If your school district’s IT helpdesk is flooded with reports that the Google waffle is not working on student Chromebooks or Chrome browsers, you aren’t alone.

Users who are affected by this issue are unable to sign in to Google search, customize their app drawer, or access certain account settings. This issues does NOT impact a user’s ability to access Google services like Gmail, Drive, or Classroom.

Why Is the Google Waffle Not Working for Students?

The issue stems from an administrative change made on September 25, 2026, when Google disabled the Search and Assistant secondary service for users designated as under 18 years old. This service was turned off because it contains features like voice matching and face matching, which are generally restricted for K-12 students.

However, the default Chrome New Tab page relies on backend components tied to the Search and Assistant service. When that service was disabled, it broke key elements of the page—causing the Google waffle menu to stop working for student accounts.

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How to Fix the Google Waffle Icon on Chrome New Tab Pages

Depending on your district’s policy regarding secondary services, you can resolve the broken Google waffle using one of two methods.

Solution 1: Re-Enable Search & Assistant (Disable Voice & Face Matching)

If you want students to keep using the default Chrome New Tab page, you can re-enable the Search and Assistant service while explicitly turning off the restricted features.

1. Log in to the Google Admin Console.
2. Navigate to Apps > Additional Google services > Search and Assistant.
3. Enable Search and Assistant for your student Organizational Units (OUs).
4. In the settings, ensure Voice and Face Matching is turned OFF.

Once saved, the Google waffle icon will begin working again on the default New Tab page.

Solution 2: Redirect the New Tab Page to a Custom URL

If your district policy strictly requires Search and Assistant to remain disabled for users under 18, you can configure Chrome to load an actual web page (like Google.com or your district homepage) instead of Chrome://new tab.

Students will NOT be able to sign in on Google.com if search and assistant is disabled. This will not impact their ability to use search or access any other Google services.

To apply this policy in Admin Console:

1. Go to Devices > Chrome > Settings > User & browser settings.
2. Scroll to the Startup section.
3. Locate the New Tab page policy setting.
4. Set the policy to open a specific URL instead of the default New Tab page.
5. Save changes for the targeted student OUs.

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