Is Cluely Detectable? What Actually Gets Caught on Screen Share (2026)

If you are asking whether Cluely is detectable, you probably already know the stakes: the whole point of an interview overlay is that it does not show up when you share your screen. The short answer is that Cluely can be undetectable on a screen share, but only on the right plan and only on a supported setup, and it is never undetectable to the human across the table. Here is the full, honest breakdown, and what to check before you trust it.

The short answer

Cluely is a native desktop app, and on its top tier it uses an OS-level stealth layer that keeps the overlay out of screen-sharing software like Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams. On that plan, and when it is working correctly, a person you share your screen with will not see the overlay. But the cheaper Cluely plan does not include that stealth at all, and no plan hides you from the behavioral signals an interviewer notices. So “is Cluely detectable” has three different answers depending on which kind of detection you mean.

Detection type 1: screen sharing

This is the one most people mean, and it is where stealth actually applies. Because Cluely is a desktop app rather than a browser tab, it can call the operating-system APIs that tell the screen-capture pipeline to skip its window. When that works, the overlay is absent from the shared view and from any recording of it.

The catch is the plan. Cluely’s stealth, the undetectable overlay, sits on its top tier at $149.99 a month. The cheaper $19.99 plan does not hide from screen share at all. So if you are on the entry plan expecting invisibility, you do not have it. The feature most people are actually paying for is behind the most expensive tier.

Detection type 2: the human interviewer

No overlay solves this one. Interviewers notice long pauses before you answer, eyes tracking across the screen while you read, and explanations that sound polished but do not match the code you just wrote. These behavioral tells have nothing to do with software and everything to do with how you use the tool. A perfectly hidden overlay will still sink you if you go quiet for ten seconds and then recite an answer you clearly did not reason through. This is why leaning on any copilot live is riskier than it looks, and why using it to prepare is the safer play.

Detection type 3: monitored assessments

Some coding tests and take-homes run proctoring that logs tab switches, focus changes, and copy-paste events. That is a stricter surface than a live call, and stealth against screen sharing does nothing about it. If your assessment is proctored, assume anything unusual can be flagged and reviewed later.

The honest limits

Even on the right plan, undetectable is not a permanent guarantee. Newer Zoom and macOS builds tightened their screen-capture permissions, and that has broken stealth for desktop overlays on some setups. Windows behavior on versions before Windows 11 is also uneven. Any tool, Cluely included, that promises a flat 100% is overselling, because the operating systems keep changing the rules underneath it. The only way to know your setup is safe is to test it, which almost nobody does before it matters.

There is also the employer side. A 2025 SHRM survey found most hiring managers would disqualify a candidate for undisclosed AI use in an interview. Whether or not the overlay is technically hidden, the risk is real, and it is worth weighing honestly before you rely on it in a live round.

How to test whether Cluely is hidden on your setup

Do not trust the marketing page, and do not find out during the interview. Test it in five minutes: open Zoom or Meet, start a meeting with just yourself, and share your entire screen. Then record that meeting or join from a second device and look at the shared view. If the overlay shows up there, it is not stealth on your machine, whatever plan you are on. If it is gone, you are good, until the next OS update, at which point you test again.

The cheaper way to get tested stealth

Here is the practical problem with Cluely specifically: to get the stealth you came for, you are on the $149.99 tier, and you only find out whether it works on your setup after you have paid. That is a lot of money to spend on a maybe.

This is where Craqly takes the opposite approach. It is also a desktop app with an OS-level stealth overlay, but it ships that stealth on the free Starter plan rather than behind the top tier. You install it, run a mock interview, share your screen to a friend or record it, and confirm the overlay is invisible before you enter a card number. If interviews are your reason for buying, the ability to test the risky part for free is worth more than any feature claim. You can see the full side-by-side on our Cluely comparison.

So, is Cluely detectable?

On screen share, on its top plan, on a supported setup, and when it is working: no, it is not. On its cheaper plan: yes, it shows up. To a sharp interviewer watching your behavior: always, if you use it carelessly. And on a proctored assessment: assume yes. The honest takeaway is that “undetectable” is a narrow, conditional claim for any tool, Cluely included, and the smart move is to test stealth yourself, use it mainly to prepare, and prefer a tool that lets you verify it for free before you pay.

Windows and macOS behave differently

The operating system matters more than most people expect. On macOS, screen-capture exclusion is well supported, but Apple has tightened screen-recording permissions across recent releases, and each tightening has broken stealth for some overlays until the app catches up. If you are on a very new macOS build the week it ships, you are the test case, so check before you rely on it. On Windows, the capture-exclusion flag is reliable on Windows 11 but noticeably less consistent on older versions. The practical rule: the newer and more standard your setup, the more predictable stealth is, and the more you should still test it rather than assume.

What to do if it shows up mid-interview

Suppose you did not test, you are on a call, and you realize the overlay might be visible. The safe move is simple: stop using it. Close or hide the window and fall back on your own knowledge for the rest of the round, because a visible overlay you keep glancing at is worse than no overlay at all. This is the exact scenario the five-minute test prevents, and it is why testing beforehand is not optional. Finding out live is the most expensive way to learn your setup was not stealthy.

Is Cluely detectable FAQ

Is Cluely undetectable on screen share?

On its top ($149.99) tier it uses OS-level stealth that keeps the overlay out of screen sharing on supported setups. The cheaper $19.99 plan has no stealth and does show on a shared screen.

Does the cheaper Cluely plan hide from screen sharing?

No. The undetectable overlay is only on the top tier. On the entry plan the overlay is not hidden from screen capture.

Can an interviewer still tell I am using Cluely?

Through behavior, yes. Long pauses, reading tells, and recited answers give it away regardless of whether the overlay is visible. Stealth only addresses screen capture.

Is there a cheaper tool with tested stealth?

Craqly is a desktop app that includes stealth on its free plan, so you can confirm it works on your setup before paying, rather than committing to Cluely’s top tier first.

How do I check if the overlay is really hidden?

Start a solo meeting, share your full screen, and record it or join from a second device. If the overlay appears in that view it is not stealth on your machine.

What about the full job search pipeline?

If you are reading this comparison, you are probably either preparing for interviews or actively in a loop. Craqly helps you during the live conversation. It does not help you get the interview in the first place.

That gap is what LastRoundAI covers, and it is worth naming because it is our sister product and because it genuinely fills a hole Craqly leaves open. LastRoundAI builds your resume and scores it for ATS parsing, searches live job boards from Greenhouse, Lever, and Ashby, auto-applies with tailored resumes and cover letters (you approve every one), runs voice mock interviews with feedback, and gives you a live copilot for the calls that come out of it. The whole pipeline from “I need a job” to “I am in the room” lives on one account.

Plenty of people use both: LastRoundAI to get the interview, Craqly in the room for everything after it. The free plans on both sides are enough to decide whether the handoffs work for your search.

Pricing checked against cluely.com in 2026; SHRM 2025 survey on AI use in hiring. Stealth behavior changes with Zoom and macOS updates, so always test your own setup before relying on it.