Mavis Beacon Online: What Works in a Browser and What Needs an Install

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Many people look for a way to use Mavis Beacon without installing anything, for example on a school Chromebook or a shared computer. The short answer is that the main course, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, is sold as software you install on Windows or macOS. A browser-based version exists for the children's course. This page explains what each option is, what it needs and what we could not confirm.

The Browser Version: Mavis Beacon Keyboarding Kidz Online

Encore Software, which publishes the current Mavis Beacon titles, sells Mavis Beacon Keyboarding Kidz Online as a web version of its typing course for children. According to Encore's product page:

  • No installation is required. It runs in web browsers that support HTML5.
  • It is compatible with Chromebooks.
  • On Windows it lists Microsoft Edge, Firefox and Chrome; on a Mac it lists Safari, Microsoft Edge, Firefox and Chrome.
  • It is an annual subscription, and the activation key is valid for 365 days.

Encore describes it as a course for children, though it also mentions learners of all skill levels and ages. The product page does not explain the sign-in steps, so use the activation key and the instructions supplied with your purchase.

Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing Is an Installed Program

For the adult course, we found no browser version from the publisher. Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 2020 is listed on Steam for Windows and macOS and on the Mac App Store, and it is installed like any other desktop program. Its listing still asks for a broadband internet connection and a web browser, so having the program installed does not mean you can use it without going online.

If you have a Windows PC or a Mac, the installed edition is the way to get the full course with its lessons, tests and games. Setup instructions are on the pages for Windows 10 and Mac.

What About Free Online Versions and Games?

Search results include sites that promise to let you play Mavis Beacon free online. We could not trace any of them to the publisher, and we could not verify what they actually run, so we do not recommend them. Be careful with any page that asks you to download an extra player or browser extension to start an online version.

The typing games that people remember, such as the racing game, are part of the installed programs. The Mac App Store listing for the 2020 edition describes 16 arcade-style games, and Keyboarding Kidz is described with 10. Generic online typing tests can be useful practice, but they are not Mavis Beacon.

Which Option Fits Your Device

  • Windows PC or laptop: install Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 2020, or the children's edition.
  • Mac or MacBook: install the Mac edition, after checking your macOS version.
  • Chromebook: the Windows and Mac editions do not install on ChromeOS, so the browser-based Keyboarding Kidz Online is the option Encore lists. The laptop page has more on choosing by system.

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