What Can Online Proctors Actually See on My Mac Screen?
Proctors can see whatever macOS' capture API hands them. That means: every visible window, the desktop, the menu bar, the dock, all of it. With one important exception: windows that have set the privacy flag.
When a proctor records or live-streams your screen, the request goes to ScreenCaptureKit (or its equivalents on older macOS), which assembles a frame from the compositor. The compositor consults each window's privacy flag. Windows marked private are removed from the frame; everything else is included. So the proctor sees: your exam content, your wallpaper, anything else you have open, your menu bar with running app indicators, your dock. They do NOT see: the overlay window (privacy-flagged), 1Password's autofill flyout (privacy-flagged), Apple's system password prompts (privacy-flagged).
Key points
- Visible: exam content, other open windows, dock, menu bar, wallpaper.
- Hidden: privacy-flagged windows (LDBypass overlay, 1Password flyout, system passwords).
- Visible: notifications (Banner-style notifications appear in capture).
- Hidden: macOS Accessibility-only UI like menu bar zoom indicators.
- The proctor cannot see your keystrokes directly - only the resulting on-screen text.
Common questions
Will Slack notifications appear in the capture?
Yes - banner notifications are not privacy-flagged. Disable notifications during exams or use Focus mode.
Can the proctor see my desktop after I quit the proctor app?
Only if their app is still running. Once they release control, they have no further access.
What about a scrolling text I have on screen?
Anything you have visible is captured continuously while the proctor is recording.