If the whiteboard displays a blank white screen or the loading progress indicator freezes, the issue is almost always a stale browser cache or a restrictive school network filter. Follow these troubleshooting steps in order.

Step 1: Force Refresh Without Browser Cache

1. Hard-reload the page using Ctrl + F5 on Windows or Cmd + Shift + R on macOS. This forces the browser to fetch the latest application assets directly.
2. If the screen remains blank, close the browser tab completely and navigate to classhelper.app afresh.
3. Check the web address for typos and confirm that it begins with secure https://.
4. Test a secondary browser on the same computer. If ClassHelper loads in Chrome but fails in Edge, the issue is browser-specific rather than a network block.

Your locally stored lesson collections and class rosters are not deleted by reloading: they remain safely stored in your browser local storage.

Step 2: Browser and Device Checks

1. Update Your Browser: ClassHelper relies on modern web standards supported by recent versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. Outdated browsers on school computers are the most common cause of script failures.
2. Disable Extensions: Temporarily turn off aggressive ad-blockers or privacy script-blockers. You can test this by opening an Incognito or Private window to check if the board loads.
3. Restart the Computer: Classroom desktop computers that run continuously for weeks often benefit from a quick reboot to clear memory leaks.
4. On iPad: Force-close Safari from the iPad app switcher and reopen the app.

Avoid doing your primary lesson planning in private tabs, as private sessions clear saved materials upon closing.

Step 3: School Network Filters and Allowlisting

School district firewalls and web filters sometimes block educational domains inadvertently:

1. Check if other external websites load properly. If only ClassHelper fails while other educational sites work, a school filter rule is likely active.
2. Test loading the site using a mobile hotspot or personal connection. If it opens immediately, the district filter is blocking access.
3. Request that your school IT department allowlist classhelper.app.
4. Inform IT staff that all web assets, fonts, and scripts are delivered directly from the same secure domain without third-party tracking scripts.

If issues persist, contact our team via the Contact Page with your browser version, operating system, and any error message displayed.

Summary

Force refresh with Ctrl + F5, update outdated classroom browsers, and check whether district firewalls need to allowlist the domain. Saved lesson folders remain safe on your device throughout troubleshooting.