Frequently Asked
Questions

Cockroach AI is a desktop application that provides real-time AI-powered assistance during job interviews. It sits as an always-on-top overlay on your screen, listens to the conversation, captures screenshots of questions, and gives you instant answers — all while remaining undetectable during screen sharing.

Cockroach AI supports macOS (both Apple Silicon M1/M2/M3 and Intel) and Windows (x64). The website automatically detects your OS and shows the correct download. Linux support is planned for a future release.

1. Download the app from the homepage (it detects your OS automatically).
2. Install the .dmg (Mac) or .exe (Windows).
3. Create an account or sign in.
4. Purchase a plan via PhonePe — activation is instant.
5. Fill in your profile (resume, target role, JD) on the Welcome screen.
6. Click Start Assistant and the overlay appears on screen.

License validation requires an internet connection on first launch. The AI answer engine (Ollama) runs locally on your machine, so once validated, the core features work offline. Screen capture analysis requires the local model to be running.

We have 4 plans, all including every feature:

• Daily — ₹100 (1 day)
• Monthly — ₹500 (30 days)
• Quarterly — ₹1,000 (90 days)
• Yearly — ₹5,000 (365 days)

There are no hidden fees, no auto-renewals, and no hourly limits within your plan period.

No. All plans are one-time purchases. You will not be charged automatically when your plan expires. You simply purchase a new plan when you need access again.

If you have a specific interview coming up, start with the Daily plan (₹100). It gives you full access for one day with no commitment. If you have multiple interviews spread over a month, the Monthly plan (₹500) offers the best value — roughly ₹16/day.

Currently, plan upgrades work by purchasing a new plan. The new plan's duration starts from the day of purchase. Contact us at help@cockroach-ai.com if you need help stacking plans.

Yes. The overlay uses Electron's alwaysOnTop and transparent window properties combined with a screen-share safe mode that hides the window when a screen capture event is detected. During Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or any other screen share, the overlay is not visible to the interviewer.

Click the 📷 camera button. The overlay hides itself, takes a full-screen screenshot using macOS's built-in screencapture (or Windows equivalent), crops out the overlay region, extracts text using Apple Vision OCR (or Windows OCR), detects the question type (coding, MCQ, system design, etc.), and sends it to the local AI model for an answer. The whole process takes 3–8 seconds.

Cockroach AI handles:

• Coding: DSA, LeetCode, HackerRank problems — gives solution + explanation + time complexity
• System Design: Architecture, scaling, trade-offs
• MCQ: Picks the correct answer and explains why
• Behavioural: STAR-format answers using your resume context
• Technical Q&A: DevOps, Cloud, Kubernetes, Terraform, etc.

On the Welcome screen, you can upload your resume PDF, enter your target role, experience, job description, and key notes. The AI uses this information to personalise every answer — so instead of generic responses, you get answers that reference your actual projects, skills, and background.

When you close the app, a popup asks if you want to download a ZIP of the current session. The ZIP contains all screenshots taken, all Q&A pairs from the mic session, and your profile data. It's a great way to review what was asked and how it was answered after the interview.

Cockroach AI uses Ollama with a locally-running language model. This means the AI runs entirely on your device — your questions and answers never leave your machine. No data is sent to OpenAI, Anthropic, or any external AI provider.

Mac: macOS 12 Monterey or later, Apple Silicon (M1+) or Intel Core i5+, 8GB RAM minimum (16GB recommended for best AI performance).

Windows: Windows 10/11 x64, Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5+, 8GB RAM minimum.

1. On Mac: Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording and make sure Cockroach AI is enabled.
2. Restart the app after granting permissions.
3. Make sure the question is visible on screen before clicking 📷.
If the issue persists, email help@cockroach-ai.com with your macOS version.

1. On Mac: Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and enable Cockroach AI.
2. On Windows: Go to Settings → Privacy → Microphone and allow desktop apps.
3. Make sure the 🟢 ON button is active (green) in the overlay.
4. Restart the app and try again.

Use the global keyboard shortcut:
• Mac: ⌘ + Shift + H
• Windows: Ctrl + Shift + H
This toggles the overlay visibility instantly without closing the app or stopping any active session.

Payments are processed via PhonePe and support: UPI (GPay, PhonePe, Paytm, etc.), all major debit and credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, RuPay), Net Banking (all major Indian banks), and Bank Transfer / NEFT / RTGS.

All purchases are final and non-refundable. We recommend starting with the ₹100 Daily plan to try the product before committing to a longer plan. See our full Refund Policy for details.

In the app: go to ⚙️ Settings → Profile. It shows your subscription plan and expiry date. On the website: click your profile icon in the top-right navigation — the dropdown shows your plan and expiry.

1. Restart the app — it re-validates your license on launch.
2. Make sure you're logged in with the same email used for purchase.
3. If still not resolved after 15 minutes, email help@cockroach-ai.com with your PhonePe payment ID (from the payment confirmation email).

Email us at help@cockroach-ai.com with the subject "Delete Account" and your registered email address. We will delete all your data within 30 days.