Let the student take a photo, a video or a sound
On the tablet's home screen, the student has four tiles: "Draw", "Photo", "Video" and "Voice". The last three open the camera or the microphone, and the capture lands in their portfolio, where it waits for your approval. You have nothing to set up for this to work. This page describes what the child sees, where their capture lands, and what to do when the iPad's camera refuses to open.
"Video" and "Voice" only exist in a class on the Pro plan. On the free plan, the two tiles do not appear on the tablet. "Draw" and "Photo" are there on every plan.
What the student does
A photo
- The student taps "Photo". The camera takes the whole screen, in black, with the X at the top left to go back.
- They tap the big round button, "Take a photo". The button beside it, "Change camera", switches between the rear and the front camera.
- The photo freezes. The yellow check, "Confirm photo", sends it. The X, "Retake photo", reopens the camera.
While it uploads, the screen says "Saving...". Then a big yellow check, "Great!" and "Saved to your portfolio!". Two buttons: "Capture again", which reopens the camera, and "Back", which returns to the home screen.
Between the upload and "Great!", the tablet asks "Did you work with someone?". The photo is already saved at that point. The page Add work to a student's portfolio describes that question and the team it creates.
A videoPro plan only
The same black screen, with a countdown before recording: "Ready...", then "Go! 🎬". The elapsed time shows while recording. The recording stops on its own at one minute. The student then taps "Confirm video" or "Retake video".
A soundPro plan only
The screen is called "Voice" and stays a light page. Under the title "Record your voice", the microphone says "Press to start". The student taps the round button; the countdown shows "Ready...", then "Go! 🎤". While recording, the title becomes "Listening...". After the stop square, the student listens back, then taps "Confirm" or "Retry".
Where the capture lands
By default, the student's photo, video or sound goes as is into their portfolio, as a piece of their own work. It carries "Awaiting approval" until your "Approve", and parents do not see it before that. It shows in the "Portfolios" grid, on the work's page and in the class feed, like a submitted activity.
You can ask for something else for your class. The tile can open the whiteboard with the camera already running, and the photo then becomes a piece of a drawing. The child draws around it, then taps "Done"; the portfolio receives the drawing, with the photo inside. It is a class setting.
- Open "My account", then "Class".
- Find the "Student captures" card. It says "What happens when a student taps Photo, Video or Sound."
- Tick "Open the whiteboard, and place the media inside a drawing" to go through the drawing. Untick it to go back to the portfolio.
- Tap "Save" in the bar that appears. LinoClass confirms with "Changes saved".
The note under the box is a reminder: "Unchecked, the capture goes straight to the student's portfolio. Your own captures are unaffected: they always go straight to the portfolio." Your own "Quick capture" never goes through the whiteboard, and your "Drawing" tile always opens a sheet.
When the box is ticked, the tile opens a new sheet, and the camera or the microphone opens on its own on top of it. If the child closes the camera without taking anything, the sheet stays there, empty; they can draw or go back.
The setting applies to the whole class and to every tablet, in the browser as well as in the LinoClass app on the iPad. In the browser, it applies as soon as the student returns to their home screen. The app reads the setting when the child starts their session, so a child who is already signed in keeps the old path until they end their session and pick their name again. If the app could not read the class's setting, the tile takes the usual path, straight to the portfolio. Only the class owner sees this card; a collaborator does not. If saving fails, a red line in the bar says why, and the sections column shows "Could not save". The box keeps your choice on screen, but nothing is saved: tap "Save" again.
When the camera will not open on the iPad
If the camera or the microphone will not open, the child sees Lino on a dark screen, with a sentence that says the cause, then "Ask your teacher." The word {device} in the sentences below is replaced by "the camera" or "the microphone".
- "This iPad did not allow {device}.": Safari refused this site. This cause, like "We cannot find {device} on this device." and "This browser cannot open {device} here.", does not offer "Retry".
- "Another app is already using {device}." with "Close the other app, then try again.": close the other app, then "Retry".
- "We cannot find {device} on this device.": the camera is turned off for the whole iPad, often by the school, in Settings, under Screen Time.
- "This browser cannot open {device} here.": the browser has no access to the camera. Open LinoClass in Safari or in the app.
- "We are still waiting for {device}." and "We could not open {device}.": tap "Retry".
- "We could not get your file ready.": the photo was taken but could not be prepared. Tap "Retry".
"Back" is always there and takes the child back. For a photo or a video, a yellow "Take a photo" or "Choose a video" button opens the iPad's own menu, with its photo library and its camera. That menu does not go through Safari's permission, so the photo gets in even when the permission is refused.
Allow the camera in Safari
When the cause is the permission, a small link under the buttons says "How do I allow the camera?". It opens the "Allow the camera on this iPad" dialog, with three steps and a recording of Safari's real menu, in the language of LinoClass. Follow the recording rather than this page: Apple changes that menu from one version to the next.
In Safari, the page menu button sits to the left of the site address. Inside it, the website settings for app.linoclass.ca have a row for the camera, to set to Allow. Then return to LinoClass and tap "Back", then the "Photo" tile.
The dialog ends with a note: "If the camera stays blocked after these steps, it is probably turned off for the whole iPad. Check Settings, Screen Time, Restrictions." The X at the top, "Close", closes the dialog.
When the upload does not go through
After "Confirm photo", the screen may say "Oops!" with the cause, then "Retake" and "Back". The file did not go out.
- "Videos and sounds are not available in your class. Ask your teacher. Photos and drawings always work!": the class is no longer on the Pro plan, or the free plan has reached its storage limit.
- If the file is too big, the screen says the file is too large and gives the maximum size. The student records a shorter video or sound.
- "Error uploading file": the network dropped. "Retake" reopens the camera to try again.
Frequently asked questions
The "Video" or "Voice" tile is missing on the tablet.
The class is on the free plan. Both tiles appear as soon as the class moves to the Pro plan. "Photo" and "Draw" are always there.
The student's photo landed inside a drawing, not on its own.
The "Open the whiteboard, and place the media inside a drawing" box is ticked in "My account", under "Class", on the "Student captures" card. Untick it and tap "Save". The next photos will go straight to the portfolio.
The box is ticked, but the photo went straight to the portfolio.
On the iPad, the LinoClass app reads the setting when the child starts their session. If the child was already signed in when you ticked the box, they end their session and pick their name again; the tile then opens the whiteboard. If nothing changes, check that the box is saved under "Student captures".
Parents cannot see the student's photo.
It is waiting for your approval. Open the work and tap "Approve". That is what shares it.
The camera is blocked on every tablet in the class.
Check the iPad first. The camera may be turned off in Settings, under Screen Time. The school or whoever manages the tablets can turn it back on.
The student tapped "Back" on Lino's screen. Did they lose anything?
No. That screen shows before the photo, or when the photo could not be prepared. Nothing has been saved.