Desktop, browser or phone: which copilot setup to use

The short version

Where a copilot runs changes two things: how it hears the interviewer, and what the other side can see if you share your screen. Pick the setup first, then learn the tool.

• Desktop app: best for most video calls you take on your own Mac or Windows computer.
• Browser: best when you cannot install anything, such as on a borrowed computer or a Chromebook.
• Phone app: best when the interview computer is locked down, or when you want nothing extra running on it.

Desktop app: the default for video calls

A desktop app listens to system audio, which means it hears whatever plays through your computer. You can wear headphones, and it still hears the interviewer clearly, because it is not relying on a microphone in the room.

On Mac and Windows, an app can also ask the operating system to leave its window out of screen sharing and recording. This is screen-share exclusion. Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams then show what is behind the window, even on a full-screen share. It has limits: it does nothing about a webcam pointed at your screen, a person in the room, or proctoring software that inspects running apps.

Watch out for: work laptops that block new software, and permission prompts the first time you run it. Install and grant permissions a day or two early, not ten minutes before the call.

Browser: nothing to install

A browser version runs in a tab, often with a small floating picture-in-picture window for the answers. It works on almost any computer, including Chromebooks, and there is nothing to install.

The trade-off is screen sharing. A floating browser window is part of your screen, so it can appear if you share your entire screen. Share a single window or a single tab instead. Some browser modes also need Chrome or Edge.

A browser copilot usually listens through your microphone. If you wear headphones, it may hear only you. Use speakers at a low volume, or test carefully before you rely on it.

Phone app: a second device

A phone app runs the copilot on your phone while you join the interview on your laptop. Nothing extra runs on the interview computer, which helps when a company laptop will not let you install anything.

It listens through the phone's microphone, so the call must play out loud from your laptop speakers, not through headphones. It hears the interviewer but cannot see your laptop screen, so it cannot read a coding problem or a shared document.

Placement matters. Put the phone close to the speakers so it hears clearly, and close to your camera so your eyes do not drop far below the lens. Charge it, and silence notifications so a text does not cover the answer.

Pick in two minutes

1. Can you install apps on the interview computer? If yes, start with the desktop app. If no, go to the browser or the phone.
2. Will you share your screen? With a browser copilot, plan to share one window or tab, never the entire screen.
3. Will you wear headphones? Then a microphone-based setup may not hear the interviewer. The desktop app is the safer choice.
4. Is it a coding round? You need a tool that can see the problem. A phone app cannot. See coding interview copilot.
5. Is it a phone screen on your cell? Read phone interview copilot first; the setup is different.

Common setup mistakes

• Testing on one computer and interviewing on another. Permissions, audio devices and screen sizes differ.
• Sharing the entire screen with a browser window open.
• Wearing headphones with a setup that listens through a microphone.
• Putting the phone across the desk, where it hears the room more than the call.
• Leaving the answer window at the bottom of the screen, so your eyes keep dropping away from the camera.

Whatever the setup, check the employer's rules first. Some allow AI help and some ban it. Ask the recruiter if you are not sure, and if it is banned, do not use one.

Where OphyAI runs

OphyAI runs in all three places. In the browser, its Whisper Mode is a private picture-in-picture window; share one tab or window, not your entire screen. The Mac and Windows desktop app hears system audio with no virtual audio cable, and macOS and Windows leave its answer window out of screen sharing and recording. It offers four layouts: Teleprompter (one beat at a time near the top of the screen), Panel, Split Desk and Q&A Feed. In the iPhone and Android apps, the Copilot listens through the phone's microphone; OphyAI's own steps say to join on your laptop and set the phone next to the laptop speakers.

The same account and credits work across all three. See the OphyAI profile for plans, the desktop app page for system requirements, and the setup checklist before your call.