Cricut for Schools: Can Schools Use Cricut with Chromebooks?

This post is part of our School Purchasing Resource Hub series, created to help teachers, librarians, makerspace leaders, and school purchasing teams understand what to check before buying a Cricut machine for school use.

Many schools rely heavily on Chromebooks, so one of the most important questions to ask early is simple: Can Cricut Design Space be used on a Chromebook?

The short answer is no. Cricut Design Space is not supported on Chromebooks.

Why Chromebooks do not work with Cricut Design Space

Cricut machines are controlled through Cricut Design Space. Design Space is the software used to create projects, connect to the Cricut machine, and send designs to the machine for cutting.

The important thing to know is that Design Space is not simply a website that can be used from any browser. It needs to be installed on a compatible device.

Chromebooks run Chrome OS. Cricut’s current documentation says Design Space is available for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, but is not supported on Chromebooks, Unix, or Linux computers.

You can review Cricut’s current device requirements here: Cricut Design Space System Requirements

What this means for Chromebook-based schools

If your school uses Chromebooks, that does not automatically mean a Cricut machine will not work for your school. It does mean the Chromebook should not be the device you plan to use to run Design Space.

Instead, your school will need access to a compatible device, such as:

• A Windows computer
• A Mac computer
• An iPad or iPhone
• An Android phone or tablet

For many schools, this may be a teacher laptop, library computer, makerspace computer, shared staff computer, or school-approved tablet.

The key is to confirm before purchasing that the device can install and run Cricut Design Space, connect to the Cricut machine, and be approved by your school’s IT department.

Plan the Cricut device before you buy

This is especially important for schools where students have Chromebooks, but staff members may have different devices. A class may use Chromebooks for research, planning, or general schoolwork, but the actual Cricut project still needs to be created and sent to the machine from a compatible Design Space device.

For a broader look at software setup, app installation, network access, accounts, and IT approval, read our related article: Cricut Design Space for Schools: Software, Setup, and IT Approval Basics.

You can also download our Cricut for Schools IT Checklist to help review the setup with your school’s technology team before ordering.

Need help choosing Cricut products for your school?

Craft-e-Corner is here to help schools make Cricut purchasing easier. Whether you are choosing your first machine, adding supplies for classroom projects, or planning a shared Cricut station, our Cricut for Schools resource page can help you get started.

You can also browse our Cricut for Schools collection for machines, materials, tools, and accessories, or explore school Cricut project ideas for inspiration. We carry many Cricut supplies and can special order a wide variety of items when needed.

Craft-e-Corner works with school purchase orders and Net 30 purchasing and can help with the extra forms, documentation, and approval steps that many school purchasing departments require, but that standard online checkout does not support.