Background
What Proctoring Software Can (and Can't) Detect on Your Browser
Proctoring software gets credit for capabilities it doesn't have, and skipped for ones it does. Here's the actual model.
February 18, 2026 · Updated April 26, 2026 · FastSolve Team
Most discussion of proctoring software is either marketing copy or rumor. Here's what the public technical documentation says these tools can and cannot see — drawn from vendor docs, not assumptions.
What they consistently can see
- Tab switches and window focus changes within the locked test
- Webcam video and audio while the test is open
- Screen activity through screen-recording APIs
- Browser-level events: paste, right-click, dev-tools open
- Network connections from the locked browser, on some products
What they typically can't see
- Activity on a completely separate device
- Background processes running outside the locked browser (varies by product)
- Content of input fields after submission, beyond what the LMS records
- Browser extensions, when extensions are explicitly allowed by the test config
The honest grey area
Locked-down browsers (Respondus LockDown specifically) disable extensions, kill clipboard access, and block screen recorders. If a test is configured for LockDown, treat it as fully observed. Honorlock and Proctorio in their default modes do not lock the browser to that degree, but they do flag suspicious behavior.
What this means for studying
Read the syllabus and the proctoring tool's instructions before each exam. The configuration matters more than the product name. Tools that work fine in Honorlock often won't work in Respondus.
Frequently asked questions
Tab switches and window focus changes within the locked test, webcam video and audio, screen activity through screen-recording APIs, browser-level events (paste, right-click, dev-tools open), and on some products, network connections from the locked browser. Standard 2026 proctoring stack.
Not by default. Proctorio in its standard configuration monitors webcam, audio, tab focus, and clipboard but doesn't disable extensions unless an instructor explicitly enables that lockdown setting. The same is true of Honorlock and ProctorU in default modes.
Only if the proctoring tool is configured for full browser lockdown (Respondus LockDown Browser specifically). Honorlock, Proctorio, and ProctorU in their default monitoring modes do not detect extensions. Always read your specific exam's proctoring config — it's posted in your syllabus or test instructions.
Respondus LockDown is a closed browser environment — it disables extensions, blocks the clipboard, and shuts out screen recorders. Honorlock is a monitoring overlay running on regular Chrome — it watches webcam and audio, flags suspicious behavior, but does not lock the browser. Most students will encounter one or the other; very few schools deploy both.