Short answer: Canvas does not record your screen. Canvas is a website — it can’t capture video of your desktop. Screen or webcam recording only happens when your instructor enables a proctoring tool like Proctorio or Respondus Monitor on a specific quiz.
What actually records you
- Proctorio: records webcam, microphone, and can capture screen activity, then flags anything unusual for review.
- Respondus Monitor: records webcam video during the exam (paired with LockDown Browser, which locks the rest of your computer).
- Honorlock and similar services: work the same way — a recording layer added on top of Canvas.
If a quiz didn’t ask you to install anything or grant webcam access, none of this is running.
What Canvas records on its own
Without a proctoring tool, Canvas only logs data: which pages you opened, quiz timing, your IP address, and — in Classic Quizzes — when the quiz tab lost focus. No video, no screen, no room.
The one exception people confuse
Canvas Studio lets you record your screen or webcam to submit a video assignment. That’s student-initiated and only captures what you choose to record — not Canvas secretly recording you.
FAQ
Can Canvas see my screen during a normal quiz?
No — not without Proctorio or Respondus Monitor enabled.
Will I know if I’m being recorded?
Yes — proctoring tools require you to install software and approve webcam access first.
Does Canvas record audio?
Only through a proctoring tool; Canvas itself captures no audio.
Related: Does Canvas track your tabs? · Does Respondus record your screen? · What does Canvas track?
Last updated: July 2026.