# Screen annotation for Mac: Point at it. Draw on it. Zoom into it.

> Screen annotation for Mac: draw on your screen, highlight the cursor with click ripples, spotlight the pointer and zoom into details. Works in Zoom, Meet and Keynote.

On a call or in a recording, "it's the button on the left, no, your left" wastes everyone's time. Showing beats describing.

ctrlhq's screen annotation tool draws straight on top of whatever is on screen: slides, PDFs, code, a video. Spotlight dims everything except where you point, the zoom lens magnifies small text under your pointer, and a cursor highlight with click ripples shows your audience exactly where you are.

It's built to cost nothing when idle. There are no timers and no background processing while the tools are off, and the zoom lens only streams the screen while it's on.

## What you get

- **Draw on your screen, over anything.** Pen, highlighter, arrow, line, rectangle, circle and text, in five colours, over any app. Hold ⇧ to keep lines straight and shapes square. ⌘Z undoes, C clears.
- **Drawings that erase themselves.** Turn on auto-fade and strokes melt away after a few seconds, so a demo keeps moving without you stopping to clean up.
- **Whiteboard.** Swap the screen for a white or dark board to sketch a diagram or explain an idea from scratch.
- **Spotlight the pointer.** Dim everything except a soft circle around your pointer, like a theatre light. Size and dimming are adjustable.
- **Zoom into the screen.** A live magnifier follows your pointer so viewers can read fine print and small UI. ⌃⌥ + and − change the magnification as you go.
- **Highlight the cursor, with click ripples.** A ring around the pointer that squeezes on press. Left clicks ripple in the halo colour, right clicks in blue, so every click is easy to follow.
- **Annotate in Zoom, Meet and Keynote.** Your drawings show up when you share a whole screen in Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Keynote, PowerPoint or OBS, and in ctrlhq's own screen recordings.
- **A shortcut for every tool.** Each one is a global shortcut you can rebind, so a Stream Deck key can fire it. Also in the power tool: type draw, spotlight or zoom.

## How it works

1. Press ⌃⌥A (or type draw in the power tool) and draw on your screen.
2. Pick a tool with P, A, R, O, L, T or H, and a colour with 1 to 5.
3. Press Esc when you're done. Your drawings clear and your app comes back.
4. Try ⌃⌥S for the spotlight, ⌃⌥Z for the zoom lens and ⌃⌥H to highlight the cursor.

Shortcut: ⌃⌥A

## Other screen annotation apps for Mac

| App | What it is | Price | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ctrlhq | Notch app | $24.99 once | Draw, whiteboard, spotlight, zoom and cursor highlight with click ripples, inside a notch app that also records your screen and takes meeting notes. |
| [Presentify](https://presentifyapp.com) | Screen annotation app | $14 once, or with Setapp | Just annotation, with more styling: cursor shapes, gradient ink and a tiny 1 MB download. [ctrlhq vs Presentify](https://ctrlhq.app/compare/presentify) |
| [ZoomIt for Mac](https://github.com/microsoft/Zoomit-Mac) | Zoom and annotation utility | Free, open source | Microsoft's Mac version of the Windows classic: static and live zoom, drawing, a break timer and recording. |
| [Mouseposé](https://boinx.com/mousepose/) | Cursor highlighter | Yearly plan, free trial | Spotlighting the pointer, click highlights and showing your keystrokes on screen. |

Prices from each maker's website, checked October 2026.

## FAQ

### How do I draw on my screen on a Mac?

Press ⌃⌥A, or type draw in ctrlhq's power tool, and draw over any app with the pen, arrows, shapes or text. Press Esc to finish. macOS has no built-in way to draw over the whole screen, which is what a screen annotation app is for.

### Does it need any special permission?

Drawing, spotlight and the cursor highlight need none. The zoom lens reads the screen, so it uses the same Screen Recording permission ctrlhq already asks for to record.

### Will my audience see it in Zoom, Meet or Teams?

Yes, when you share an entire screen. Like any overlay app, it can't be drawn into a share of a single window.

### Is it heavy on my Mac?

No. Drawing and the halo only move small layers when you do something, and nothing runs while they're off. The zoom lens is the only one that streams the screen, and only while it's on.

### Does it show up in ctrlhq recordings?

Yes. Drawings, the spotlight, the cursor highlight and the zoom lens are included when you record a whole screen.

### How is it different from Presentify or ZoomIt?

Presentify and ZoomIt for Mac are good standalone screen annotation apps. ctrlhq does the core of the job (drawing, whiteboard, spotlight, zoom and cursor highlight) inside an app that also records your screen, takes meeting notes and runs your tasks, for one price.

### Can I change the shortcuts?

Yes. Every one is rebindable in Settings, in Draw & Present.

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Part of ctrlhq, the productivity app in your Mac's notch: $24.99 once (launch price, regular $29), no subscription. Native, about 16 MB. Download: https://ctrlhq.app/download · All features: https://ctrlhq.app/features