How automatic Blackboard class joining works, and what it doesn't do
3NK is an app on your computer that opens your live Blackboard Collaborate classes on time, with your own Blackboard session. It doesn't run on our servers and never signs in for you from somewhere else.
What it needs
- Your courses: imported from Blackboard's Courses page, or added by pasting each course's link.
- Your weekly class times: several per course, in any time zone, with a warning when two classes overlap.
- Your computer: on, awake and online at class time. On Windows the app can wake the computer from sleep if wake timers are allowed; on macOS and Linux, keep it awake on class days.
Before and during each class
- 3NK opens the course page a few minutes early.
- It looks for the live Collaborate session and keeps checking until the instructor starts it or the class time ends.
- It joins, and says "joined" only once it recognises the class room.
- It stays until the end time you chose, and rejoins after a dropped connection or a crashed window, up to the number of attempts you set.
- It notifies you on Discord, if you turn that on (optional).
What the status means
- Joined (verified): the app recognised the class room. You are in.
- Waiting for instructor: Collaborate is holding you in a waiting room. You aren't in yet.
- Opened, not verified: the session opened but the room wasn't recognised. Check the class window.
- Session not open yet: the instructor hasn't started the live session. The app keeps checking until the class ends.
What 3NK doesn't do
- It doesn't record or guarantee attendance: it opens the class and stays in it; whether you count as present is up to your university and instructor.
- It doesn't take part for you: it doesn't speak, type or answer questions.
- It never opens recordings, grades or assignments in your course.
- It doesn't bypass two-step verification: if your university asks for it, you complete it in 3NK's window, and the app reuses that session until it expires.
- It can't work if your computer is off or offline at class time.
Your privacy
Your university password stays on your computer, in its secure credential store, as do your Blackboard session, courses and schedule; none of them reach us. What we keep for your account and license is in the Privacy Policy.
Does this work at your university? See the universities page and how to check your university with the free trial.
Try it on your own classes
The free trial runs for 7 days on one computer, with your university email and no card.