How to Hide Secrets During Browser Screen Sharing
Browser-based screen sharing is the fastest-growing category of screen capture. Google Meet, Microsoft Teams web, Webex, Jitsi, and dozens of other tools all run in your browser. PixelHush PRO detects screen sharing from every major browser and masks your secrets before the first frame reaches other participants.
The Browser Is Now the Default Screen Sharing Tool
Five years ago, screen sharing meant installing Zoom or Skype. Today, most screen sharing happens directly in the browser. You click a Google Meet link in your calendar, hit "Present now," and your screen is live. No app to install, no separate process to launch.
This shift to browser-based conferencing is convenient, but it creates a security blind spot. Traditional screen recording detection tools look for desktop applications -- Zoom.app, OBS.app, QuickTime Player.app. They do not detect when Chrome initiates a screen capture session through the browser's Web API.
PixelHush PRO solves this by monitoring screen capture activity at the macOS system level, regardless of whether the capture is initiated by a desktop app or a browser.
Supported Browsers
PixelHush PRO detects screen sharing from all major browsers on macOS:
Google Chrome screen sharing is detected on the Free tier — this covers Google Meet, any site in Chrome, and most Chromium-based meetings. Arc, Brave, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera require Pro. Free tier also covers macOS Built-in, OBS Studio, Zoom, and Chrome.
What Web Conferencing Tools Are Covered?
Because PixelHush PRO detects screen sharing at the browser level (not the conferencing tool level), it works with every web-based conferencing platform automatically:
- Google Meet -- The default for Google Workspace organizations
- Microsoft Teams (web version) -- When accessed via browser instead of the desktop app
- Webex -- Browser-based meetings
- Jitsi Meet -- Open source, often used for ad-hoc calls
- Whereby -- Popular for external client meetings
- Around -- Lightweight team meetings
- Any future tool -- If it runs in a browser and uses screen sharing, PixelHush detects it
How Browser Screen Sharing Detection Works
When a web application requests screen sharing, the browser asks macOS for permission to capture your screen. This triggers a system-level screen capture session that PixelHush monitors via ScreenCaptureKit. The detection flow is straightforward:
1. User clicks "Share Screen" in Google Meet / Teams / etc.
2. Browser calls navigator.mediaDevices.getDisplayMedia()
3. macOS shows system screen capture permission dialog
4. User selects screen/window to share
5. macOS creates a SCStream capture session
6. PixelHush detects the new capture session (< 50ms)
7. PixelHush signals editor extensions to mask secrets
8. Browser renders first frame — secrets already masked
The critical detail: PixelHush activates masking between steps 5 and 8. The capture session is detected before the browser renders its first shared frame, so other participants never see unmasked secrets.
The Chrome Extension: Secrets on Web Pages Too
Browser screen sharing does not just expose your code editor. It exposes everything on your screen, including web pages with sensitive data. The PixelHush Chrome Extension adds a second layer of protection by masking secrets directly on web pages.
What the Chrome Extension Covers
- AWS Console -- Access keys, secret keys, account IDs visible on IAM and other pages
- Stripe Dashboard -- API keys, webhook signing secrets, connection tokens
- Firebase Console -- Project configuration with API keys and credentials
- Vercel Dashboard -- Environment variables, deployment secrets
- GitHub Settings -- Personal access tokens, OAuth app secrets
- Any page with detected secret patterns -- The extension uses the same pattern matching as the VS Code extension
The editor extension (VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, or Antigravity) masks secrets in your code editor. The Chrome Extension masks secrets on web pages. Together, they cover the two main surfaces where secrets are visible during browser screen sharing: your editor and your browser.
Setup Guide: PixelHush for Browser Screen Sharing
- Install PixelHush PRO -- Download from pixelhush.dev. Drag to Applications. Grant Screen Recording permission on first launch. Activate your PRO license for browser screen share detection.
- Install the editor extension (VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, or Antigravity) -- Search "PixelHush" in the extension marketplace. Protects your code editor during screen sharing.
- Install the Chrome Extension -- Available on the Chrome Web Store. Works on Chrome, Arc, Brave, Edge, and Opera (all Chromium-based browsers). Masks secrets on web pages during screen sharing.
- Share your screen normally -- Join any browser-based meeting and click "Share Screen." PixelHush detects the capture session and activates masking across your editor and browser. No manual steps required.
Common Scenarios Where Browser Screen Sharing Exposes Secrets
You are pair programming with a colleague. You share your screen and work through a feature together. Over the course of an hour, you navigate dozens of files, open terminals, check configs, and look up documentation. It is impossible to pre-screen every file and every terminal command for secrets. PixelHush handles this automatically, masking secrets in real time as you navigate.
You are showing a client their custom integration. You switch between the running app in the browser and the code in VS Code. The client asks to see the API integration code. You open the file, and PixelHush masks the API keys while leaving the code logic fully visible -- exactly what the client needs to see, without the credentials they should not.
Your team uses Jitsi for internal calls. During an architecture review, you walk through the entire codebase -- infrastructure configs, database schemas, API integrations. Every file with credentials is automatically masked, allowing you to focus on the architecture discussion without worrying about what is visible.
Best Practices for Secure Browser Screen Sharing
1. Always Share a Specific Window, Not Your Entire Screen
Every browser's screen share dialog offers the choice of sharing your entire screen, a specific window, or a browser tab. Sharing your entire screen exposes everything -- notifications, other apps, your desktop. Always choose window sharing or tab sharing when possible.
2. Close Unnecessary Browser Tabs
Even if you are sharing only a specific window, browser tab titles are visible in the tab bar. Tab titles can reveal internal tool names, ticket numbers, or admin page URLs. Close tabs you do not need before sharing.
3. Enable macOS Focus Mode
Desktop notifications from Slack, email, or other apps can overlay on top of your shared screen. Enable Focus mode (Do Not Disturb) before any screen sharing session to prevent notification pop-ups from exposing sensitive content.
4. Use Both the Editor Extension and Chrome Extension
During browser screen sharing, participants can see both your code editor and your browser. Install both the editor extension (VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, or Antigravity) and the Chrome Extension for complete coverage. The editor extension masks secrets in your code, and the Chrome Extension masks secrets on web pages.
Start a test meeting with yourself (Google Meet makes this easy -- just go to meet.google.com and start an instant meeting). Share your screen, open a file with test secrets in VS Code, and verify they are masked. Then open the AWS Console or Stripe Dashboard and verify the Chrome Extension is masking those values too. This takes 2 minutes and confirms everything works.
Stop leaking secrets. Start recording freely.
Join thousands of developers who share code safely every day with PixelHush.