Standard vs Stealth vs Voice Mode: Which to Use When

MentionBell offers three ways to receive answers during a live interview. They are not tiers of quality — they are different delivery methods for different situations. Picking the wrong one can mean glancing at a screen when you should not, or missing an answer because you could not read fast enough.

This guide helps you choose the right mode for each round.

Standard Mode: On-Screen Overlay

In Standard mode, answers appear as a transparent overlay on your laptop or desktop. The overlay sits on top of your interview window but is excluded from screen capture — when the interviewer shares or records, MentionBell does not appear in the feed.

How it works:

  • Start a session and the overlay appears on your screen

  • Answers populate as questions are detected

  • The window is click-through — you can type and click behind it

  • Adjust transparency to blend with your desktop

  • Hide or show the overlay with a keyboard shortcut (customizable in settings; default ⌘B / Ctrl+B)

Choose Standard when:

  • You are not required to share your entire desktop

  • The interview is behavioral, system design, or a discussion round

  • You are comfortable reading text while maintaining eye contact

  • You want the fastest setup — no phone pairing needed

Stealth Mode: Answers on Your Phone

Stealth mode moves answers off your laptop entirely. Your phone becomes a private, read-only display via a QR code at app.mentionbell.com.

Today: Open app.mentionbell.com in your phone's browser on Android or iOS — no install required.

Coming soon: Native MentionBell apps for Android and iOS are launching soon for faster Stealth pairing and full mobile sessions.

How it works:

  1. Start a session on your laptop (it handles listening and generation)

  2. Scan the QR code with your phone and sign in with the same account

  3. Tap Connect, then hide the laptop window

  4. Answers stream to your phone only — the interview machine shows nothing

Your phone never records audio and never sends data to the interview. It only displays what your laptop generates.

Choose Stealth when:

  • The interviewer asks you to share your entire screen

  • You want zero visual trace on the interview laptop

  • You are on a company-issued machine with strict monitoring

  • You prefer reading answers on a second device at a natural downward glance

Voice Mode: Listen Instead of Read

Voice mode uses text-to-speech to read answers aloud. Instead of looking at a screen, you hear the answer in your earpiece — often a single earbud in one ear while the other stays open for ambient sound.

How it works:

  • Enable Voice mode in session settings

  • When an answer is generated, MentionBell reads it through your audio output

  • You hear the key points while keeping your eyes on the camera

  • Works alongside Standard or Stealth — Voice is the delivery method, not a separate display

Choose Voice when:

  • Glancing at any screen would break eye contact noticeably

  • You process spoken information faster than written text under pressure

  • You are in a panel interview with multiple people watching your face

  • You want to combine with Stealth so your phone shows nothing either

Decision Matrix

  • Behavioral round, no screen share → Standard

  • System design, shared doc only → Standard

  • Full desktop screen share required → Stealth

  • Coding round with problem on screen → Standard + screenshot shortcut

  • Panel interview, high eye-contact scrutiny → Voice (with Stealth if screen share required)

  • Phone screen interview → Voice

  • Company-issued locked-down laptop → Stealth + Voice

  • Quick practice mock → Standard

Can You Switch Mid-Session?

Yes. You can toggle between Standard and Stealth without restarting the session. If you start in Standard and the interviewer suddenly asks for a full desktop share, switch to Stealth, scan the QR code, and hide the laptop window. Voice mode can be turned on or off at any point.

What All Three Modes Share

Regardless of which mode you pick, every session includes:

  • CV-grounded answers from your uploaded resume

  • Partial-speech detection (answers start before the question ends)

  • Custom instructions applied to every response

  • Screenshot support for coding problems

  • Full transcript saved to your account

Mode choice affects delivery only — not answer quality, speed, or grounding.

Recap

  • Standard — fastest setup, on-screen overlay, best when screen share is limited

  • Stealth — answers on phone via QR, best when full desktop share is required

  • Voice — text-to-speech in your ear, best when eye contact matters most

  • You can combine Stealth + Voice for maximum discretion

  • All modes use the same CV-grounded engine and unlimited session allowance

Try MentionBell — unlimited sessions on every plan. Download · See pricing

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