How to draw and highlight in screen recordings on Mac
Adding arrows in an editor takes longer than the recording. Draw while you record instead. Here's how on a Mac, and the recorder setting that makes it work.
Run JellyDraw and record your screen with ⇧⌘5 (or Loom, OBS, or any recorder set to record the screen). Draw while you record and the drawings are in the video, so there's nothing to add in editing.
Step by step with the built-in recorder
- Open JellyDraw. Make sure it's running, then set up the windows you'll show.
- Start a recording. Press ⇧⌘5 and choose Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion, then click Record. (QuickTime Player's File › New Screen Recording opens the same controls.)
- Draw as you talk. Press ⌃⌥⌘Space and circle, underline or highlight things as you explain them. Everything visible on screen is recorded, drawings included.
- Keep moving. Drag or switch windows as you go. Each drawing stays with the window it's on, so the viewer never sees a circle floating over the wrong thing.
- Stop and trim. Click the stop button in the menu bar. The recording saves to your desktop by default, ready to trim in QuickTime.
Using Loom, OBS or another recorder
Choose the option that records your screen or a screen area, not a single window or browser tab. Single-window capture records just that app, so drawings made in JellyDraw usually won't appear. For OBS, see the OBS setup.
Tips for clearer recordings
- Pause before you draw. Give viewers a second to find the spot, then circle it.
- Highlight text, circle numbers. The highlighter keeps text readable. The pen is better for pointing.
- Erase as you go. Old marks on a scrolled page point at the wrong thing, since drawings follow the window, not the page inside it.
- Record a selected portion for tighter tutorials. Keep the windows you'll use inside that area.
- Use whiteboard mode for a quick diagram between screens.
Free or Pro for recordings?
Pen, highlighter, eraser, whiteboard mode and window anchoring.
Adds shapes, lines, text, export and accent colors. One-time purchase through Lemon Squeezy, no subscription. One license covers up to 5 of your Macs, with a 14-day refund.
Pro's export is handy for saving an annotated still for a thumbnail or a help article.
Record tutorials that point at the right thing
Free download. Draw while you record and skip the editing.
Free download from jellydraw.app · Notarized by Apple · macOS 26.2 or later on Apple Silicon
Questions
How do I highlight things in a screen recording on Mac?
Run a screen drawing app such as JellyDraw while you record with ⇧⌘5. Use the highlighter or pen while recording and the marks are captured in the video.
Why aren't my drawings in my recording?
Your recorder is probably set to capture a single window or tab. Record the entire screen or a selected portion instead.
Can I add annotations after recording?
Not with JellyDraw. It draws live on screen. Draw while you record, or use a video editor afterward.
Is there a watermark on recordings made with the free version?
No. JellyDraw doesn't record anything itself, and the free version has no time limit.