Can LockDown Browser Detect Other Apps Running on Your Computer?
TL;DR
LockDown Browser kills 30+ known screen recorders, VMs, and remote-desktop tools on launch. It tolerates most everyday apps. System overlays in the OS's accessibility layer are invisible to it entirely.
LockDown Browser's process scanner is the most aggressive piece of monitoring software a typical student has ever run on their machine. But it's not magic — there's a finite list of categories it knows about, and a much larger set of categories it ignores.
Killed on launch
Screen-recording apps (OBS, QuickTime, ScreenFlow, Loom, Camtasia, Snagit). Virtual-machine hosts (VirtualBox, VMware, Parallels, Hyper-V). Remote-desktop tools (TeamViewer, AnyDesk, Chrome Remote Desktop). Macros and automation tools (BetterTouchTool, Keyboard Maestro, AutoHotKey) — sometimes. Specific known cheating tools by signature.
Tolerated but visible
Browsers, IDEs, music players, messaging apps. These show up in process listings but don't trigger an automatic kill. They will, however, be visible in any screen capture if you switch to them.
Invisible at the OS level
Apps that live in the system-overlay layer rather than the normal app-window layer aren't enumerated the same way. Accessibility tools, notification interfaces, system-controlled menu surfaces — and certain purpose-built overlays like Lockdownify — aren't in the same bucket as regular apps and aren't checked against the kill list.
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Sign up nowFrequently asked questions
Does LockDown Browser see my messages app?
It can see that the process is running, but it doesn't kill it. If you switch to Messages during the exam, the screen capture records the switch. Stay in the exam window.
What happens if LockDown Browser sees a banned app?
It refuses to start the exam until you close the app. Some configurations will quietly log and report rather than block — varies per institution.
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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