How to Use Blackbird with Honorlock
Honorlock is the on-demand AI proctor with a live pop-in feature, used widely across US universities.
What Honorlock monitors
- —Webcam and microphone recording with AI review
- —Screen recording through its Chrome extension
- —A tone that makes nearby phones reveal themselves
- —Search-and-destroy scanning for leaked exam questions online
- —Live proctor pop-in when something is flagged
How Blackbird fits in
Honorlock's headline feature is phone detection — an inaudible tone that triggers listening devices in the room. That is why phone-based cheating gets caught and desktop tooling usually does not.
Blackbird is a lightweight native Windows overlay drawn at the system compositor level. It is not a browser tab, an Electron window, or a shared surface, so it does not show up in screen recordings, screen-share streams, or active-window checks. It stays on top, accepts clicks without stealing focus, and disappears instantly with a hotkey.
Practical tips
- +Leave the phone out of the room entirely — that is the detector Honorlock is actually good at.
- +Use the overlay on the same monitor; a second screen is a separate flag.
- +Don't read out loud; the microphone is recorded.
- +Pace your answers so timing looks human.
Frequently asked questions
Can Honorlock detect Blackbird?
Honorlock's extension records the browser screen stream. Blackbird is not part of that stream, and it has no browser footprint for the extension to see.
Does the phone-detection tone affect Blackbird?
No. That tone targets mobile devices. Blackbird runs on your PC and never plays or answers audio.
What if a live proctor pops in?
They receive the same recorded stream, so nothing changes. Hit the hide hotkey if you want the overlay gone instantly anyway.
Is there a free version?
Yes, with a 15-minute session limit. Pro removes it for $30/month.
You are responsible for following the rules of any exam, employer or institution you use Blackbird with. No tool can account for human observation or behavioural review.