| Quiz setup | Camera access | What you should see |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Canvas quiz | No built-in webcam recording | No camera permission prompt |
| Canvas plus browser-based proctoring | Possible, if enabled | Camera permission and recording indicator |
| Canvas plus lockdown/proctoring app | Possible, under that app's rules | Setup check, consent flow, or app indicator |
What Canvas alone can see
A standard Canvas quiz records activity inside Canvas: the attempt, answers, submissions, and—where supported—quiz-log events. The Canvas page does not gain webcam access merely because you opened a quiz. Camera video is a separate browser capability.
This distinction matters because schools often launch other software from Canvas. The quiz may appear inside Canvas while the webcam recording is handled by another vendor. Check the assessment instructions and the name of any extension, lockdown browser, or app you are asked to run.
Can Canvas use your camera without you knowing?
For browser-based camera access, the web platform uses getUserMedia(). MDN documents that the browser requires user permission and displays an indicator when a camera or microphone is in use. A site may retain a permission you granted earlier, so review the camera icon or site settings in the address bar if you are unsure.
If no camera permission was granted to the Canvas site or a proctoring origin, and no separate proctoring application is running, Canvas LMS cannot silently obtain a webcam feed from the browser.
When proctoring changes the answer
Respondus Monitor, Honorlock, Proctorio, and similar tools can add webcam, microphone, and screen-recording checks. Capabilities depend on the tool and the settings chosen for that assessment. A setup flow may ask you to show identification, scan the room, test the microphone, or keep your face in view.
Those products can flag moments for review, but a flag is not the same as proof of misconduct. Lighting changes, looking away, connection problems, or another person entering the frame can all require human context.
What your teacher can actually receive
- Canvas alone: no live webcam view or camera recording from a normal quiz.
- Proctored attempt: recordings, timestamps, or automated flags made available by the proctoring vendor.
- Quiz log: Canvas events such as answers and attempt activity—not camera footage.
- Managed device: school device-management tools may have separate controls outside Canvas.
For the wider privacy picture, read What Does Canvas Track? and Does Canvas Record Your Screen During a Quiz?.
Check the browser signals yourself
Use our free explainer to separate normal Canvas visibility from extra proctoring permissions.
Open What Can Canvas See?FAQ
- Can Canvas access your camera during a quiz?
- Canvas LMS alone does not activate your camera during a standard quiz. A separately enabled proctoring tool may request access.
- Can Canvas use your camera without you knowing?
- First-time browser camera access requires permission, and browsers display a camera-use indicator. Check for retained permissions and any separate proctoring app.
- Does Canvas track eye movement?
- Canvas itself does not have eye tracking. Webcam proctoring software may flag gaze or head movement as part of its own review process.