are planning to use our robots with your fleet of Android devices.</div>The Sphero Edu Jr&#x2122; Android app can also run on Chromebooks that support Android apps. To determine if your Chromebook can run Sphero Edu Jr&#x2122;, please check for the app in Google Play.Amazon Fire Tablets:The following Amazon Fire tablets are compatible with the Sphero Edu Jr&#x2122; application:&#xA0;<ul><li>Fire HD 8 (2015 model or newer)</li><li>Fire HD 10 (2015 model or newer)</li><li>Fire 7 (2019 model or newer)</li></ul><div class="warning-callout">Location permissions are required to scan for Sphero robots. FreeTime and children accounts on Kindle devices have location permissions disabled. As a result, Bluetooth connectivity does not work while using Sphero Play in FreeTime with a child account.</div>Supported Robots:The following Sphero robots are currently supported in the Sphero Edu Jr&#x2122; application:&#xA0;<ul><li>Sphero indi&#x2122;</li></ul>Languages:The following languages are supported in the Sphero Edu Jr&#x2122; application:<ul><li>English</li><li>Dutch</li><li>Spanish</li><li>Finnish</li><li>French</li><li>German</li><li>Italian</li><li>Japanese</li><li>Korean</li><li>Portuguese (Brazilian)</li><li>Norwegian Bokm&#xE5;l</li><li>Swedish</li><li>Simplified Chinese</li><li>Traditional Chinese</li><li>Polish</li></ul><div class="warning-callout">A word from the creators of Sphero: We have hacked, modded and manipulated nearly every piece of hardware we have owned. That being said, we know some customers have done the same. We are working very hard to support as many devices and software versions as we can, but if you have a custom ROM for your Android device or a jailbroken iPhone you may experience issues that we have not accounted for in the public release.</div>

Sphero Edu Jr™ Device Compatibility

Apple School Manager is the primary way to deploy the iOS/iPadOS app of Sphero Edu Jr™ to a managed device pool in schools. This official management tool allows Schools to manage their device pool, disable certain functionality, and of most relevance

<h3 id="iosipados-deployment">iOS/iPadOS Deployment</h3>Apple School Manager is the primary way to deploy the iOS/iPadOS app of Sphero Edu Jr&#x2122; to a managed device pool in schools. This official management tool allows Schools to manage their device pool, disable certain functionality, and of most relevance to this document, deploy apps to the managed devices.You can sign in at the official Apple School Manager portal <a href="https://school.apple.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. You can then search for the Sphero Edu Jr&#x2122; app and deploy to the needed devices.Apple&apos;s official support guide for Apple School Manager can be found <a href="https://support.apple.com/guide/apple-school-manager/welcome/web" target="_blank">here</a>, and additional details about their education solutions can be found <a href="https://www.apple.com/education/k12/it/" target="_blank">here</a>. Do note that Apple School Manager can be utilized with other MDM (mobile device management) solutions, including many popular ones. If you use other MDM solutions for Apple hardware, please consult their support documentation and guides.<h3 id="chromebook-deployment">Chromebook Deployment</h3>The Android version of the Sphero Edu Jr&#x2122; app, which is available on Google Play, is our officially supported version of the app on Chromebooks. If your Chromebooks are managed either with Google&apos;s enterprise or education admin solutions, then review Google&apos;s support documentation on how to <a href="https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/7131624?hl=en" target="_blank">Deploy Android apps to managed users on Chromebooks</a>. Google also has additional guidelines and tips for deploying Android apps on Chromebooks in a school environment, <a href="https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/9962839" target="_blank">located here</a>. Below are some key steps and additional information that may be helpful.<h4 id="setting-up-managed-google-play-optional">Setting up Managed Google Play (Optional)</h4>Google recommends enabling an app setting called Managed Google Play to deploy the Android version of Sphero Edu Jr&#x2122;. Don&apos;t worry - this won&apos;t result in your managed students having access to Google Play without restrictions. Rather, it will provide a portal for your students to access only the Android apps you have whitelisted in Google Play. In this case, this means they will only have access to Sphero Edu Jr&#x2122;. While optional, allowing users to use Managed Google Play can be a better user experience in some situations, and reduce network traffic bottlenecks compared to forced installations. If you want to enable Managed Google Play, follow the steps below. Otherwise, skip to the Deploying The Android App on Chromebooks step.<ol><li>In Google Admin, go to Apps &gt; Additional Services</li><li>Select your organizational unit of choice, and enabled Managed Google Play</li></ol><figure><img alt="Managed Google Play" src="https://hsfiles.gorgias.help/gm/help-centers/19676/attachments/c35ecc01-5aa0-490e-9987-96975e962a6a.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></figure><h4 id="deploying-the-android-app-on-chromebooks">Deploying The Android App on Chromebooks</h4>You will need to &quot;allow&quot; Android applications on Chrome Devices. Without allowing this setting, you won&apos;t be able to deploy Android apps to Chromebooks.<ol><li>Go to Devices &gt; Chrome &gt; Apps &amp; Extensions &gt; Users &amp; Browsers</li><li>In the top right corner of the page, select Additional Settings<figure><img src="https://hsfiles.gorgias.help/gm/help-centers/19676/attachments/6c003ec6-e2c2-48f0-b987-6356b2554177.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></figure></li><li>From the Additional Settings screen, go to Android applications on Chrome devices under Additional application settings and select &quot;allow&quot;.</li></ol><figure><img src="https://hsfiles.gorgias.help/gm/help-centers/19676/attachments/6f54b8c2-4793-44f0-8b43-7e1d1c3efa19.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></figure><ol><li start="4" style="counter-increment:li 3;">Now that Android apps are supported, go back to Devices &gt; Chrome &gt; Apps &amp; Extensions &gt; Users &amp; Browsers</li><li>In the bottom right corner, select the + icon, and select the Google Playicon (second from bottom)<figure><img src="https://hsfiles.gorgias.help/gm/help-centers/19676/attachments/6c44736b-c26d-4155-ae3d-747c6d9ed88f.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></figure></li><li>Search for Sphero Edu Jr, and from the app overview page, tap &quot;Select&quot;.</li><li>When deploying the Sphero Edu Jr&#x2122; Android app, you will have two core options. You can allow students to manually install from Managed Google Play, or you can force install the app to their Chromebook. With the latter option, you can also pin the app to the task bar after installation.</li></ol><h4 id="location-servicepermission-requirements">Location Service/Permission Requirements</h4>Since the Sphero Edu Jr&#x2122; Android app scans for Bluetooth and handles automatic Bluetooth connections, it does require that operating system Location Services be enabled and Location Permissions&#xA0;be granted for the app. You can learn more information about Android location services and our apps in our <a href="/article/5hqgdo28ja-why-must-location-services-be-enabled" target="_blank">technical documentation</a>.If you cannot scan and find robots with the deployed Sphero Edu Jr&#x2122; app, it is mostly likely due to various location related settings. Review the following to ensure that the app can scan and connect correctly.<h5 id="geolocation">Geolocation:</h5><div class="warning-callout">NOTE: As a reminder, the steps immediately below are done in Google Admin for your organizational unit.</div>To ensure that you can connect in the Android app, you will need to ensure that location services are not blocked by Geolocation settings:<ol><li>From Google Admin, go to Devices &gt; Chrome &gt; Settings &gt; Users &amp; Browsers</li><li>Under User &amp; Browser Settings, Scroll down to the Security section (or search for it)</li><li>From there, find the &#x201C;Geolocation&#x201D; setting. Change it from &#x201C;Do not allow sites to detect users&#x2019; geolocation&#x201D; to &#x201C;Allow sites to detect users&#x2019; geolocation&#x201D; or &#x201C;Allow the user to decide&#x201D;.</li></ol><figure><img src="https://hsfiles.gorgias.help/gm/help-centers/19676/attachments/0107d12f-776b-4db7-a435-f74cd7fe18fa.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></figure><h5 id="google-location-services">Google Location Services:</h5><div class="warning-callout">NOTE: As a reminder, the steps immediately below are done in Google Admin for your organizational unit.</div>You may also need to enable additional location service settings. You can do so by following the steps below:<ol><li>From Google Admin, go to Devices &gt; Chrome &gt; Settings &gt; Users &amp; Browsers</li><li>Under User &amp; Browser Settings, scroll to the Android Applications section (or search for it)</li><li>Look for a setting called Google Location Services and ensure it&#x2019;s enabled</li></ol><figure><img src="https://hsfiles.gorgias.help/gm/help-centers/19676/attachments/9a5bb1ef-47ea-45f6-8502-54ebf47b8bdf.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></figure><h5 id="chromebook-location-services">Chromebook Location Services:</h5>Now that Google Location Services are enabled, users can turn them on for each Chromebook:<div class="warning-callout">NOTE: The steps below are done on the actual Chromebooks themselves, not on Google Admin.</div><ol><li>On the Chromebook, go to Settings &gt; Apps</li><li>From the apps menu, select Google Play Store</li><li>From the Google Play Store menu, select Manage Android preferences</li><li>From Android preferences, select Security &amp; Location</li><li>Under the Privacy header, select Location</li><li>On the Location screen, toggle Use Location to On</li></ol><figure><img alt="Chromebook Location Services" data-hd-height="50%" data-hd-width="50%" src="https://hsfiles.gorgias.help/gm/help-centers/19676/attachments/e3b24e3d-249e-481c-b094-f2c18ce41f16.png" style="max-height: 50%; max-width: 50%;" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></figure><div class="warning-callout">NOTE: If location services are not properly set, you will fail to connect in the Sphero Edu Jr&#x2122; app. If you are unable to connect after multiple attempts, please revisit the above location services notes.</div><div class="note-callout">Please contact our support team if you run into any issues with deployment or other IT needs. You can contact our support team with feedback or inquiries about bugs and features at support@sphero.com.</div>

Sphero Edu Jr™ IT Guide for Schools

Getting Started with the Sphero Edu Jr App

Most Sphero Edu compatible robots come out of the factory with the latest firmware - but in some cases you may need to update your firmware. Learn all about updates here.

<h4 id="firmware-updates">Firmware Updates</h4>Most indi robots come out of the factory with the latest firmware - ready for you to connect to the app, drive, and program! However, on some occasions your robot may have out of date firmware or invalid firmware. When this happens, you will need to do a mandatory or optional firmware update in the Sphero Edu Jr app.When you connect to your robot, the Sphero Edu Jr app confirms the version of firmware on your robot and checks it against a mandatory minimum version. If your robot has firmware below this minimum version, you will have to update. This is required for your robot to have baseline functional compatibility with the app. The same applies if your robot has invalid firmware. Since you cannot command your robot without valid firmware, you will also have a mandatory update upon connection.On occasion Sphero Edu Jr may provide optional firmware updates for your robots. These updates are not mandatory on connection, but they may be needed to improve some robot behaviors, performance, or fix certain bugs. While these updates are not mandatory, we do make them available via the Sphero Edu app to ensure users can stay up-to-date.<h4 id="how-do-i-know-if-theres-an-optional-update-available-for-my-robot">How Do I know If There&apos;s an Optional Update Available for My Robot?&#xA0;</h4>When connected, you can follow these instructions to install optional firmware:<ol><li>Click on the gear icon in the top right to go to the settings screen</li><li>Click on the triple gear icon to switch to the &apos;Advanced Settings&apos; tab</li><li>If your robot is eligible for an optional firmware update, you will see a button titled &quot;Update Robot Firmware&quot;<img src="https://attachments.gorgias.help/mj2b/hc/yv5m/edu_jr_home_robot_connected.png-1c0cf654-8065-4e22-89d4-333bb94808e9.png" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></li></ol><img src="https://attachments.gorgias.help/mj2b/hc/yv5m/edu_jr_settings.png-1f75d47a-417c-4d1c-94b3-0db6ec3640cb.png" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><img src="https://attachments.gorgias.help/mj2b/hc/yv5m/edu_jr_advanced_settings.png-fdd88ab2-94c0-42d6-8b54-943dd550eaa6.png" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h4 id="important-firmware-update-information">Important Firmware Update Information</h4>There are a number of important considerations when doing a firmware update:<ul><li>Depending on your device, and the established connection interval between the two, a firmware update could take anywhere from around one minute to around five minutes. Be prepared to leave your device connected for that amount of time.</li><li>Your robot should be fully charged before doing an update. If the battery is depleted during a firmware update, you will need to charge your robot and start the process over again, since your firmware will be in a invalid state.</li><li>Do not plug in, power off, or reset your robot during a firmware update, as you will need to start over.</li><li>Do not move it out of Bluetooth range during the firmware update. Keep it close until the update is complete.</li></ul><h4 id="information-about-devices">Information About Devices</h4>During a firmware update, a robot may need to disconnect and reconnect multiple times. Furthermore, a significant amount of data is transferred over Bluetooth to your robot. As a result, some devices may have issues completing firmware updates or may require multiple attempts.Sphero extensively tests firmware updates on as many devices as possible. However, there are 10&apos;s of thousands of models of supported phones, tablets, and computers, which means our engineers are unable to validate every model. Here are some types of devices we generally recommend for a firmware update, provided they run the required minimum OS version:<ul><li>iPhones, iPads or iPod touch models</li><li>Macbooks</li><li>Google Pixel series Android Phones</li><li>Samsung S series Android phones</li><li>Amazon Fire 8 Tablets</li></ul><div class="tip-callout">If your device fails an update numerous times, we recommend trying with a different compatible device.</div>

Sphero Edu Jr Firmware Updates

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