AI Overlay vs Browser Extension: Why One Works on Proctored Exams and One Doesn't
TL;DR
Browser extensions live inside the browser window and are captured by every proctoring screen recorder. AI overlays live in the OS's system-overlay layer and are excluded from screen capture at the operating-system level.
Students see two product categories advertised for proctored exams: browser extensions and desktop AI overlays. They are not interchangeable. One is detected immediately; the other is invisible by design.
Browser extension: visible to every screen capture
A browser extension renders its UI inside the browser window. Every pixel of that window is read by the proctoring software's screen-capture API. The extension's chat panel, its button, its results — all captured. Human or AI reviewers see it.
There is no version of "browser extension AI tool" that is invisible to proctoring. The capture surface is the same surface the extension paints on.
Desktop AI overlay: excluded at the OS level
An overlay app lives in the operating system's overlay layer — the same layer the OS uses for things like accessibility cursors and system notification UIs. The screen-capture API skips that layer entirely.
The proctor's recording does not contain the overlay. There is nothing for them to review, nothing for AI flagging to score.
Why this matters in 2026
Three years ago, a handful of products marketed themselves as "AI for online exams" and were really just browser extensions. Most of them have shut down or pivoted. The category that survived is desktop overlays — and within that category, Lockdownify is the one with the OS-level exclusion model and a 100% bypass guarantee.
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Sign up nowFrequently asked questions
Are AI Chrome extensions safe to use during proctored exams?
No. Anything that renders inside the browser appears in the proctor's screen capture. Use a desktop AI overlay instead.
What makes a desktop overlay different from a regular desktop app?
Regular desktop apps appear in screen capture. System overlays — a specific OS-provided layer originally meant for accessibility and notifications — are excluded from capture. Lockdownify ships as a system overlay.
Will Lockdownify get me caught?
No. Lockdownify is filtered out of every screen-capture pipeline at the operating-system level — before a single pixel is ever encoded. LockDown Browser, Honorlock, Proctorio, Zoom, Teams, and Meet all read the same OS frame buffer, and Lockdownify is excluded from it. We re-test against every major proctoring tool weekly. If you ever do get flagged, we refund your subscription and reimburse the exam fee.
What platforms does Lockdownify support?
macOS 13 Ventura and later, and Windows 10 and 11. Both desktop apps ship today.
How much does it cost?
$40/month or $28/month if you pay annually (save 30%). One plan unlocks every model — Claude Opus 4.7, GPT-5, and Gemini 3.1 Pro — unlimited questions, unlimited screenshots, and the 100% bypass guarantee. Cancel anytime.
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