Limelight
Show keyboard shortcuts while teaching on a Mac
When you teach a shortcut, students see the result but not the keys you pressed. Limelight shows your shortcut keystrokes as on-screen badges so learners can follow along.
You press ⌘⇧4 or ⌥⌘V and something happens, but the class only sees the outcome. They have to stop you and ask which keys you used, which breaks the flow of the lesson.
Limelight is a macOS menu-bar overlay. Press ⌃⌥2 to turn on the keystroke display, and each shortcut you press appears as a clean badge on screen. It shows shortcut combinations, not your normal typing, so passwords and prose stay private. Because it draws on top of everything, the badges show over your editor, design tool, slides, or browser, and in any recorder or meeting app.
Turn it on at the start of a how-to segment so every shortcut is visible. It pairs naturally with the cursor spotlight (⌃⌥1) when you also want students to track where you are clicking.
Why Limelight
- ▸Keystroke display toggles with ⌃⌥2
- ▸Shows shortcut keys as badges — normal typing stays hidden
- ▸Overlays any app and any recorder or meeting tool
- ▸free to start, then one-time purchase for macOS 14+
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 it show everything I type?
- No. Limelight displays shortcut key combinations only, not ordinary typing, so your regular text stays private.
- Can I use it while recording a tutorial?
- Yes. The badges appear on screen, so any recorder, like QuickTime, OBS, or Screen Studio, captures them.