# Screen sharing, recording and privacy: questions answered Source: https://kopya.ai/en/answers · Updated: 2026-09-22 Kopya is a desktop AI assistant for macOS and Windows, and this page answers what people ask about it and screen-share privacy: whether the panel is really invisible to screen recording, what it never hides, how the two operating systems differ, what happens to your screenshots, and where Kopya must not be used. Compatibility varies by operating system version and capture tool. > **Where Kopya may be used** Kopya is for your own work where AI assistance is permitted. Do not use Kopya in exams, interviews, assessments or other settings that prohibit outside assistance, and do not use privacy controls to hide prohibited assistance or misrepresent your work. See the [acceptable-use terms](https://kopya.ai/en/legal/terms#acceptable-use) and [responsible use](https://kopya.ai/en/responsible-use). ## What is Kopya, and what does it run on? Kopya answers questions about what is already on your screen, on macOS and Windows. The table below collects the facts the rest of this page rests on: the systems it runs on, the two hotkeys, what the privacy setting covers and does not cover, and where the terms say it must not be used. *The facts most of the answers below rest on.* | Question | Short answer | | --- | --- | | Systems | macOS 14 Sonoma or newer, on Apple silicon and Intel; Windows 10 build 19041 or newer, 64-bit. | | Capture hotkey | ⌘⇧Space on macOS, Ctrl+Shift+Space on Windows. It takes one screenshot of your primary display. | | Privacy toggle | ⌘⇧P on macOS, Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows, the button on the panel, or the menu-bar and tray menu. | | What is excluded | The answer panel, and nothing else — not the tray icon, the sign-in window or the process. | | Windows behaviour | Documented: from Windows 10 version 2004, an excluded window does not appear in supported captures. | | macOS behaviour | Varies by OS version and capture tool. Apple calls the flag legacy, so test your own setup. | | Plans | Screen-share privacy is on by default on every plan, including the free one. | | Not allowed | Exams, interviews, assessments, and anywhere the rules prohibit outside assistance. | ### What is Kopya? Kopya is a desktop AI assistant for macOS and Windows that answers questions about what is on your screen when you press a hotkey; its panel is excluded from supported screen shares and recordings. It helps with emails, documents, spreadsheets and error messages. See [what Kopya is and how we test](https://kopya.ai/en/about). ### How do I ask Kopya a question? Press the capture hotkey — ⌘⇧Space on macOS, Ctrl+Shift+Space on Windows. Kopya takes one screenshot of your primary display and answers in a small always-on-top panel. Typing a question is optional; without one it answers the task the screen implies. See [how the panel works](https://kopya.ai/en/invisible-to-screen-recording). ### Which systems does Kopya run on? macOS 14 Sonoma or newer, on Apple silicon and Intel, and Windows 10 build 19041 (version 2004) or newer, 64-bit. The macOS build is signed and notarized; the Windows build is not code-signed yet, so Windows shows a SmartScreen prompt on first launch. See [downloads](https://kopya.ai/en/download). ### Is Kopya free? There is a free plan with a daily number of answers and no card required, plus paid plans with higher daily allowances. Screen-share privacy is included on every plan, including the free one — it is never a paid upgrade. Current allowances and prices are on the [pricing page](https://kopya.ai/en/pricing). ### Does Kopya join my calls or record audio? No. No bot joins your meeting and nothing is recorded. Kopya takes a screenshot of your primary display only when you press the capture hotkey, answers your question about it, and stops. It is not a meeting notetaker. See [how the panel is used while presenting](https://kopya.ai/en/use-cases/presenting). ## Is the panel really invisible to screen recording? In supported tools, yes: the operating system leaves the panel out of the capture while you still see it on your own display. Compatibility varies by operating system version and capture tool. Windows behaviour is documented by Microsoft, macOS behaviour is not, and Kopya has published no per-tool test results. ### Is Kopya invisible to screen recording and screen sharing? In supported tools, yes: the operating system leaves the panel out of the capture while you still see it on your own display. On Windows 10 version 2004 or newer that is [documented Windows behaviour](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/nf-winuser-setwindowdisplayaffinity). On recent macOS, tools that capture through ScreenCaptureKit may show it anyway. See [the full answer](https://kopya.ai/en/invisible-to-screen-recording). ### How does the panel stay out of a capture? Through OS-level capture exclusion: a window setting that asks the system to leave one window out of screenshots, recordings and shares while still drawing it on your display. Kopya sets `WDA_EXCLUDEFROMCAPTURE` on Windows and the legacy window sharing type on macOS. See [how capture exclusion works](https://kopya.ai/en/guides/how-screen-capture-exclusion-works). ### Does it work on a Mac? Less reliably than on Windows. Apple calls the flag Kopya sets [a legacy constant](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appkit/nswindow/sharingtype-swift.enum/none) and advises against relying on it to hide content, and apps that capture through ScreenCaptureKit — including built-in screen recording on recent macOS — may capture the panel anyway. See [what works on a Mac now](https://kopya.ai/en/guides/hide-app-from-screen-recording-mac). ### What does Apple actually say about this? In a [July 2025 developer forum reply](https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/792152), Apple’s Developer Technical Support wrote: “At this time there are no public APIs for preventing screen capture.” [Electron’s documentation](https://www.electronjs.org/docs/latest/api/browser-window) carries a matching caveat about ScreenCaptureKit. That is why Kopya never promises Mac invisibility. ### Does it work on Windows 10? On Windows 10 version 2004 (build 19041) or newer, yes — that release introduced the flag Kopya uses. On older Windows 10 builds the system falls back to an older mode, and the panel may appear as an empty black rectangle instead. Check with `winver`. See [hiding a window on Windows](https://kopya.ai/en/guides/hide-window-from-screen-capture-windows). ### Which screen sharing and recording tools does it work with? Kopya has not published tested results for individual tools, so it makes no per-tool promise. The [compatibility page](https://kopya.ai/en/screen-share-compatibility) lists the documented operating-system behaviour, what each vendor documents about its own sharing modes, and a self-test you can run in under a minute. ### What about Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams? None of the three documents how it treats a capture-excluded window from another app, and Kopya has published no test results for them, so run the [60-second self-test](https://kopya.ai/en/screen-share-compatibility#self-test) instead of trusting either of us. What they do document is how tab, window and entire-screen sharing differ. See [the Zoom, Meet and Teams guide](https://kopya.ai/en/guides/zoom-meet-teams-screen-share). ### Is there a way to hide a window without any special software? Yes, and usually a better one: share a single window or tab instead of your whole screen, keep private windows on a display you are not sharing, turn on Do Not Disturb, and tidy up before you start. See [five ways to hide a window from a screen share](https://kopya.ai/en/guides/hide-window-from-screen-share). ### How do I turn screen-share privacy on or off? Three ways: press ⌘⇧P on macOS or Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows, use the button on the panel, or use the menu-bar or system-tray menu. It is on by default, and the panel always shows which state it is in. See [screen-share privacy](https://kopya.ai/en/invisible-to-screen-recording). ### How do I check it before an important presentation? Run the self-test: start the exact tool and share mode you will use, then look at what the other side actually sees — join from a second device, or record ten seconds and play it back. Repeat after OS or app updates. See [the 60-second self-test](https://kopya.ai/en/screen-share-compatibility#self-test). ## What is not hidden? Everything except the panel. Capture exclusion removes one window from a video capture and nothing else, so the process, the menu-bar or tray icon, the sign-in window, a projector or mirrored display, a phone camera and monitoring software are all unaffected by it. ### Is Kopya undetectable? No, and Kopya does not use that word. Capture exclusion keeps one window out of a video stream; it does not hide the app. The process, the menu-bar or tray icon and the sign-in window all stay visible, and other software can read the flag. See [invisible versus undetectable](https://kopya.ai/en/guides/what-is-an-invisible-ai-overlay). ### Does it hide Kopya from Task Manager or Activity Monitor? No. Only the answer panel is excluded from capture. Kopya appears in the process list like any other application, keeps its menu-bar or system-tray icon, and its sign-in window is an ordinary window. Nothing about the app is concealed from the computer. See [what is not hidden](https://kopya.ai/en/invisible-to-screen-recording). ### Does it hide anything from monitoring or endpoint software? No. Capture exclusion applies to one window in a video capture, and nothing more. Software that inspects processes, files or network traffic is unaffected by it, and Microsoft documents that the flag itself can be read [from any process](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/nf-winuser-getwindowdisplayaffinity), so other applications can tell that a window is excluded. See [responsible use](https://kopya.ai/en/responsible-use). ### Will the panel show on a projector or a second display? Yes. A projector and a mirrored display are monitors, and capture exclusion only removes a window from captures, never from a physical screen. Anyone in the room sees whatever you see. Plan for that when you present. See [presenting with Kopya](https://kopya.ai/en/use-cases/presenting). ### Can someone still photograph the screen? Yes. A phone camera, a video camera or a person looking over your shoulder sees the panel, because it is drawn on your display. [Microsoft says the same](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/nf-winuser-setwindowdisplayaffinity) about the Windows API behind this: it is no guarantee where someone takes a photograph of the screen. ### Is capture exclusion a security feature? No. Microsoft states plainly that it is not a security feature or DRM, and Kopya does not present it as one. It is a privacy convenience that keeps a personal panel out of a video stream. Do not rely on it to protect confidential material. See [how it works](https://kopya.ai/en/guides/how-screen-capture-exclusion-works). ## Where may I use Kopya, and where may I not? Use it for your own work where AI assistance is permitted: presenting, demos, teaching, recording tutorials and ordinary meetings. Do not use it in exams, interviews, assessments or anywhere the rules prohibit outside assistance, and never use privacy controls to conceal prohibited help or misrepresent your work. ### Can I use Kopya in an exam or a job interview? No. Kopya’s terms prohibit use in exams, interviews, assessments and any setting whose rules prohibit outside assistance, and privacy controls must not be used to conceal prohibited assistance or misrepresent your work. That boundary is deliberate: it is the line between a private workspace and a hidden advantage. See the [acceptable-use terms](https://kopya.ai/en/legal/terms#acceptable-use). ### Is hiding a window from a screen share allowed? In ordinary work, yes — keeping your inbox, messages or personal notes out of a share is normal practice, and the same operating-system feature is used by password managers and messaging apps. It is not allowed where outside assistance is prohibited. See [responsible use](https://kopya.ai/en/responsible-use). ### Do I have to tell people I am using an AI assistant? It depends on where you are. Follow your employer’s policy, the rules of the meeting, and any disclosure or consent requirement that applies to what you are doing — recordings often carry one. Privacy controls never remove a disclosure obligation. See [responsible use](https://kopya.ai/en/responsible-use). ### Is it fair to keep the panel out of a tutorial I publish? Yes, in the same way you would close your inbox before recording. Viewers came for the software you are teaching, not your personal notes. What you must not do is present AI-assisted work as unassisted. See [recording tutorials without the panel](https://kopya.ai/en/use-cases/recording-tutorials). ## What happens to my data, and where does the name come from? A screenshot leaves your computer only when you press the capture hotkey, and Kopya does not intentionally retain it after processing, though the AI provider’s retention rules may apply. The name points at copy-and-paste: the trip your work used to take into a chat window. ### What happens to my screenshots? A screenshot is taken only when you press the capture hotkey. It goes over an encrypted connection to Kopya’s server and on to the AI provider that generates the answer. Kopya does not intentionally retain it after processing, though the provider’s own retention rules may apply. Screenshots, questions and answers are not written to Kopya’s database. See the [privacy policy](https://kopya.ai/en/legal/privacy). ### Does Kopya capture all of my screens? No. It captures your primary display only, and only at the moment you press the capture hotkey. It does not watch your screen, and it captures and sends nothing between questions. Each follow-up question takes a fresh screenshot. See [what Kopya is and how we test](https://kopya.ai/en/about). ### Where can I look up a term I do not recognise? The [glossary](https://kopya.ai/en/glossary) defines capture exclusion, content protection, `WDA_EXCLUDEFROMCAPTURE`, ScreenCaptureKit, window share versus entire-screen share and the rest, each in a sentence or two with a link to the page that covers it. The [guides index](https://kopya.ai/en/guides) lists everything else by topic. ### Where does the name come from? It is about copying: the copy-and-paste trip your work used to take into a chat window. Kopya reads the screen instead, so the work stays where it is. The product is written as Kopya AI in Turkish, to keep it distinct from the everyday word. ## Where is each topic covered in full? Every answer above links to the page that covers its topic in full. These four are the places to start. - [An AI assistant invisible to supported screen recording and screen sharing](https://kopya.ai/en/invisible-to-screen-recording): Kopya’s AI panel is excluded from supported screen shares and recordings by the operating system. How it works, what stays visible, and the macOS limits. - [Screen share compatibility: Zoom, Meet, Teams, OBS and what each OS documents](https://kopya.ai/en/screen-share-compatibility): Does Kopya’s AI panel show in Zoom, Meet, Teams or OBS? What Windows and macOS document, what changed on macOS 15, and a 60-second test. Results vary. - [Screen capture glossary: screen-share privacy terms in plain language](https://kopya.ai/en/glossary): Capture exclusion, WDA_EXCLUDEFROMCAPTURE, NSWindow.sharingType, ScreenCaptureKit, window share: screen-share privacy terms defined in plain language. - [Is hiding a window from a screen share allowed? When it is fine, and when it is not](https://kopya.ai/en/responsible-use): Hiding a window from a screen share is fine when presenting or teaching where AI help is permitted, and prohibited in exams, interviews and assessments. ## Sources 1. [Microsoft Learn — SetWindowDisplayAffinity](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/nf-winuser-setwindowdisplayaffinity) 2. [Microsoft Learn — GetWindowDisplayAffinity](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/nf-winuser-getwindowdisplayaffinity) 3. [Apple Developer — NSWindow.SharingType.none](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appkit/nswindow/sharingtype-swift.enum/none) 4. [Apple Developer Forums — “no public APIs for preventing screen capture” (July 2025)](https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/792152) 5. [Electron docs — BrowserWindow (setContentProtection)](https://www.electronjs.org/docs/latest/api/browser-window)