Can Moodle See Other Tabs? Logs, Plugins and Privacy

Can Moodle see your other tabs?

An ordinary Moodle page cannot simply read the contents of another website you have open. That is different from detecting that you left the page. Your institution may also use additional software with different permissions.

What the standard logs show

Moodle’s official logs documentation describes course activity reports with timestamps, actions and IP addresses. Those records describe activity in Moodle; they are not a list of everything open in your browser.

Leaving a tab versus reading its contents

The browser’s Page Visibility API lets a page detect when it becomes hidden, including when you switch tabs. This capability alone does not reveal the other tab’s contents or establish that a particular Moodle installation records the event.

Additional exam software changes the answer

Safe Exam Browser can restrict the exam environment. Institutions can also configure additional monitoring tools. Read the exam instructions and privacy notice to find out which tools are required and what information they collect.

What to check before starting

• Which browser or application is required?
• Are any extensions or permissions required by the institution?
• What resources are allowed during the assessment?
• Who can answer privacy or accessibility questions?

Ask your instructor or IT support when the instructions are unclear. A claim that an extension is “undetectable” cannot establish what your institution records.

For a walkthrough of this product, see the interactive demo. Product demonstrations do not override your institution’s assessment rules.