Does LockDown Browser Record You? Webcam, Screen and Privacy

LockDown Browser on its own does not record you. It is a locked browser: it takes over the screen, blocks other apps, copying, printing and screenshots, and stops you from leaving the exam until you submit. Recording comes from a separate add-on, Respondus Monitor, which uses your webcam to record you during the exam and, if the instructor turns it on, records your screen as well. Whether you are recorded therefore depends on one setting your instructor chooses per exam: LockDown Browser only, or LockDown Browser plus Monitor. This guide explains how to tell the difference, what each one captures, who can watch the recordings and how long they are kept, using Respondus's own documentation and university IT pages.

Last verified: October 12, 2026 against the official documentation linked below.

LockDown Browser vs Respondus Monitor: the one distinction that matters

Students often say "LockDown Browser" for both products because they arrive in the same download. They are two different things:

• LockDown Browser is a custom browser that, in Respondus's words on the LockDown Browser product page, locks down the testing environment within the learning management system so students cannot copy, print, access other applications or visit other websites during an online exam. It does not use a webcam.
• Respondus Monitor is a webcam proctoring service that runs inside LockDown Browser. The Respondus Monitor page says students "use a webcam to record themselves during an online exam", and that flagged events and proctoring results go to the instructor for review. Monitor cannot run without LockDown Browser, but LockDown Browser runs perfectly well without Monitor.

The instructor (or the institution) decides, exam by exam, which of the two is required. A course can use LockDown Browser alone for a quiz in a supervised classroom, then require Monitor for a final taken at home. For a deeper look at the webcam add-on itself, its startup steps and how its flags work, see our companion guide Respondus Monitor explained.

How to tell which one your exam uses

• A webcam check appears before the exam. If LockDown Browser asks you to test your webcam, take a photo, show an ID or pan your camera around the room, Monitor is on and you are being recorded.
• The exam title or instructions mention a webcam. Many schools label these exams "Requires Respondus LockDown Browser + Webcam".
• No camera prompt at all. If the exam opens straight into the questions in a full-screen window with no webcam step, only LockDown Browser is active.
• When in doubt, ask. Your instructor can see the setting in the LockDown Browser dashboard and tell you before the exam day.

What LockDown Browser locks (and what it does not record)

The LockDown Browser product page lists what the browser prevents during an exam:

• The exam is displayed full-screen and cannot be minimized.
• Browser menus and toolbars are removed, except Back, Forward, Refresh and Stop.
• Other applications are blocked, including messaging, screen-sharing, virtual machines and remote desktops.
• Printing and screen capture are disabled.
• Copying and pasting to or from the exam is disabled.
• Right-click menus, function keys, keyboard shortcuts and task switching are disabled.
• You cannot exit the exam until it is submitted.
• The exam cannot be opened in another browser.

None of this involves a camera or a recording. That said, "does not record video" is not the same as "collects nothing". Respondus's LockDown Browser privacy supplement describes three kinds of data the browser can process:

• Early exit data. If your instructor allows early exit and you use it, Respondus collects your LMS identification number and the reason you gave for leaving.
• Security detection data. If the app detects possible tampering, Respondus processes your first and last name, LMS ID, institution ID, course name and exam name, and may restrict your use of the app.
• Help Center data. If you send diagnostic tests and log files to technical support, Respondus processes your email address and whatever else you include.

The same supplement says Help Center data is kept for no longer than five years, while early exit and security data are retained and deleted under your institution's control. Your answers themselves are saved by your LMS (Canvas, Blackboard, Brightspace, Moodle and so on), exactly as they would be in a normal browser, and appear in the LMS's own logs. Our guide What professors see in Canvas quiz logs covers that side.

What Respondus Monitor records

When Monitor is required, the picture changes completely. According to Respondus's Respondus Monitor privacy supplement, Monitor uses "webcam videos, screen recordings, and other data from the computing device" to analyze exam sessions. In practice that covers:

• Webcam video for the whole exam, from the moment the exam starts until you submit. The supplement lists "video and audio recordings and photos" among the data it processes.
• Startup sequence captures: the webcam check, plus any optional steps the instructor enabled, such as a photo of you, a photo of your ID and a video pan of the room.
• Screen recording, if enabled. The Respondus screen recording page explains that instructors turn this on per exam with the "Webcam & Screen" option, and that the screen video appears under the webcam video in the results. University help pages note it is not supported on iPad.
• Computer vision events. Monitor detects "conditions and objects, such as faces, lighting conditions, and handheld devices" and turns them into time-stamped flags.
• Device, network and exam interaction data, such as when you started, when answers were saved, internet interruptions and whether the webcam disconnected.

To check whether the same person stays in front of the camera, Monitor builds a temporary facial template at the start of the exam. Respondus says the template is not linked to any identifying information, exists only in temporary memory on your device, and is cleared immediately after the exam. It also notes that under some laws these templates may count as biometric information, and that an institution's administrator can disable the feature.

Side by side: what each product captures

Who watches the recordings?

Respondus Monitor is an automated service: there is no live person watching you through the webcam while you take the exam. The recording is analyzed by software, and the results go to your instructor. The Monitor privacy supplement sets out who can access them afterwards:

• Your instructor and other administrators at your institution can review the session: flags, video, screen recording and thumbnails.
• Others at the institution, if the instructor shares it. An instructor may share exam session information, including a downloaded copy of the webcam video and screen recording, with other administrators "as determined by the Institution and Instructor". In an academic integrity case, that could mean a dean or a conduct office.
• Respondus staff, only in limited cases. Respondus says its personnel "do not review or analyze the recordings except as may be required" to resolve technical problems, improve the product, investigate Terms of Use violations, or when directed by the institution, law enforcement or another legal authority.

University IT pages add practical detail. Grand Valley State University's student privacy and security page says Monitor video is streamed with encryption, that only instructors enrolled in the course can access recordings after authenticating through the LMS, and that the video itself is stored on Amazon Web Services rather than on Respondus.com. Other students in your class cannot see your recording.

How long recordings are kept

There is no single retention period. Respondus's Monitor privacy supplement says that for exam data "the Institution has control of the retention and deletion of that information", so the rule comes from your school's contract and records policy. As one example, GVSU's page states that under its license, recordings are saved for five years before Respondus erases them. Other schools choose shorter periods. If retention matters to you, your registrar, IT department or privacy office can tell you the figure that applies at your school.

The Respondus privacy pages describe the institution as the party that controls how exam data is used. In the United States, recordings that are part of your education record generally fall under FERPA, which gives you the right to request access to your own education records. Ask your school's registrar how that applies to proctoring recordings.

System requirements

Respondus publishes the current list on its LockDown Browser computer requirements page. As of this writing:

Always download LockDown Browser from the link your school or instructor provides. The installer is tied to your institution, and a generic download may not connect to your LMS.

LockDown Browser on Chromebook

On a Chromebook, LockDown Browser is a Chrome extension rather than a separate app. The University of Michigan-Flint's Chromebook guide describes the flow: open the school's download link, which redirects to the Chrome Web Store, click Add to Chrome, then go to the quiz in Canvas. It also lists limitations: no Calculator or Spreadsheet tools, no extended keyboard for special characters, and no support for the "allow access to specific external web domains" option. Monitor exams can run on Chromebook, but features such as the Help Center may be limited. School-managed Chromebooks sometimes block extension installs, so test well before the exam.

LockDown Browser on iPad

The iPad version is an app called LockDown Browser in the App Store. As the University of Arkansas Pulaski Tech's iPad guide for students explains, exams that use only LockDown Browser allow iPads automatically, but exams that also use Monitor need the instructor to enable an optional iPad setting. If it is off, you will see a message that your instructor has not enabled tablet use and you will need a Windows or Mac computer. Guided Access must be turned off before you start. Screen recording is not available on iPad, so a "Webcam & Screen" exam will record only the webcam there.

What to do if LockDown Browser crashes or the internet drops

Technical problems are common and instructors deal with them every term. What matters is handling them in a way that leaves a clear record.

1. Before the exam, run the Help Center checks. Respondus's Help Center page says a Help Center button appears on the LockDown Browser toolbar once you open a course. It includes a pre-exam Webcam Check, a System & Network Check that runs diagnostics and can email results to your help desk, and a student knowledge base. If your instructor offers a practice quiz with the same settings, take it.
2. Short connection drops usually resolve themselves. According to the University of Central Arkansas's article on lost connections, Monitor retries every 5 seconds. The video for the gap will be missing, and your instructor sees an automated comment marking the break.
3. Longer outages need a restart. If the LMS server is unreachable for an extended period, it will not let you continue. Exit LockDown Browser, restore your connection, relaunch and return to the exam. LMSs autosave answers in most quiz engines, and with Monitor you will go through the webcam check again.
4. If you are locked out, contact your instructor immediately. Only the instructor (or LMS admin) can reopen or reset an attempt. Send an email right away with the time, what you saw, and a photo of any error message taken with your phone after you have left the exam.
5. Use your school's help desk or Respondus support for the root cause. Antivirus software, a background app or an out-of-date LockDown Browser version are frequent culprits; the System & Network Check report helps support find which.

A wired connection, a charged laptop plugged into power, and closing other apps before launching LockDown Browser prevent most issues.

Your privacy: practical questions to ask

• Is Monitor required for this exam, and is screen recording on? Your instructor can tell you exactly what will be captured.
• Who at the school reviews flagged sessions? Usually only the instructor, but some departments route reviews through teaching assistants or an integrity office.
• How long are recordings kept? The institution sets this.
• Is there an alternative? If you do not have a private space, a working webcam, or a compatible device, many schools offer a campus testing center or a different arrangement. Ask early.
• Do you need accommodations? Contact your disability services office. Instructors can change Monitor settings per exam, for example the facial detection options; see Respondus Monitor explained.

If your course uses a different proctoring tool, the answers differ. Our guides on how Honorlock works and what Proctorio records cover those, and Honorlock vs Proctorio vs Respondus compares all three. For unproctored quizzes, see what Canvas can detect on its own.

Sources

• Respondus: LockDown Browser (product page)
• Respondus: Respondus Monitor (product page)
• Respondus: LockDown Browser privacy policy supplement
• Respondus: Respondus Monitor privacy policy supplement
• Respondus: Screen recording for Respondus Monitor
• Respondus: LockDown Browser computer requirements
• Respondus: Help Center for LockDown Browser & Respondus Monitor
• Grand Valley State University: Respondus student privacy and security
• University of Central Arkansas: Lost internet connection during a Monitor exam
• University of Michigan-Flint: Respondus LockDown Browser on Chromebook
• UA Pulaski Tech: Respondus Monitor + LockDown Browser on iPads (students)

FAQ

Does LockDown Browser use your camera?

Not on its own. LockDown Browser only locks the computer. The camera is used when your instructor also requires Respondus Monitor, and you will know because a webcam check appears before the exam starts.

Does Respondus LockDown Browser record your screen?

LockDown Browser alone does not; it actually blocks screen capture. Respondus Monitor can record your screen if the instructor selects the "Webcam & Screen" option for that exam. Screen recording is not supported on iPad.

Does Respondus Monitor record audio?

Respondus's Monitor privacy supplement lists "video and audio recordings and photos" among the data it processes. If you want to know exactly what your exam captures, ask your instructor, who can see the exam's settings.

Does someone watch me live during a Respondus exam?

No. Respondus Monitor is automated: the video is recorded and analyzed by software, and your instructor reviews the flagged sessions afterwards. Respondus staff only access recordings in the limited cases its privacy policy lists.

Can LockDown Browser see my other tabs or files?

LockDown Browser does not show your instructor your files or other tabs; it prevents you from opening other apps and sites during the exam. With Monitor, flags such as "an attempt was made to switch to another screen or application" can be recorded, and a screen recording shows whatever was on screen if that option is enabled.

How long does Respondus keep my exam videos?

Your institution decides. Respondus says the institution controls retention and deletion of exam data; one published example, Grand Valley State University, keeps recordings for five years. Ask your school's IT or privacy office for its figure.