Key takeaways
- You need 64-bit Windows 10 version 2004 or later, or Windows 11. Check under Settings → System → About.
- The current beta installer is unsigned, so SmartScreen warns the first time. Choose More info, then Run anyway. Don't turn protection off.
- System audio picks up Zoom, Google Meet, Teams or any call app. You don't need a virtual audio cable or Stereo Mix.
- Windows itself keeps the overlay out of screen capture, and Helpwing stays off the taskbar.
- Learn three shortcuts before the call: Ctrl+B hides the overlay, Alt+A sends the question, Ctrl+H takes a screenshot.
What do you need to run Helpwing on Windows?
Helpwing needs a 64-bit PC on a recent version of Windows. The one thing to check is your Windows version, because older Windows 10 builds can't hide a window from screen capture.
| Item | What Helpwing needs | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 | Supported | Settings → System → About → Windows specifications |
| Windows 10 | Version 2004 or later | Settings → System → About → Windows specifications |
| System type | 64-bit | Settings → System → About → Device specifications |
| Call app | Any: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams or another app that plays sound | Nothing to install inside it |
| Microphone | Optional, only for the You row | Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone |
| Internet | Needed during a session | Open api.helpwing.dev/v1/health in your browser |
A quick way to reach the About page: right-click Start, choose Settings, then System, then About.
Why Windows 10 version 2004 is the minimum
Helpwing keeps its overlay out of screen shares with a Windows setting called display affinity, using the value WDA_EXCLUDEFROMCAPTURE. Microsoft's documentation says this value was introduced in Windows 10 version 2004. On earlier versions, Windows treats it like an older setting that still shows the window in a capture, just with no content inside. In a screen share, that would be an empty box where your overlay sits.
So if you're on an older Windows 10 build, update Windows before you rely on Helpwing in an interview.
How do you install Helpwing on Windows?
The whole setup takes a couple of minutes. There's a 73-second Windows setup video that shows every screen, including SmartScreen.
- Download. Go to download and choose Windows, or use the direct Windows link. You get
Helpwing-Windows.exe. Download only from helpwing.dev. - Open the installer. Windows shows "Windows protected your PC". Choose More info, then Run anyway.
- If your antivirus removed the file, restore it and allow Helpwing. Don't turn your protection off.
- Sign in with Google. If a friend gave you a referral code, enter it first. Finish signing in in the browser window that opens. If the Helpwing window covers the browser, press Ctrl+B.
- Grant access in the lobby. The lobby shows your minutes and asks once for microphone and screen access. No minutes are used yet.
- Tune Interview. Choose Continue, then add the company. Your resume, the job description and notes are optional, but they keep answers inside your own experience.
- Start session. This opens the overlay and starts the minute timer.
Is the SmartScreen warning safe to click through?
SmartScreen warns about any app from a new publisher that isn't signed yet. Helpwing's current beta installer is unsigned, so the warning is expected; it doesn't mean the download is broken. Click through it only for a file you downloaded from helpwing.dev. If you're unsure, download it again from the download page.
How does Helpwing hear the interviewer on Windows?
Helpwing listens to system audio: everything your PC plays through its speakers or headphones. That includes the Zoom app, the Teams desktop client, Google Meet in Chrome or Edge, and any other call app. You don't set up Stereo Mix, a virtual audio cable or a per-app plugin.
System audio is on by default after you sign in. While the interviewer talks, their words appear in the Interviewer row. You check the line, then send it.
| What you want | Shortcut | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Send the interviewer's question | Alt+A | The line goes into the thread and an answer streams in |
| Clear a misheard line | Alt+D | The line is dropped without being sent |
| Turn system audio on or off | Alt+Q | The Interviewer row starts or stops |
| Turn your microphone on or off | Alt+W | The You row starts or stops (off by default) |
| Send your own spoken line | Alt+E | Useful for "make that shorter" or "correct my answer" |
No interviewer text? Check these
- System audio is on in Helpwing.
- The meeting itself isn't muted, and you can hear the other person.
- For the microphone, Windows allows it under Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone.
- Give it about 20 seconds. Helpwing shows a hint if it isn't hearing any audio.
If something still fails after you change a permission, quit Helpwing with Ctrl+Q and open it again.
Is Helpwing visible on screen share on Windows?
No. Helpwing is 100% undetectable on screen share. It sets the WDA_EXCLUDEFROMCAPTURE display affinity on its overlay. Microsoft describes that value simply: the window shows on your monitor, and everywhere else it doesn't appear at all. Zoom, Google Meet and Teams capture your screen through Windows, so they share it without the overlay.
Helpwing also stays off the taskbar, so a shared screen doesn't show its icon. The Helpwing process can still be listed in Task Manager, which nobody on the call sees unless you open and share it.
Before a real interview, test it on the PC you'll use:
- Start a test meeting in the call app you'll use.
- Share your entire screen and look at the preview.
- The overlay should be on your monitor and missing from the preview.
If the overlay ever shows in a capture, quit Helpwing and open it again, and confirm your Windows 10 build is 2004 or later.
Which Helpwing shortcuts work on Windows?
These shortcuts are global: they work even while the overlay is collapsed and your call app has focus.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Collapse or expand the overlay | Ctrl+B |
| Screenshot the whole screen | Ctrl+H |
| Snip part of the screen | Ctrl+Shift+H |
| Solve queued screenshots | Ctrl+Enter |
| Send a typed question | Ctrl+K |
| New chat | Ctrl+R |
| Move the overlay | Ctrl+Arrow keys |
| Opacity down or up | Ctrl+[ and Ctrl+] |
| Zoom out, reset, zoom in | Ctrl+-, Ctrl+0, Ctrl+= |
| Quit | Ctrl+Q |
If a shortcut does nothing, another app probably owns that key combination. Remap it in Settings → Keyboard shortcuts. Your bindings are saved on that PC.
Placing the overlay on a laptop screen
On a single laptop screen, move the overlay with Ctrl+Arrow keys to sit just below your webcam. Your eyes then stay close to the camera while you read. Lower the opacity with Ctrl+[ if it covers too much of the call, and press Ctrl+B to tuck it away between questions.
Why Helpwing on Windows
- Built for Windows 10 and 11. 64-bit, version 2004 or later, so the capture exclusion works as described above.
- 100% undetectable on screen share. Windows excludes the overlay from capture, and it stays off the taskbar.
- Hears any call app. System audio covers Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and the rest. No bot joins the call, there's no browser extension, and you don't need a virtual cable.
- Answers in the right shape. Code with complexity and edge cases from a screenshot, a "Say this" line for spoken questions, STAR for behavioural ones, and points plus a diagram for system design.
- Answers from your resume. Tune Interview uses your resume, the company and the job description.
- Pay once. 15 free minutes with no card, then ₹299 for 60 minutes, ₹1,199 for 300 or ₹2,999 for 1,000, GST included, or $6, $24 and $60 outside India. Billed by the second while a session runs. No subscription. UPI, cards and netbanking in India.
Try Helpwing on your Windows PC
Helpwing runs on Windows 10 (version 2004 or later) and Windows 11, hears the interviewer through system audio, and shows a short answer in an overlay that Windows keeps out of your screen share. Download it, sign in with Google and use your 15 free minutes on a practice question before the real interview.
Questions people ask
Does Helpwing work on Windows 10?
Yes, on 64-bit Windows 10 version 2004 or later. Older builds aren't supported, because they can't exclude the overlay from screen capture. Windows 11 is supported too.
Is "Windows protected your PC" a sign of a virus?
No. SmartScreen shows that screen for new apps from publishers it doesn't recognise yet, and Helpwing's current beta installer is unsigned. If you downloaded it from helpwing.dev, choose More info, then Run anyway.
Do I need Stereo Mix or a virtual audio cable?
No. Helpwing captures system audio directly, so it hears whatever your PC plays, including the interviewer in Zoom, Meet or Teams. Nothing extra needs installing.
Can the interviewer see Helpwing when I share my screen on Teams or Zoom?
No. Helpwing is 100% undetectable on screen share: Windows leaves the overlay out of captures of your screen, so Teams, Zoom and Meet share without it. Test once with a share preview on the PC you'll use.
Does Helpwing show in the taskbar or Task Manager?
Helpwing stays off the taskbar. The process can still appear in Task Manager, which only matters if you open Task Manager and share it.
Does it work with headphones?
Yes. System audio is what your PC plays, whether that goes to speakers or headphones. That's an advantage over listening through the microphone, which can't hear sound that only reaches your ears.
How much does Helpwing cost on Windows?
The price is the same on every platform. Your first 15 minutes are free with no card. After that, packs start at ₹299 for 60 minutes in India or $6 outside India, paid once with no auto-renew. See pricing.
Sources
- SetWindowDisplayAffinity function (winuser.h), Microsoft Learn, checked 11 November 2026
- Find information about your Windows device, Microsoft Support, checked 11 November 2026
- Helpwing troubleshooting, Helpwing, checked 11 November 2026