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What can Canvas actually see?

There's a lot of myth here. Canvas sees less than students fear and exactly enough to matter. Filter the signals below to the half that can flag you — and the larger half that's completely invisible to it.

Stay on the invisible sideTest tab detection live

Switching browser tabs

Can see

Logged as a “stopped viewing the quiz” event with a timestamp.

Leaving the quiz window

Can see

Same as a tab switch — losing focus on the quiz page is recorded.

Time spent per question

Can see

The quiz log timestamps each answer, so long gaps stand out.

Changing an answer

Can see

Answer changes and their order are part of the log.

Copy / paste in the quiz

Limited

Some quiz settings can flag or disable pasting; many don't.

Your keystrokes

Can't see

Standard Canvas does not log what you type outside answer fields.

Other open tabs' content

Can't see

Canvas can tell you left, never what you went to.

Your screen

Can't see

No screen recording without a proctoring add-on like Proctorio.

Your webcam or microphone

Can't see

Never, unless a live-proctoring tool is explicitly enabled.

Browser extensions you've installed

Can't see

Canvas can't enumerate or detect your installed extensions.

Your IP address

Limited

Stored in server logs, but not surfaced to instructors per question.

A second phone or laptop

Can't see

Anything off the quiz device is completely invisible to Canvas.

The rule of thumb

One line to remember

Standard Canvas can see what you do on the quiz page — and nothing you do off it. It records that you left, never where you went.

That single distinction explains almost every answer above. Switching tabs, changing answers, and pausing too long all happen on the quiz page and get logged. Your phone, a second laptop, your other tabs, your screen, and your keystrokes are all off the page — and invisible.

The one big exception: proctoring add-ons

Everything above describes standard Canvas. If your instructor turns on a proctoring tool — Proctorio, Respondus Monitor, or LockDown Browser — the rules change: those can record your screen, camera, and microphone, or lock your browser entirely. They're also obvious when enabled, so you'll know. CheatGPT is built for standard browser-based quizzes, not locked-down or live-proctored exams.

Frequently asked questions

Can Canvas see my screen?
No — not on its own. Standard Canvas has no screen recording. That only changes if your instructor enables a proctoring add-on like Proctorio or Respondus Monitor, which is a separate, very visible setup.
Can Canvas see my other tabs?
No. Canvas can record that the quiz tab lost focus — that you left — but it can never see which tab you went to or what was on it.
Can Canvas track my keystrokes?
No. Standard Canvas doesn't log keystrokes. It records your answers and the timing around them, not what you type elsewhere.
So what can Canvas actually detect?
Behavior on the quiz page: tab switches, lost focus, time per question, and answer changes. Everything that happens off the quiz page — your phone, other devices, other tabs — is invisible to it.

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