Can Proctors See My iPhone During an Exam?

Proctors care about phones because they're the easiest cheating tool. Detection ranges from "the proctor watches the room scan and sees the phone on your desk" to "Continuity Camera or AirDrop activity is logged".

The first detection layer is human eyeballs: most proctors require a 360-degree room scan with your phone's rear camera before the exam. They look for cheat sheets, second screens, and other phones in frame. After that, the live proctor watches your webcam continuously; if your phone enters frame, they flag. The software layer is shallower - macOS does not normally expose AirDrop/Continuity activity to other apps, but Sidecar (iPad-as-second-display) gets enumerated as a display. Phones used as Continuity Camera webcams also register. Best practice: phone in another room during the exam.

Only via the webcam. If your phone is angled away from the camera, they can't read it.

Some proctors require you to remove smartwatches. Check your specific exam policy.

It depends on how thorough you make the scan. Strict proctors may ask you to lift items.