Honorlock Chrome extension: what it records and blocks
It is the proctoring add-on your school requires for Honorlock exams, and it can record you and lock down Chrome.
- It records webcam, screen and audio when your school turns those settings on.
- With BrowserGuard on, it can close tabs, block websites and flag other apps.
- It can turn other extensions off for the exam after you consent, and leaves them off.
- Honorlock sells phone detection: phones on camera, nearby Apple devices, "Hey Siri" commands.
- It only acts on exams an instructor enables; on other quizzes it does nothing.
Our pickCanvas Quiz Solver is for the Canvas quizzes Honorlock does not proctor: it puts the answer right below each question, inside the quiz page, with no second tab.
Add to Chrome - freeWhat the Honorlock Chrome extension is
Honorlock is a remote proctoring service that schools connect to Canvas. Its student page says the software "monitors your exam session and alerts a live test proctor if it detects any problems". For most schools it runs as a Chrome extension, and you need "a functioning webcam and microphone, Internet, Chrome browser and the Honorlock Chrome extension".
The extension is on the Chrome Web Store, published by Honorlock, Inc. On 2026-09-25 the listing showed 4,000,000 users and version 6.79.0.0, updated September 22, 2026.
Why you have to install it
The exam does not start without it. Honorlock's install guide says: "Before starting your exam, you must install the Honorlock Chrome Extension." If it is missing, the Honorlock install page shows "This assessment requires Google Chrome and the Honorlock Chrome Extension." The minimum system requirements list Chrome 120 or newer on Windows 10 or 11, macOS 13 or newer, or ChromeOS, and say "Assessments/exams can not be taken on mobile phones/iPads/Tablets".
Outside an exam the extension waits. Its permissions page says it looks for enabled exam URLs, and "If one is not found, the extension does nothing."
Is the Honorlock Chrome extension safe?
Its permissions are wide, and Honorlock lists them openly: "Read and change all your data on all websites", capture the content of your screen, and "Manage your apps, extensions, and themes". Its faculty and student FAQ says the service collects information "only during a proctored exam" and "will never sell or monetize your data", with a standard retention period of 365 days. Its privacy statement says a flashing red indicator on the extension shows when recording is on. These are Honorlock's own statements; we did not audit its code.
Does Honorlock record you? What it records
Yes, when your school turns recording on. Honorlock's FAQ says: "if requested by your organization, we will collect a webcam video recording that includes your desktop activity and audio recording. We also monitor the exam and web pages visited during the examination." The instructor picks the settings for each exam. From Honorlock's guide to using Honorlock with Canvas:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Record Webcam | HD video of your face and testing environment |
| Record Screen | HD video of your screen during the exam |
| Record Web Traffic | Logs your browser activity in Chrome for the whole session |
| Test Taker Photo and ID | A photo of you and of your photo ID, name checked against Canvas |
| Room Scan | A 360-degree view of your room through the webcam |
| Disable Copy/Paste, Disable Printing | No copying exam content out, no printing |
| BrowserGuard | Blocks applications outside Chrome; trying one creates a flag |
Screen recording needs your consent: "Honorlock cannot record the desktop without explicit consent from the user each time exam recording is initialized." The camera uses face detection, not face recognition: "If no face is detected, or if multiple faces are detected, AI will flag the incident". Proctors and exam administrators can review session videos until the school's retention policy deletes them "or after 12 months".
What gets you flagged on Honorlock
Honorlock's in-exam flags article lists "not having your face in the camera frame, words being spoken aloud", and anything your instructor's settings forbid, such as another person in the room. A flag can warn you, pause the exam for a live pop-in, or "occur in the background with no indication to you". Without instructor rules, the standard exam guidelines apply: a clear desk, "No breaks will be permitted" and "Cell phone use is prohibited". A flag is not a verdict: "Dishonesty is always up to the discretion of the instructor or exam administrator."
What the Honorlock extension blocks
A Canvas quiz page can only record what happens on its own page. Honorlock is a Chrome extension, so it can act on the whole browser. From its permissions page:
- Other extensions. "Honorlock can disable extensions after consent from the user for the duration of the exam." It queries the extensions installed on your device, and it does "not re-enable the extensions" afterwards.
- Tabs. It can "close already open tabs or block new tabs" when BrowserGuard or Allowed URLs is on.
- Websites. With the same settings, it blocks sites that are not on the instructor's allowed list.
- Copy and paste. Its injected actions range "from blocking copy/paste to reading LMS on-page variables".
- Window size. With BrowserGuard on, it can "detect window resizing to ensure a test taker is only looking at their exam window".
The BrowserGuard page adds that it "Disables keyboard shortcuts and functions" and "Blocks and flags the ability to minimize the browser display screen". Honorlock's AI blocking page states the aim: "Prevent the use of AI chatbots, browser extensions, and 'invisible' assistants during online exams and essays".
Can Honorlock detect phones?
Honorlock sells phone detection as a main feature. Its cell phone detection page calls cell phones "the #1 violation during proctored exams" and lists three tools:
- Handheld Device Detection "Flags visible mobile phones during the exam".
- Apple Handoff Detection "Detects the presence of Apple devices in the testing vicinity" and alerts the live proctor.
- Smart Speech Detection listens for commands such as "Hey Siri" or "OK Google" and alerts a live proctor.
Suspected phone use is "reviewed and verified by a human proctor", and some exams add a side-angle camera, which can be your own phone. There are limits. The FAQ says Honorlock "cannot access or control secondary devices, such as mobile phones", and the privacy statement says it "does not scan other devices on your network". The same statement describes a "patented process for detecting when a test taker attempts to search the internet for exam content", and Honorlock's suggested syllabus text warns students not to search "even if it's on a secondary device".
The desktop Honorlock Application (limited release)
Most Honorlock exams use the Chrome extension alone. The FAQ also describes a "new Honorlock Application (currently in limited release)" that "is designed to detect any applications on your device that you use or attempt to use during the exam", and the privacy statement says it "will force-quit them if any are found".
Honorlock's test taker guide for the app says it relaunches Chrome in a state that "prevents the use of native browser AI Tools like Google Lens and Gemini", and asks you to close programs such as ChatGPT and Discord before the exam begins. Its guide for administrators says it blocks "screen sharing, virtual machines, desktop AI tools, and AI assistants like Cluely". Your school has to switch it on first.
Live pop-in proctors
Nobody watches your webcam for the whole exam. Honorlock's student page says "you won't be watched during the entire exam": AI watches, and a live proctor reviews what it flags. With Live Pop-In, for high-stakes violations "the proctor enters the session via 1:1 chat". The exam can pause, and "The timer does not stop on your exam when a live pop-in takes place." Afterwards, the instructor gets reports that "highlight any incidents, each accompanied by a timestamp".
How Honorlock connects to Canvas
Honorlock plugs into Canvas as an app that a school administrator installs. Its integrations page says it "integrates directly with Canvas" through "LTI version 1.3", and its Canvas guide says it supports "both Canvas Classic Quizzes and Canvas New Quizzes". Instructors turn it on exam by exam: they open Honorlock in the course, click Enable and pick the settings above.
As a student, Honorlock's how-to guide for test takers says to "select Honorlock from the course menu", find the exam and click Launch. Then come the checks: close tabs, allow the camera and microphone, take a face photo and an ID photo, scan your workspace, share your screen and click Start Assessment.
Canvas keeps its own record too. With Quiz Log Auditing on, Instructure's quiz log guide says "Stopped viewing the Canvas quiz-taking page" appears when a student "closes the browser tab, opens a new browser tab, or navigates to a different program". Instructure notes that Quiz Log Auditing "is currently a course opt-in feature". Our Canvas quiz log guide shows a sample log.
How to tell if a quiz uses Honorlock
Look for these signs before the first question:
- Honorlock in the course menu. Students start Honorlock exams from there.
- An install prompt for the Honorlock Chrome extension when you open the exam.
- A Launch Proctoring step. Honorlock's sample syllabus text says it begins the authentication process.
- Checks before the exam: a face photo, an ID photo, a room scan, camera and microphone access, and a screen share.
- The syllabus. Honorlock's ready text for instructors starts "Honorlock will proctor your exams this semester."
An access code alone is not proof, because Canvas lets any instructor require an access code. Honorlock's how-to guide does mention one: if you are "prompted for an access code or do not see the launch button after installing the extension", it sends you to its troubleshooting guide.
With none of these signs, it is a regular Canvas quiz: your professor gets the quiz log and your answers, not a video. See what professors can see on Canvas during a quiz and what Canvas can and cannot detect.
Many Canvas quizzes are not proctored, and on a quiz without Honorlock its extension does nothing. For those quizzes, Canvas Quiz Solver puts the answer right below the question, inside the Canvas quiz page. You do not open a second tab, you do not copy the question into ChatGPT, and you do not switch windows, so there is no page switch for the quiz log to record. A web page cannot list the Chrome extensions you have installed. It works on Classic Quizzes and New Quizzes, and you can start free.
How to cheat Honorlock: the honest answer
This page gives no steps to get around Honorlock, and we do not sell a tool for it. Here is what an Honorlock exam can put on the record, from Honorlock's own pages:
- Your face, room and voice, when webcam recording is on.
- Your screen and the websites you visit in Chrome, when those settings are on.
- Phones seen on camera, nearby Apple devices and "Hey Siri" style commands.
- Searches for the exam's own questions.
- With the desktop app, the programs running on your computer.
Flags go to Honorlock's proctors or are marked by the AI for your instructor, next to a timestamped recording. Honorlock's Search & Destroy also "searches the internet to identify exam questions that have been shared online". What happens after a flag is your school's decision. A regular Canvas quiz has the quiz log and nothing more; for those, read how to cheat on Canvas without leaving the page.
Honorlock exam vs a regular Canvas quiz
| Regular Canvas quiz | Honorlock exam | |
|---|---|---|
| Webcam and audio | Not recorded | Recorded when the school turns it on |
| Your screen | Not recorded | Recorded when Record Screen is on |
| Leaving the quiz page | "Stopped viewing" in the quiz log, if Quiz Log Auditing is on | With BrowserGuard, tabs closed or blocked and minimizing flagged |
| Other Chrome extensions | A web page cannot list them | Can be turned off for the exam, after your consent |
| A phone on the desk | Not visible to Canvas | Handheld device, Apple Handoff and speech detection |
| Who reviews | The instructor opens the log by hand | AI flags, a live proctor, then the instructor |
For the extension question in detail, read does Canvas detect Chrome extensions. For two windows side by side, see can Canvas detect split screen.
Where Canvas Quiz Solver fits
Canvas Quiz Solver is not for Honorlock exams. Honorlock has permission to manage your other extensions, and it records your screen, so do not plan to use any answer tool on a proctored exam.
It is built for the Canvas quizzes that are not proctored, which is most of them. Canvas Quiz Solver puts the answer right below the question, inside the Canvas quiz page. You do not open a second tab, you do not copy the question into ChatGPT, and you do not switch windows, so there is no page switch for the quiz log to record. A web page cannot list the Chrome extensions you have installed (Chrome runs extension code in an isolated world).
It works on Classic Quizzes and New Quizzes, in Chrome on a Mac, a Windows PC or a Chromebook that allows extensions. You can start free, then it costs $9.99 a month. AI answers can be wrong, so check them against your course material.
It does not run inside LockDown Browser, and Honorlock can turn Chrome extensions off during a proctored exam.
Sources we checked
- Honorlock extension permissions and functions (Honorlock Help Center, updated 2025-07-08), checked 2026-09-25
- Faculty and student FAQ, Test taker privacy statement and Honorlock for students (Honorlock), checked 2026-09-25
- Cell phone detection (Honorlock), checked 2026-09-25
- BrowserGuard, Block AI tools during exams, Live Pop-In, Search & Destroy and LMS integrations (Honorlock), checked 2026-09-25
- Using Honorlock with Canvas (updated 2026-02-24), How to use Honorlock (test takers) (updated 2026-09-23), Install the Honorlock extension (updated 2026-01-07) and Minimum system requirements (updated 2026-08-21) (Honorlock Help Center), checked 2026-09-25
- In-exam flags (updated 2026-08-26), Standard exam guidelines (updated 2025-07-08), Honorlock Application - test taker experience (updated 2026-07-29), Best practices for remote proctoring (updated 2026-09-08) and Suggested syllabus verbiage (updated 2026-07-29) (Honorlock Help Center), checked 2026-09-25
- Install the Honorlock Chrome extension (Honorlock) and the Honorlock listing (Chrome Web Store, version 6.79.0.0, updated 2026-09-22), checked 2026-09-25
- How do I view a quiz log for a student? (Instructure Community, updated 2026-09-04) and What options can I set in a quiz? (Instructure Community, updated 2026-08-20), checked 2026-09-25
- Content scripts (Chrome for Developers), checked 2026-09-25
Common questions
What is the Honorlock Chrome extension?
It is the browser part of Honorlock, a remote proctoring service. Schools that use Honorlock require it, and the exam does not start without it. It does nothing on pages that are not enabled exams.
Does Honorlock record you or just your screen?
Both, if your school turns them on. Honorlock's FAQ says it can collect "a webcam video recording that includes your desktop activity and audio recording". Screen recording needs your consent each time it starts.
Can Honorlock detect phones?
Honorlock sells phone detection: it flags phones visible on the webcam, detects nearby Apple devices and listens for commands such as "Hey Siri". A human proctor reviews each case. It cannot access the phone itself.
Can Honorlock see other devices on your WiFi?
No. Honorlock's privacy statement says it "does not scan other devices on your network, such as phones and tablets". Its sample syllabus still warns students not to search for answers "even if it's on a secondary device".
Does Honorlock disable Chrome extensions?
Yes. Its help center says it "can disable extensions after consent from the user for the duration of the exam" and does "not re-enable the extensions" afterwards, so you switch them back on yourself.
Does Honorlock track eye movement?
None of the Honorlock pages we checked mention eye tracking. They describe face detection: a flag when no face or more than one face is in the webcam, or when your face leaves the frame.
How to cheat Honorlock?
This page gives no bypass steps. An Honorlock exam can record your webcam, audio and screen, block tabs and extensions, flag phones and detect searches for its questions. Flags go to a proctor, then to your instructor.
Can I uninstall Honorlock after the exam?
Yes. Honorlock says test takers "are not obligated to keep the Honorlock extension installed after taking an exam". Remove it from Chrome and add it again before the next proctored exam.
How do I know if my Canvas quiz uses Honorlock?
The exam starts from Honorlock in the course menu, asks for the Honorlock Chrome extension, and runs checks first: a face photo, your ID, a room scan and a screen share. Without these, Honorlock is not proctoring it.
Does Canvas Quiz Solver work on Honorlock exams?
Do not use it there. Honorlock can switch other extensions off, and it records your screen. Canvas Quiz Solver is made for regular Canvas quizzes, where it shows the answer right below each question.
Answers inside Canvas, without leaving the page
For the Canvas quizzes that are not proctored, Canvas Quiz Solver puts the answer right below the question you are on. You can start free.
Add to Chrome - free