LockDown Browser vs Extension-Based Proctoring: What Students Should Know

What is the LockDown Browser extension?

It is a Chrome extension that turns a Chromebook into a locked exam station for a specific learning or assessment system. On Windows and Mac, Respondus ships LockDown Browser as a separate desktop browser; on Chromebooks, where you cannot install that app, the same job is done by an extension.

The Chrome Web Store has more than one listing. The MasteryConnect LockDown Browser extension, for example, describes itself as a custom browser extension that protects exam integrity by preventing cheating while the exam is in session. It lists Respondus's support email, is available in five languages (English, German, Spanish, French and Italian) and was updated on September 24, 2026.

Which listing you need depends on your platform: Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle and others use Respondus's main LockDown Browser, while MasteryConnect has its own. Always use the link in your course or school IT page rather than searching the store.

How is LockDown Browser different from extension-based proctoring?

LockDown Browser restricts what your device can do; proctoring tools observe what you do. Some exams use only the lock, some add monitoring on top, and some use a proctoring extension with no lock at all.

The Chrome Web Store shows the range. Castle Learning's Chrome Browser Lockdown closes all other tabs and blocks new tabs and windows when a teacher enables lockdown on an assignment. Proctor360's extension says it detects extra tabs and multiple displays on its own site, and YuJa Verity's extension exists to run proctored assessments.

The difference matters for privacy. A lock is mostly about the exam window; monitoring means recordings of you and your room exist somewhere, with your school's retention rules applying to them.

How do you install LockDown Browser on a Chromebook?

Install the extension from your school's link, then always start the exam from your LMS so the extension can take over. On a school-managed Chromebook it may already be installed for you.

1. Sign in to the Chromebook with your school account if you have one; managed accounts often receive the extension automatically.
2. Open the LockDown Browser link from your course, LMS help page or IT page. Do not install look-alikes from a store search.
3. On the Chrome Web Store page, click Add to Chrome, then Add extension.
4. Check it is enabled: open chrome://extensions or go to the three-dot menu > Extensions > Manage Extensions.
5. Close other tabs, finish any downloads and plug in the charger.
6. Open your LMS in Chrome, go to the quiz and click the button to launch LockDown Browser.
7. If prompted, allow the extension to enter full-screen exam mode. Complete any webcam check if the quiz uses Respondus Monitor.
8. When you submit, the Chromebook returns to normal browsing.

Chromebooks have their own quirks, from sleep settings to recovery tools; our guide to the best Chromebook extensions and the walkthrough on keeping a Chromebook awake cover the device side.

What data does the LockDown Browser extension access?

According to its Chrome Web Store privacy section, the MasteryConnect LockDown Browser extension handles web history and user activity. That fits its job: it has to know which pages you open and what you try to do during an exam.

The developer declares that this data is not sold to third parties outside approved use cases, not used for purposes unrelated to the extension's core function, and not used to determine creditworthiness. Castle Learning's Chrome Browser Lockdown makes the same three declarations.

Web history

Which URLs load while the extension is active, so it can keep you inside the exam.

User activity

Actions such as clicks, keystrokes or attempts to switch windows, used to block restricted actions.

Webcam video

Only if the exam also uses a monitoring product such as Respondus Monitor, and only after you are prompted.

These are declarations by the developer, not audits. If you want to understand the Chrome warnings behind them, our permissions guide explains what each one allows in practice.

Does LockDown Browser monitor your screen or track your eyes?

LockDown Browser on its own locks your screen rather than recording it. Recording comes from Respondus Monitor, an add-on that uses your webcam and microphone, and only when your instructor turns it on for that exam.

When Monitor is on, you usually complete a start-up sequence first: a webcam check, sometimes a photo of you or your ID, and an environment check of the room. The session is then recorded and analysed for events worth reviewing, such as you leaving the frame.

On eye movement specifically, Respondus describes Monitor's analysis in terms of face detection and flagged events rather than precise eye tracking. Looking away briefly while thinking is normal; what gets flagged is typically sustained absence, another person appearing or the camera being blocked. Check Respondus's own documentation or your school's FAQ for the current detection features, because they change over time.

• LockDown Browser only: no video, no audio; the device is simply restricted.
• With Respondus Monitor: webcam and audio recording, reviewed by your instructor.
• Other proctoring extensions: behaviour varies; some watch tabs and displays, some record screen or webcam. Read the tool's page your school links.

Do professors actually check LockDown Browser results, and is it legal?

Instructors can review Monitor recordings and flagged moments, and many do check flagged sessions. LockDown Browser is legal to require in most places; it is standard assessment software that schools license and publish policies for.

Automated flags are prompts for a human, not verdicts. A flag means an instructor may look at that part of the recording; it does not automatically mean misconduct. If you are accused of something based on a recording, you normally have a right to see the evidence and respond under your school's academic integrity process.

Legality questions usually come down to privacy law and school policy rather than the software itself. Students with accessibility needs, shared rooms or no reliable webcam can ask for accommodations such as an alternative testing location. Ask early, and put the request in writing.

For broader study setups that stay within the rules, our student extensions hub collects tools that help outside exam time.

Which extensions should you turn off before a locked exam?

Pause anything that changes pages, reads text aloud, translates, records or blocks scripts. Some lockdown tools refuse to start while such extensions are active, and others may flag them.

Turn them off in chrome://extensions by flipping each toggle, then turn them back on after you submit. Nothing is uninstalled, so your settings stay intact.

If you rely on assistive tools, see our guide to text-to-speech on a Chromebook and ask your school which options it approves inside LockDown Browser.

What if LockDown Browser will not start on your Chromebook?

Most failures come from starting the quiz outside the LMS, an outdated ChromeOS, a conflicting extension or a network filter. Work through the list below before contacting IT.

• Update ChromeOS: Settings > About ChromeOS > Check for updates, then restart.
• Launch from the LMS: opening the quiz URL directly often shows a message that LockDown Browser is required.
• Disable conflicting extensions: especially VPNs, proxies, blockers and screen recorders.
• Turn off VPNs and proxies: tools like SmartProxy change your route and can block exam servers. See our Chromebook VPN guide for how to switch one off cleanly.
• Check the account: some schools only allow the extension on your managed school profile.
• Webcam issues: close apps using the camera and check Settings > Privacy and security > Camera.
• Still stuck: use the help link on the extension listing or your school's IT desk, and screenshot the error first.

If the Chromebook itself is misbehaving, a recovery or reset may be the last resort; our guide to the Chromebook Recovery Utility extension explains that process, but try it well before exam day, never the morning of.

Is there a free LockDown Browser download, Mac version or simulator?

LockDown Browser is free to students because schools pay for the licence. Download it only from your school's Respondus link or the Chrome Web Store listing your school names.

On a Mac you install the desktop app rather than an extension; the extension is specifically for Chromebooks. Third-party download sites that rehost installers are unnecessary at best and risky at worst, and a build from one may not be tied to your school's licence.

There is no official simulator for rehearsing monitoring. The closest thing is the practice quiz many instructors set up, which runs the real software under exam conditions. Searches for a "LockDown Browser bypass" or free workaround usually lead to cheating tools or malware, and using them risks academic misconduct findings.

School-specific versions exist too: i-Ready, for instance, has its own secure browser setup, and state tests often use their own kiosk apps. Follow the instructions that come with each test. For legitimate study help outside exams, our roundup of AI tools for students is a better place to start.