Limelight
What is a Screen Overlay?
A screen overlay is a transparent layer rendered above all open apps so graphics or annotations can appear without changing the windows beneath.
A screen overlay is a see-through layer that sits in front of every window on a display. Anything drawn on it, such as highlights, shapes, text, or pointers, appears to float over your apps while the apps themselves stay untouched. Because the overlay is non-destructive, dismissing it returns the screen to exactly how it was.
A screen overlay differs from a window, which has its own bounded content, and from a screenshot annotation that paints onto a captured still image. An overlay is live and continuous: it follows the real screen as it changes underneath, rather than freezing a moment.
In presenting, streaming, and recording, screen overlays add emphasis and explanation that a viewer can follow in real time. Limelight is exactly this kind of tool on macOS: a menu-bar app that paints a cursor spotlight (⌃⌥1), keystroke display (⌃⌥2), freehand drawing (⌃⌥3), region spotlight (⌃⌥4), and on-screen text (⌃⌥5) over your live screen. It records nothing, edits nothing, and clears instantly when you are done.
Why Limelight
- ▸Renders above all windows without modifying the apps beneath
- ▸Non-destructive: dismissing it leaves the screen unchanged
- ▸Used for live highlights, pointers, and annotations during demos
- ▸Distinct from screenshot markup, which paints onto a static image
Cursor spotlight free · from $2.99/mo or $34 lifetime · macOS 14+
Or get Pro — from $2.99/mo · See how it works →
free to start, then go Pro from $2.99/mo or a $34 one-time lifetime license. macOS 14+, notarized by Apple.
FAQ
- Does a screen overlay appear in recordings and shares?
- If the overlay is drawn at the display level, screen-capture and conferencing tools generally include it, since they capture the composited screen.
- Is Limelight a screen overlay?
- Yes. Limelight is a macOS menu-bar screen overlay for cursor spotlights, keystroke display, drawing, region spotlight, and on-screen text. It does not record.