How Does Honorlock Work? A Student Guide to Each Step (2026)

Honorlock is an online proctoring service that runs through a Google Chrome extension. When you start a proctored exam in your LMS, the extension checks your identity, records a scan of your room, and then, depending on the settings your school chose, records your webcam, microphone and screen while AI software flags unusual events. A human proctor can "pop in" by chat when something is flagged, and after the exam your instructor receives a report with time-stamped recordings to review. This guide walks through each step using Honorlock's own documentation and university help pages.

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

Honorlock in one paragraph

Honorlock is a hybrid system: software watches the whole session, and people step in only when the software sees something it was configured to flag. University of Southern California's engineering school summarises it for students this way: "Rather than being under constant observation, AI scans for irregularities", and "a live proctor is notified if something unusual is detected" (USC Viterbi, Honorlock). Honorlock itself lists its building blocks on its features and pricing page: Identity Verification, Workspace Scan, AI Proctoring, Live Pop-In, BrowserGuard, Device Detection, Smart Speech Detection, a Session Viewer with HD recordings, and Search & Destroy for leaked questions. Every school switches on a different subset, which is why two students can describe very different Honorlock experiences.

Step 1: the Chrome extension (and sometimes a desktop app)

Honorlock does not use a separate locked-down browser. It runs inside Google Chrome through an extension you install from the Chrome Web Store, usually the first time you open a proctored quiz. Honorlock's faculty and student FAQ states that "test takers must install the browser extension" and that some organizations also require a desktop application. Its Exam Taker Privacy Notice says the same: services are delivered through "browser extensions such as Chrome (which we require to access Exams), and desktop apps" selected by your school. George Mason University adds that the Honorlock App, when required, is available for Mac and Windows only (GMU ITS, Honorlock for students).

In your course, a Honorlock-enabled quiz usually shows a Launch Proctoring button instead of the normal start button. If you open the quiz in another browser or without the extension, you will typically see a prompt for an access code you do not have. George Mason's guide lists that exact symptom: an access code prompt usually means you are not in Chrome or the extension is not installed.

What the extension does outside an exam is a common worry. Honorlock's student privacy page says "Honorlock's service is designed to collect information only during a proctored exam", and that you can uninstall the extension after the exam. The FAQ repeats that you "can delete it right after the exam is completed". You will need to add it again before your next proctored exam.

Step 2: identity verification

Before the exam opens, Honorlock can ask for a photo of you taken with your webcam and a photo of an ID card held up to the camera. The privacy notice lists what an ID image can contain: name, student ID or another number such as a driver's license number, home address, photo and date of birth. Most schools accept a student ID card or a government-issued ID; your course instructions say which. Honorlock describes this step as "Photo and ID matching before the exam launches".

If you do not have an accepted ID, contact your instructor before the exam, not during it. Instructors can change or remove the ID requirement in the exam settings, but a proctor joining mid-exam cannot.

Step 3: the room scan (Workspace Scan)

Honorlock calls it a Workspace Scan and describes it as a step that "prompts test takers to record a full view of their testing space prior to launching the exam". In practice you click a button to start recording and slowly move your webcam (or laptop) around the room, then show your desk surface. University guides commonly ask for a full 360-degree view, the work surface, and the area around your computer. Do not submit the recording until it shows the whole space; a partial scan is one of the most common reasons a session gets flagged for review.

Two facts worth knowing before you record. The privacy notice warns that recordings "may capture images or audio of other people who are in or around your surrounding workspace area", so tell housemates you are about to scan. And the scan is reviewed by people, not only software: if anything in the room looks like it breaks the exam rules, the proctor may ask about it in chat.

Step 4: what Honorlock records during the exam

Once the exam starts, the extension captures whatever your school requested. According to the Exam Taker Privacy Notice and the student privacy page, that can include:

• Webcam video and microphone audio, from your built-in or an external camera and microphone. The notice adds that Honorlock "may also receive a transcript of any audio detected by your device microphone".
• A recording of your screen.
• The websites you visit during the exam and other apps you use or try to use, "if enabled by your Testing Organization".
• Device information: device type, screen size, operating system, browser, IP address and an approximate location derived from it, and network type.
• Usage information: timestamps, time spent on pages, and question navigation inside the exam.
• Face detection data, if requested: whether zero, one or several faces are visible in the camera, "without trying to identify any person".
• Chat transcripts with your proctor or support staff.

The student privacy page also lists what Honorlock says it does not do: "Honorlock does not have the capability to control your computer, access your passwords, or download any files at any time", and it "cannot access or control secondary devices, such as mobile phones". Phones are a topic of their own, which we cover in Can Honorlock detect phones?

Step 5: AI flags and Live Pop-In proctors

Honorlock's AI Proctoring "monitors video, audio and screen activity during proctored exams and flags potential dishonesty", according to its features page. The FAQ gives the typical examples, such as no face detected or more than one face, and describes the escalation: "AI will flag the incident, and a human proctor may intervene." Idaho State University lists extra voices, phone use and navigation issues among the things its configuration flags (Idaho State University, proctoring services).

Live Pop-In is the human part. When a flag reaches a proctor, the proctor reviews it and can open a chat window in your exam. Honorlock says proctors "can intervene via live chat to address it if necessary". USC tells its students that "depending on the nature of the flag, the proctor may stop the exam and engage with you through a chat before allowing the exam to continue". Typical pop-ins ask you to re-center your camera, show your desk again, remove headphones or a smartwatch, or confirm who is talking in the background. George Mason notes a proctor may also join just to confirm your start-up went correctly.

If a proctor pops in, answer in the chat and follow the instruction. The conversation is saved with the session, so a calm, clear explanation ("my roommate came home, I asked them to leave") becomes part of the record your instructor sees.

Step 6: BrowserGuard and blocked apps

BrowserGuard is the restriction layer. Honorlock says it "prevents access to websites, browser tabs, and other applications". Idaho State describes its setup as one that "prevents and flags access to unauthorized websites and applications", records students' desktops, and blocks unauthorized AI browser extensions. When a school also requires the desktop application, Honorlock says the app "blocks apps like chatbots".

Instructors can allow specific resources. If your exam permits a website (an online calculator, a textbook page, a formula sheet hosted in the course), the instructor adds it to an allowed list in the exam settings, and visiting it will not be treated as a violation. If the instructions say a resource is allowed but it is blocked, stop and use the live chat; do not open it another way. George Mason also suggests turning off Chrome features such as spell checkers or automatic translation before a proctored exam, or using a separate Chrome profile for Honorlock, because those tools can trigger rule flags.

For background on what a plain LMS can and cannot see about your browser without a proctoring tool, see Does Canvas detect Chrome extensions? and Does Canvas track tab switching?

Step 7: what your instructor receives

After you submit, the instructor (or an exam administrator) gets a report for each session. Honorlock calls the review tool the Session Viewer: "Review reports with time-stamped HD recordings." Each flag is time-stamped, so the instructor can go to that moment and watch the video, screen recording and chat around it. USC tells students that "the instructor can review any flagged recordings to assess whether there are concerns related to academic misconduct".

A flag is not a finding. Honorlock's FAQ says reports let administrators review flagged incidents and "decide if any further action is necessary". George Mason states it directly: Honorlock reports possible incidents, and your instructor decides whether to refer a case to the university's academic integrity office. Many flags have ordinary explanations that are obvious on video: a face leaving the frame while you pick up a pencil, a dog barking, a notification sound.

The LMS adds its own data on top of this. In Canvas, for example, the quiz log still records answers and timestamps; see what professors see in Canvas quiz logs and what Canvas can detect on its own.

Your data: who can watch, how long it is kept

Honorlock processes your data on behalf of your school, which Honorlock calls the "Testing Organization". That has three consequences that matter to you:

• Who can watch. The privacy notice says recordings can be "viewed by a trained proctor during or after the Exam, and by the instructor or administrator after the Exam as directed by your Testing Organization". The FAQ says "certified proctors and exam administrators can review test session videos".
• How long it is kept. Honorlock's FAQ and privacy page state that "the standard data retention period is 365 days", and that schools can shorten or extend it. Face detection data may be stored for the period the school chooses, which the notice caps at three years after your last interaction.
• How to request access or deletion. The notice says requests under data protection law go to your school: "you should contact your Testing Organization directly". In the EEA and UK, the school is the data controller and Honorlock is the processor. General questions go to [email protected].

Honorlock also says "Honorlock will never sell or monetize your data" and that "all data in transit and data at rest is encrypted" in Amazon Web Services data centers. These are the vendor's statements; your school's contract with Honorlock and its own privacy policy are the documents that bind the school, and most universities publish a page explaining their configuration.

System requirements

Requirements are set by Honorlock but checked against your school's configuration, so always read your course page first. Across Honorlock's support page and university guides, the common baseline is:

• A laptop or desktop running a current Windows or macOS; some exams allow a Chromebook. Phones and tablets are not supported for taking the exam.
• Google Chrome, kept up to date. Honorlock's support page notes that an operating system that can no longer update Chrome needs an upgrade or a different device.
• A working webcam and microphone, built in or external.
• A stable internet connection. George Mason lists minimum speeds of 750 Kbps and 1.5 Mbps and suggests checking with a speed test before the exam.
• Permissions for camera, microphone and screen sharing. On macOS, George Mason notes you may need to re-allow screen recording for Chrome after a system update.

Work-issued laptops can be a problem because corporate security software may block the extension or screen sharing. If you only have a managed device, ask your instructor about a testing center option early.

When something goes wrong

Honorlock's support page says help is "available 24/7/365 via phone (administrators only), live chat, and email". For students, that means the chat bubble inside the Honorlock window, or [email protected]. George Mason's advice is blunt: "Always contact Honorlock support via chat if you encounter problems during the exam!"

• Extension will not install or the exam asks for an access code: confirm you are in Chrome, update Chrome, reinstall the extension, and remove other proctoring extensions that can conflict.
• Camera or microphone not found: close other apps using the camera (video calls, camera apps), then check Chrome's site permissions and your operating system's privacy settings.
• Screen sharing fails on a Mac: open System Settings, Privacy & Security, Screen Recording, and allow Google Chrome, then restart Chrome.
• Your connection drops mid-exam: reconnect and relaunch from the course page if the exam allows it, open the chat, and email your instructor right away with the time it happened. The recording and the LMS log will show the gap; an immediate report is what turns it into a technical issue rather than an open question.
• You think a flag was wrong: ask your instructor to review the specific moment in the recording. Flags are prompts for a human review, and the instructor can see the context.

Accommodations. Extra time, breaks, a reader, permitted medical devices or an exception to the room scan are arranged through your school's disability services office and your instructor before the exam. George Mason asks students to contact disability services "before completing the exam". A proctor in the chat cannot grant an accommodation that is not already in the exam settings.

Honorlock vs other proctoring tools

Honorlock is often compared with Respondus LockDown Browser, a separate browser that restricts the computer, and Proctorio, another Chrome extension. The main practical differences are the human pop-in model and the way each tool is configured per exam. We compare them in Honorlock vs Proctorio vs Respondus, and cover the others in Does LockDown Browser record you? and What does Proctorio record?

What this means for you

• Read the exam instructions and the syllabus. They state what is allowed: notes, a calculator, scratch paper, specific websites.
• Do a dry run. Many schools offer a practice Honorlock quiz. Use it to install the extension and test camera, microphone and screen sharing days before the real exam.
• Prepare the room. Good light on your face, a clear desk, and a quiet space reduce flags that have nothing to do with integrity.
• Keep the chat open in your mind. If anything unexpected happens, write it in the chat at the moment it happens.

Sources

• Honorlock: Student privacy
• Honorlock: Faculty and student FAQ
• Honorlock: Exam Taker Privacy Notice
• Honorlock: Features and pricing
• Honorlock: Support
• George Mason University ITS: Honorlock for students
• USC Viterbi: Honorlock
• Idaho State University: Proctoring services

FAQ

Does Honorlock watch you the whole time?

The software records the whole session if your school enabled recording, but a person does not watch live throughout. AI flags events, and a live proctor joins by chat only when a flag needs attention. Instructors can review the recordings afterwards.

Does Honorlock record your screen?

It can. Honorlock's privacy notice says it may record "the screen of your device" when your school requests it, and BrowserGuard can log websites and apps used during the exam.

Is Honorlock always on once the extension is installed?

Honorlock says its service is designed to collect information only during a proctored exam, and that you are free to uninstall the extension after the exam. You will need it again for the next one.

Who sees my Honorlock recordings?

Trained Honorlock proctors, your instructor and exam administrators at your school. The default retention period is 365 days, which your school can shorten or extend.

Does Honorlock automatically fail you if it flags something?

No. A flag marks a moment for review. Your instructor watches the recording and decides whether any action is needed, under your school's academic integrity process.

Can I use Honorlock on a phone or iPad?

No. Honorlock exams require Chrome on a laptop or desktop (some exams allow a Chromebook) with a webcam and microphone.