Press the Panic shortcut
The window hides immediately. The app stops an answer that is still streaming, collects the current transcript and interface state, and saves a local snapshot.
Native desktop quick exit
Exit Quickly. Return to Your Interview Session.
Panic Mode is the desktop app’s fast exit. A shortcut hides the window, saves your current interview view, stops audio capture, and exits the main ApplicantAlly process. Use the shortcut again to reopen the app and restore the saved state.
It is for a different moment than Stealth Mode, which keeps the app running and its answers visible to you.
The exit and return sequence
A saved handoff, then a fresh start.
The desktop app exits
Audio capture stops and the main application closes its connections, including Remote Control. A small helper remains to recognize the next shortcut.
Press the shortcut again
The helper reopens ApplicantAlly. The app loads the saved view and interview state, then tries to restart audio if it was active before the exit.
What comes back
The saved interview view and context.
ApplicantAlly saves the route you were on, panel layout, interview session context, transcript, and answer pages. When it reopens and you are signed in, it restores these pieces so you can see where you left off. If audio had been running, the app attempts to start capture again.
The snapshot is stored locally by the desktop app. Restoration can fail if the saved state is unavailable or the app cannot complete setup; the app shows a warning when that happens.
What cannot come back
The minutes while the app was closed.
Panic Mode is an exit, not a recording pause that keeps listening in the background. It cannot fill the audio gap after you return. An answer that was still generating when you pressed the shortcut is interrupted rather than silently continuing from the next word.
“Return to the same point” refers to the saved view and conversation state. It does not promise an uninterrupted transcript, a completed answer, or a live audio connection throughout the break.
A visible boundary
The main process exits. The helper does not.
After a successful Panic action, the ApplicantAlly application process and its active audio and network sessions are gone. A smaller helper process remains in the operating system so it can respond to the restart hotkey. The shortcut does not hide every related process, and it has no control over the meeting app, browser, or other software on your computer.
If you need the assistant available during the call, use Stealth Mode instead. If you use a phone to control the desktop app, its Remote Control connection also closes when the app exits.
Test before relying on it
Try the full shortcut sequence on your installed build.
Start a test session, request an answer, then trigger Panic Mode with your configured global shortcut. Check that the main app closes. Trigger the shortcut again and confirm the saved view, transcript, and audio status. Hotkey registration and helper availability depend on the installed build and operating system, so test this before the interview rather than for the first time during it.
FAQ
Panic Mode questions.
Does Panic Mode remove ApplicantAlly from the process list?
The main ApplicantAlly desktop application exits, so its process and its active capture and network connections end. A small helper remains running to listen for the restart hotkey. Panic Mode does not remove every related process or stop activity from your meeting app and other software.
Will I return to the exact same point?
The app restores its saved route, layout, interview context, transcript, and answer pages. If audio was running before Panic Mode, it attempts to start again after authentication. It cannot recover audio from the time the app was closed, and any answer still generating at exit is marked interrupted.
Can Remote Control keep the interview session running during Panic Mode?
No. Remote Control belongs to the native desktop app. The desktop app closes its remote connection when Panic Mode exits. The helper hotkey is the path for relaunching the app.
What if the shortcut or restore does not work on my computer?
The shortcut depends on a working helper in the installed build, and restoring audio still depends on authentication and capture permissions. Try the full exit-and-return sequence before relying on it during an interview. The app shows a warning if it cannot restore the saved session.
Set up the desktop app before you need a quick exit.
Test the shortcut, check the return path, and use ApplicantAlly only where interview rules permit assistance.