Whether a compressor will kick on when there is no refrigerant depends heavily on whether your heat pump or air conditioner is equipped with built-in safety controls like low-pressure switches. In modern, properly maintained systems, a low-pressure cutoff switch is designed to sense severe refrigerant depletion and open the electrical control circuit, preventing the compressor from starting to avoid catastrophic overheating and burnout. However, in older or basic systems lacking a low-pressure switch, the compressor motor may continue to kick on and run even with zero refrigerant. Running a compressor completely devoid of refrigerant is extremely destructive because it loses the cooling and lubrication provided by the gas-oil mixture. You can verify compressor status by listening for a humming sound and checking pressure readings.
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