HackerRank Desktop App: Requirements, Linux, What It Blocks

The HackerRank Desktop App runs on Windows 10 and 11 and on macOS 12 Monterey or later, on both Intel and Apple silicon. As of September 9, 2026, HackerRank documents no Linux build and states that the app "Prevents the test from running on a virtual machine". It is distributed only through the test invitation email, not an app store. An installer in your invitation means the employer chose Desktop App Mode, HackerRank's strictest integrity setting. This article covers what the app needs, what it blocks, and what it records.

System requirements

HackerRank's candidate documentation lists Windows "10 and 11" and macOS "Monterey 12 or above (Compatible with both Intel-based and Apple Silicon-based Macs)". The Windows installer is an .exe from the invitation email, and "You do not need administrator access to install the HackerRank Desktop App on Windows." On macOS you download a .dmg and drag the app to Applications.

The recruiter-side Desktop App Mode documentation says the application is "available for Windows and macOS." Neither document mentions Linux, ChromeOS, or tablets.

Can you take it on Linux?

Not with the desktop app, as documented today. HackerRank publishes no Linux build and no fallback for Linux candidates. The practical options are a Windows or macOS machine you can use for the session, or a written request to the recruiter for a browser-based mode. Ask before the deadline. The employer picks the mode, and only the employer can change it.

Do not attempt a virtual machine. The documentation states the app "Prevents the test from running on a virtual machine", and the analysis of virtual machine detection in coding assessments explains why a lockdown app can see what a browser cannot.

Permissions the app asks for

"When a candidate uses the desktop application for the first time, they must grant the required system permissions." On both platforms that means webcam access ("Select Grant Access, ensure your face is clearly visible in the webcam") and screen sharing. On macOS it also means Screen Recording, System Events, and Accessibility. macOS 15 labels the screen permission "Screen & System Audio Recording"; that is Apple's name for the permission, and HackerRank's documentation does not describe recording audio.

Before starting, the app tells you to "Close all other applications running on your system before starting the test." There is a "Force Close All Apps" button. Save your work first, because force-closing does not.

What the app blocks

HackerRank documents these controls for Desktop App Mode:

• Other applications: "Blocks the use of other applications during the test, including tools such as Cluely, video conferencing, messaging applications, or LLM applications".
• Remote access: "Prevents candidates from sharing remote access to their systems".
• Screen capture by the candidate: prevents "sharing their screen or taking screenshots".
• Full screen: "Enforces full-screen mode throughout the test and does not allow candidates to navigate away from the test interface".
• Clipboard: "Copy-paste functionality is disabled to prevent pasting content from external sources".
• Displays: detects and flags "multiple monitors and screen mirroring", and "Candidates must disconnect them to continue".
• Virtual machines: blocked, as above.

If any control is bypassed, "the system automatically flags and logs the activity".

What the app records

• Webcam images "every 15 seconds", with live presence checks: "If the candidate is not visible or multiple faces are detected, a warning appears". It flags "mobile phones and tablets in the candidate's webcam feed". Gaze analysis of "eye and head movements" is documented as limited availability, with "Only high-confidence behavioral patterns" flagged.
• The screen, as a full recording in the Session Replay, synchronized with webcam images and integrity events.
• Typing in the editor, where suspicious patterns are "flagged for review as potential external assistance".
• Copy-paste events, tab and window events, and code similarity, as in Proctor Mode.

The recruiter's report carries an integrity rating of High or Medium plus the replay.

How Desktop App Mode differs from the browser modes

The short version: the browser modes observe what the page and the screen share expose, while the desktop app owns the machine for the duration of the test. The general guide to lockdown-style coding assessments compares this model across vendors. If your invitation is for a Chakra interview, the Chakra AI interviewer guide covers that flow, which also uses the desktop app.

What this means for candidates

Treat the installer as a signal that the employer wants a locked machine. Use a physical Windows or macOS computer you control, one display, and close everything before launch. Linux users should contact the recruiter now rather than on test day. And read the rules screen: HackerRank's documentation lists what is blocked, but only the employer's instructions say what is allowed.

For the complete signal inventory across all HackerRank modes, see what HackerRank proctoring detects and records.