Limelight
What is Hotkey Display?
A hotkey display is an on-screen indicator that shows the hotkeys you press, revealing the key combinations that trigger actions during a demo or recording.
A hotkey display is a visual element that shows the hotkeys, or shortcut key combinations, you press while working. A hotkey is a key or combination that triggers an action immediately, and a hotkey display puts those combinations on screen so an audience can see what you pressed and why something happened.
A hotkey display is not a settings panel for assigning hotkeys, nor a full keystroke log; it is a live, viewer-facing readout. It typically concentrates on combinations such as ⌃⌥3 or ⌘V rather than ordinary text, so the display stays clear and the audience can connect each press to its result.
In screen presenting, a hotkey display turns instant, keyboard-triggered actions into something an audience can follow. Limelight offers a hotkey display on macOS as part of its menu-bar features: press ⌃⌥2 to show the shortcut and special-key combinations you press as readable badges, while regular typing is left off to keep recordings clean.
Why Limelight
- ▸Shows the hotkey combinations you press on screen in real time
- ▸Helps viewers connect each key combination to the action it triggers
- ▸Focuses on shortcut combinations rather than ordinary characters
- ▸Limelight's hotkey display is toggled with the global hotkey ⌃⌥2
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FAQ
- What counts as a hotkey?
- A hotkey is a key or combination that triggers an action right away, like ⌘S to save. A hotkey display shows these on screen as you press them.
- Can I show hotkeys without recording them?
- Yes. Limelight only displays hotkeys visually as an overlay; nothing is recorded or uploaded.