What Does LockDown Browser Record on Mac?
Plain LockDown Browser records nothing about you - it locks the system. Respondus Monitor (the paid add-on) records webcam, microphone, and screen during the exam. The two are sold together but run as separate layers.
A no-Monitor exam = no recording, only system lockdown. A with-Monitor exam = full recording: webcam at 5-15 fps, microphone audio continuous, screen capture every few seconds. Pre-exam, Monitor captures a face baseline (matched against frames during exam), an ID photo (you hold up student ID to the camera), and a 360 room scan with your phone. All of these go to Respondus' cloud over HTTPS. ML scores the recording for behavior anomalies; flagged segments are reviewed by a human. Recordings are retained for 5 years per Respondus' documentation.
Key points
- No-Monitor: no recording, just lockdown.
- With Monitor: webcam + mic + screen, plus pre-exam ID and room scan.
- Webcam: 5-15 fps continuous; mic: continuous audio.
- Screen capture: periodic frames, not continuous video.
- Retained 5 years per Respondus docs.
Common questions
How do I tell if Monitor will record me?
Pre-exam webcam preview = Monitor on. Straight-into-quiz = Monitor off.
Where can I view my own recording?
Some institutions allow it; ask the proctoring office or registrar. Respondus does not give students direct access by default.
Does the LDBypass overlay appear in the recording?
No - the overlay window has the privacy flag set; macOS filters it out of the captured frames before Respondus uploads them.