In short
- The macOS Screenshot toolbar has no drawing tools during a recording; the closest built-in help is Show Mouse Clicks and a bigger pointer.
- Markup works on images and PDFs, not on videos, so you can't draw on a recording afterwards with it.
- To draw live you need an app that puts a drawing layer over the screen, either a separate annotation tool or a recorder with drawing built in.
- Draw one mark, say what it means, then clear it before you move on.
macOS doesn’t let you draw on the screen while recording. The Screenshot toolbar and QuickTime Player record what’s on screen, but neither has a pen or highlighter. To draw on screen while recording on a Mac, you need an app that adds a drawing layer on top of everything else, either a separate annotation tool or a screen recorder with drawing built in.
Before you install anything, know what the built-in tools can do: for some videos they’re enough. For the basics of recording itself, see our guide on how to screen record on Mac.
Why draw on screen at all
Pointing with the cursor works until it doesn’t. In a client video, the things you most need to show are often small:
- a 4-pixel gap between two cards in a design review;
- the one line in a quote that changed since the last version;
- the checkout button that breaks on Safari, in a corner of the page.
Circling it while you say “this one” removes all doubt. Your client doesn’t have to work out which of three buttons you meant, and you don’t have to describe its position in words. Our guides on giving design feedback by video and getting clients to report bugs by video show where this matters most.
What macOS can do
Make clicks visible
In the Screenshot toolbar (⌘⇧5), turn on . Apple describes it as drawing a black circle around the pointer when you click. It’s not drawing, but it tells the viewer exactly when and where you clicked.
Make the pointer bigger
Go to and look for the Pointer section. You can change the pointer size with a slider, pick an outline and fill color, and turn on Shake mouse pointer to locate, which enlarges the pointer for a moment when you move it quickly. A larger pointer with a bright outline is much easier to follow in a video. Do a short test recording to check how it looks.
Draw on a still image instead
Markup lets you write, sign and draw on images and PDF documents. It doesn’t work on videos. A workaround for a single detail: take a screenshot with ⌘⇧4, mark it up, and open it while you record. It works, but it breaks the flow of a walkthrough and it’s slow if you need to point at several things.
Third-party options
There are two kinds of tools that let you draw live:
| Screen annotation app | Recorder with built-in drawing | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | A transparent layer over your screen: press a shortcut, draw, return to normal use | The pen is part of the recording controls |
| Works with any recorder, including ⌘⇧5 | ✓ | ✗ tied to that recorder |
| Apps to start and learn | ~ two: the recorder and the annotation app | ✓ one |
Whichever you choose, check three things before a real client video: how you switch between drawing and clicking, how you clear the drawing, and whether the drawing shows up in the recording (try a 10-second test).
How to draw well in a video
A drawing helps when it’s quick and deliberate. A screen full of scribbles is worse than none. The rhythm that works is draw, explain, clear.
- Stop moving first. Pause scrolling and let the screen settle, so the mark stays on the thing you mean.
- Draw one simple mark. A circle, an underline or an arrow. Not words: handwriting with a mouse or trackpad is hard to read.
- Say what it is. “This gap here should match the one above.” The drawing shows where, your voice explains why.
- Clear it. Remove the mark before you move on, so the next point starts on a clean screen.
A few more habits help:
- Don’t cover what you’re talking about. Circle around a number, don’t draw on top of it.
- Use one color. Pick something that stands out against the design, and keep it for the whole video.
- Combine with zoom when text is small. If the detail is tiny, zooming in does more than any circle. We look at when zoom helps in auto zoom: when zooming helps your viewer.
- Keep it short. If you’re drawing a lot, the video is probably covering too much. Split it into two.
Before you record with drawing
- You know the shortcut to start and stop drawing.
- You know how to clear the drawing.
- A 10-second test shows the drawing in the recording.
- The pen color stands out against the screen you’ll show.
If you also want your face in the corner while you point at things, recording your screen and camera at the same time covers the camera side. For a quick, consistent setup for your whole team, see JustRec for agencies.
Sources
- Apple Support: How to record the screen on Mac, checked November 2026.
- Apple Support: Take screenshots or screen recordings on Mac, checked November 2026.
- Apple Support: Make the pointer easier to see on Mac, checked November 2026.
- Apple Support: Mark up files on Mac, checked November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Can you draw on the screen while recording on a Mac?
Not with the built-in Screenshot toolbar or QuickTime Player: neither has drawing tools. You need a third-party app that draws over the screen, or a screen recorder with a drawing tool built in.
Can I annotate a screen recording afterwards on Mac?
Markup only works on images and PDFs. To add arrows or shapes to a video after recording you need a video editor that supports overlays, which takes much longer than drawing live.
How do I highlight my cursor in a Mac screen recording?
Turn on Show Mouse Clicks in the Screenshot toolbar's Options, which draws a circle around the pointer when you click. You can also enlarge the pointer or change its colors in System Settings › Accessibility › Display.
Is it better to draw or to zoom in?
Draw when you need to point at one specific detail, like a misaligned button. Zoom when the whole area is too small to read. Many good walkthroughs use a bit of both.
