Venn ensures that work that happens within Blue Border is secure and encrypted. To open work apps or websites within Blue Border, launch them from the Venn app, Workplace.
To learn how to access work files using Venn, see Venn Disk and Accessing Work Files.
Launch Work Apps and Websites
Open Workplace on your computer to access your work apps and websites.
- Your starred apps and websites are listed on the Launch page.
- All work apps are available on the Apps page.
- Work websites added by your Admin are available on the Websites page. Beneath each saved website name, you can see whether or not you will be automatically signed into the site from Workplace.
To open an app or website within Blue Border, simply click on it from the Launch, Apps, or Websites page in Workplace.
If there’s a work app that you don’t see in Workplace, reach out to your Venn administrator for support.
You may notice that some apps in your list appear with a brown download icon. This icon indicates that the app cannot be detected on your computer by Venn. Typically, this means that you need to download the app before you can use it on your computer. See below to learn more about work apps not downloaded on your computer.
In Workplace, most apps and websites appear with an icon that is specific to the app or website. Saved websites that don’t have an associated logo appear with a blue globe icon.
In some cases, companies may allow users to access specific applications that are hosted on company servers through Venn. These apps appear in Workplace with the blue right arrow icon and are marked by a cloud. See below to learn more about using hosted apps.
Use a New App in Blue Border for the First Time
When you launch a new app using Venn for the first time, you may need to sign in to the app and you may want to customize the app's settings for work.
The first time that you launch each work app from Workplace, Venn creates a unique profile for the app on the Venn Disk, a virtual, encrypted, local profile store, only accessible through user authentication into Venn. Because you are opening the app with a unique work profile that is separate from any existing personal profile you might have, your settings and preferences will not carry over. It will be like you are opening the app for the very first time after installation.
For example, if you already use Google Chrome on your computer before you start using Venn, you have likely set your preferences for things like colors and fonts and you may have added saved bookmarks. When you launch Google Chrome using Venn for the first time, those settings will not carry over.
Below are examples of the most common apps that require configuration when you launch them from Venn for the first time.
Browsers
When you open an internet browser (Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge) in Venn for the first time, your personal browser profile, including history, pinned tabs, bookmarks, and accounts, will not be copied over.
If you have previously used your browser for personal use, you may want to take advantage of the clean slate of your work profile in order to maintain a separation between your personal and work internet usage going forward.
If you have previously used your browser for work:
- You can sign in to your existing Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge profile to sync your bookmarks and history if authorized by your company.
- You can export bookmarks from an existing browser profile and import them into your browser profile in Venn following these instructions.
Mail Apps
When you open a mail app such as Microsoft Outlook in Venn for the first time, you will need to log in and customize your settings.
Upon the initial launch, you will be prompted to log in to the work account authorized by your company. If an account is already prefilled, check it carefully to ensure that it is the account you will use for work.
After you have logged in, you will need to configure the following, which will not be carried over:
- Your email signature
- Any views for your folders including your inbox
- Any display settings or preferences
Download Work Apps You Don’t Have on Your Computer
Each app must be installed on your computer in order to access it using Venn's Blue Border. You may notice that some apps in your list appear with a brown download icon. This icon indicates that the app cannot be detected on your computer by Venn.
Learn more about what causes apps not to be detected by Venn and how to install apps you use for work.
Use a Hosted App in Blue Border
In some cases, companies may allow users to access specific applications that are hosted on company servers through Venn. These apps appear in Workplace with the blue right arrow icon and are marked by a cloud. These apps do not need to be downloaded on your computer in order to be launched from Workplace.