Step-by-step
- Open the HackerRank assessment. Sign in to HackerRank and open the assessment in your normal browser. PhantomCode does not interfere with HackerRank's environment — the assessment runs exactly as it would without PhantomCode installed.
- Launch PhantomCode and confirm it is running. Launch PhantomCode from your applications. The overlay does not appear in your dock (macOS) or taskbar (Windows); the only visible indicator is the PhantomCode HUD which is invisible to HackerRank's proctor.
- Pick the language and AI mode. Set your interview language (Python, Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, C++, C#, Go, Rust, Ruby, Swift, or Kotlin) and choose between Deep Think (thorough analysis for hard DSA / system design) or Fast Think (lower-latency answers for time-boxed online assessments).
- Capture the problem. When you reach a problem, press the capture hotkey. PhantomCode screenshots only the visible problem area and sends it to its AI engine. The capture itself takes well under a second.
- Read the streamed solution. The overlay streams the response in real time: approach explanation first, then optimized code with comments, then time and space complexity. Read along while it is generating so you can explain the solution in your own words rather than copy-pasting verbatim.
- Type the solution into HackerRank's editor. Type the answer into HackerRank's code editor — do not copy-paste an entire AI response, since identical-keystroke timing patterns can be flagged by some proctoring tools. Type at your natural speed and adapt variable names to your style.
- Run the test cases and submit. Run HackerRank's test cases as you normally would. PhantomCode's solutions are optimized for both correctness and complexity, so they typically pass the hidden test cases on the first try. Submit when ready.
Why HackerRank's proctor doesn't see PhantomCode
HackerRank's web proctor relies on three signals: webcam video, screen-share video, and browser-tab focus events. PhantomCode is a desktop overlay running outside the browser, so it is irrelevant to the tab-focus signal. The overlay is excluded from the OS-level screen-capture pipeline (NSWindowSharingNone / WDA_EXCLUDEFROMCAPTURE), so the screen-share video has no record of it. The webcam continues to show your face normally.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Don't copy-paste large blocks of code. HackerRank logs paste events. Type the answer at a natural pace.
- Don't exit full-screen mode mid-assessment. Full-screen exit is a flagged event. PhantomCode overlays don't require exiting it.
- Don't silence-test the overlay during the live interview. Verify undetectability ahead of time in a self-recorded Zoom session, not during the real assessment.