The short version (in plain English)
- Most of what we make is free right now — Morning Lab, Centers Lab, Lab Tools, SeatLab, and Escape Labs are all in free preview while we build them out. Some apps will become paid eventually; we'll tell you well in advance.
- Use the apps in your classroom. Don't share access with people outside your school, don't redistribute the apps, and don't try to reverse-engineer them.
- Your data is yours. Export it any time using each app's Save/Export buttons. We will not hold your data hostage.
- The apps are provided "as is." We work hard on quality, but they're tools — not a replacement for your professional judgment about classroom safety or supervision.
- If you spot a bug, tell us. Email [email protected]. A teacher reads every message.
1. Welcome — and what you're agreeing to
By using any Big Brain Labs app or website (the "Service"), you agree to these Terms of Service. If you don't agree, please don't use our apps — but we hope you'll stick around because we built these for teachers like you.
Big Brain Labs is operated by Big Brain Labs LLC, a New York limited liability company owned and run by a working public-school teacher. You can reach us anytime at [email protected].
2. What Big Brain Labs makes
Big Brain Labs builds focused web apps for K-12 classrooms. Today that includes:
- Morning Lab — morning meeting display for 3K-2 classrooms
- Centers Lab — pencil-shaped countdown timer plus center-rotation manager
- SeatLab — seating-chart designer and randomizer
- Lab Tools — digital math manipulatives sandbox (fractions, base-10, dice, etc.)
- Escape Labs — build digital escape rooms with codes, items, and lockboxes
- brb. (sister site) — touchless sign-out kiosk
We also have apps under construction (Late!, Scheduler, SubSave) and we'll add new apps over time. The Terms apply to anything we ship under the Big Brain Labs name.
3. Who can use Big Brain Labs apps
You need to be at least 18 years old and a teacher, school administrator, parent, tutor, or other adult education professional. By using our apps, you're confirming that's you. Students may interact with the apps under the supervision of a qualifying adult — for example, students joining an Escape Labs session as a player.
4. Your account (when applicable)
Most Big Brain Labs apps don't require an account — you can use them anonymously. If we add account features in the future (sign-in, paid plans, multi-device sync), we'll update this section and email subscribers in advance. If you sign up for our email list, you're not creating an account in any technical sense — you're just opting in to receive updates.
5. Pricing
Most Big Brain Labs apps are currently in free preview. We will give existing users at least 60 days' notice before any free-preview app becomes paid, and we will offer a way to export all your data before you lose access.
brb. is our paid product (sold separately on brbkiosk.us). Its pricing and billing are governed by the brb. Terms of Service, not these Terms.
If we ever introduce paid plans on Big Brain Labs apps, the following will be true:
- We will publish pricing clearly before charging anything
- You will get a free trial of at least 7 days for any paid plan
- You can cancel any subscription at any time, and keep access through the end of the period you paid for
- Refunds are available within 14 days of purchase if you change your mind
6. Acceptable use
The honest version: don't be a jerk, don't break things on purpose, and don't try to scam the system. Specifically, you agree NOT to:
- Use the apps for anything illegal
- Reverse engineer, decompile, or extract the source code beyond what's normally visible in a browser
- Resell, sublicense, redistribute, or rehost our apps
- Use the apps in a way that breaks our service or interferes with other users (denial-of-service attempts, scraping, hammering our APIs, etc.)
- Submit fake or harmful info through any bug-report or contact form
- Use the apps to surveil, track, harass, or harm anyone — including students
- Upload malware, viruses, or anything harmful
- Use Escape Labs sessions to collect personal data from students beyond a first name, or to communicate inappropriately with them
7. Student data and your responsibilities
Most Big Brain Labs apps are designed so all student data — names, photos, seating charts, manipulative arrangements — stays on your device and never reaches our servers. The single exception is Escape Labs, which syncs limited session data (first name + inventory) to our database for the duration of the session. We document the full data flow in our Privacy Policy.
You're still the one in the classroom, so you're responsible for:
- Following your school district's policies about student data, photo collection, and third-party services
- Getting any required parental consent before using our apps with students, where your district requires it
- Securing the device our apps run on (passcode, physical security)
- Cleaning up student data (clearing rosters and exported files) at the end of the school year or when students leave your class
- Choosing whether to use Escape Labs in cloud mode or in Test Mode (no cloud sync), based on what your school allows
We provide the tools and the disclosures — you're the educator who knows your district's policies. We can't enforce those for you, but we make it as easy as possible to comply.
🏫 For schools and districts
If your district has a vendor-review process, formal Data Processing Agreement, or specific compliance requirements (FERPA, COPPA, NY Education Law 2-d, SDPC, state-specific laws), we're happy to work with your privacy office. Email [email protected] with what you need.
Because most of what we make doesn't transmit student data to our servers, vendor approval tends to be much faster and simpler than typical edtech. See our Privacy Policy for the full district-readiness section.
Multi-teacher pricing and bulk licensing for schools and districts are available. Email us for a quote — we won't make it complicated.
8. Service availability
We work hard to keep our apps running smoothly, but we don't guarantee 100% uptime. The apps might be temporarily unavailable for maintenance, updates, or because of stuff outside our control (network issues, third-party provider outages). Good news: every Big Brain Labs app is designed to work offline once loaded, so a backend outage doesn't stop you from teaching.
We may modify, suspend, or discontinue any app with reasonable notice. If we discontinue an app you've been using, we'll provide a way to export your data before it goes away. If we ever charge for an app and then shut it down, we'll refund any prepaid fees on a prorated basis.
9. Intellectual property
Our apps — including their design, code, name, illustrations, and content — belong to us. We're giving you a limited, non-exclusive license to use them for your classroom under these Terms. Don't copy our apps, modify them, or make derivative works.
The work products you create using our apps (your seating charts, escape-room designs, manipulative arrangements, etc.) belong to you. We don't claim any rights to them.
If you submit feedback or bug reports, we may use that feedback to improve our apps without restriction. By sending feedback, you grant us a perpetual, royalty-free license to use it.
10. The standard "as is" disclaimer
Big Brain Labs apps are provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied. We disclaim all warranties including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We don't promise the apps will be error-free, never go down, or fix every defect.
The apps are tools to help you run your classroom — they are not a replacement for your professional judgment about student safety, attendance, supervision, or instruction. Use them as one of many things in your toolkit.
11. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent the law allows, our total liability to you for any claim related to a Big Brain Labs app is capped at the greater of (a) the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim, or (b) one hundred U.S. dollars ($100).
We're not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages — things like loss of data, lost profits, or business opportunities — even if we'd been warned that could happen. This applies regardless of the legal theory (contract, tort, statute, etc.). Some places don't allow this kind of limitation, so it might not fully apply to you.
12. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from claims, damages, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from: (a) your use of our apps, (b) violations of these Terms, (c) violations of third-party rights (including students or their parents), or (d) data you submit through our apps.
13. Termination
We may suspend or terminate your access to any app if you break these Terms. We'll give reasonable notice unless the violation is serious enough that notice isn't practical (such as ongoing abuse).
You can stop using our apps at any time. Because most apps don't require accounts, "termination" usually just means closing the browser tab. If you've signed up for our email list, unsubscribe via the link in any email or email us to be removed.
14. Changes to these terms
We may update these Terms occasionally. If we make material changes, we'll email subscribers at least 30 days before they take effect and update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continuing to use Big Brain Labs apps after that means you're cool with the updates. If you're not, stop using the apps before the change date.
15. Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any disputes get resolved in state or federal courts in Nassau County, New York, and you consent to personal jurisdiction there.
16. Get in touch
Questions about these Terms? Email [email protected] and we'll get back to you.