What Is Phantom Mode?
Your AI overlay, fully visible to you, completely invisible to everyone else. Phantom Mode hides LowLighter from screen recordings, video calls, screenshots, and streaming software.
March 17, 2026
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What Phantom Mode Does
Phantom Mode is a privacy feature built into LowLighter that makes the overlay window completely invisible to any screen capture. When Phantom Mode is enabled, your AI overlay is fully visible and usable on your physical display, but it does not appear in:
- • Screen recordings
- • Video call screen shares (Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, etc.)
- • Screenshots
- • Streaming software (OBS, Streamlabs, etc.)
- • Remote desktop sessions
This isn't a hack or exploit. Phantom Mode uses native operating system features that are built in to both Windows and macOS. These are documented privacy capabilities that the OS provides specifically for windows that should not be captured.
What You See vs. What They See
Your Screen
You see your app with the LowLighter overlay on top. You can read the AI response, interact with it, drag to capture new content. Everything works exactly as normal.
Their Recording
They see your app and nothing else. The LowLighter window doesn't exist in the recording. It's not blurred, not obscured, not minimized. It's simply not there. The pixels beneath the overlay show through instead.
Think of it like a one way mirror. The overlay is real and functional on your display, but the recording layer sees right through it as if the window doesn't exist.
Apps That Can't See Phantom Mode
Any software that captures your screen through the operating system's standard capture APIs will not see the overlay. This includes:
Video Calls
- Zoom
- Google Meet
- Microsoft Teams
- Discord
- Webex
Streaming
- OBS Studio
- Streamlabs
- Xbox Game Bar
- NVIDIA ShadowPlay
- Medal.tv
Recording
- macOS Screenshot
- Windows Snipping Tool
- Loom
- CleanShot X
- ScreenPal
If it uses the OS's standard screen capture, it can't see Phantom Mode. This is handled at the operating system level, not by LowLighter trying to detect individual apps.
Who Uses Phantom Mode
Streamers and Content Creators
Use AI assistance while streaming without your audience seeing it. Get real time help with games, creative work, or coding streams while keeping the overlay completely off camera.
Remote Workers
Use AI to help draft messages, analyze documents, or understand complex data during video calls and screen shares without anyone on the call seeing your AI assistant.
Presenters and Trainers
Keep speaker notes, quick references, or AI generated talking points visible on your screen while your audience only sees a clean presentation. No clutter in recordings.
Privacy Conscious Users
If any app on your computer takes screenshots or records your screen, Phantom Mode ensures your AI conversations stay completely private and off the record.
The Full Stealth Stack
Phantom Mode is more than just hiding the window. LowLighter includes a complete set of stealth features that work together:
Invisible Window
The overlay is excluded from all screen capture at the OS level.
System Level Hotkeys
A global hotkey that works inside any app, including fullscreen applications.
Hidden from Task Switchers
LowLighter doesn't appear in Alt+Tab, the taskbar, or the Dock. It's not visible in any app listing.
No Background Processes
No suspicious services, no extra processes. LowLighter runs as a single, clean application.
FAQ
Is Phantom Mode a hack or exploit?
No. Phantom Mode uses native operating system features that are built in to Windows and macOS. These are documented OS capabilities designed for window privacy. LowLighter simply uses what the operating system already provides.
Does it work on both Windows and macOS?
Yes. Both operating systems provide native privacy mechanisms for windows. LowLighter uses each platform's built in capabilities to achieve the same result on both.
Can Phantom Mode be detected?
The overlay doesn't appear in any captured output. There's nothing in the recording to detect. The OS simply doesn't include the window in the capture stream.
What's the difference between Phantom Mode and minimizing the app?
When you minimize, you can't use the app. With Phantom Mode, the overlay is fully visible and functional on your screen. It only vanishes from recordings, screen shares, and screenshots. You get the best of both worlds: full access and full privacy.
Does it slow down my computer?
No. Phantom Mode is handled at the operating system compositor level. It adds essentially zero overhead because the OS is already managing window rendering.
Try Phantom Mode
Phantom Mode is available on Pro and Elite plans. Start with 25 free responses to try the overlay, then upgrade to unlock Phantom Mode and the full stealth stack.