Screen annotation for teachers on Mac
Write on the slide instead of describing where to look. Here's how to annotate anything on your Mac's screen in class, on a call or in a recorded lesson.
JellyDraw lets you write, circle and highlight over anything on your Mac: slides, PDFs, websites, videos paused on a frame. The free version includes the pen, highlighter, eraser and a whiteboard mode for working problems out, with no time limit.
Ways to use it in class
- Label a diagram. Open a worksheet PDF in Preview and write the labels in as the class answers.
- Annotate slides. Underline the key term, circle the trend on a chart, cross out the wrong answer.
- Read a website together. Highlight the sentences that answer the question without changing the page.
- Work a problem. Switch to whiteboard mode and write out the math or sketch the idea on a blank canvas.
- Jump between sources. Your notes on the slides stay on the slides and your notes on the article stay on the article, because each drawing sticks to its own window.
Getting set up
- Download JellyDraw from jellydraw.app and allow Accessibility access when asked. On a school-managed Mac, you may need IT to approve that permission.
- Connect your display. On a projector, TV or interactive display, whatever you draw shows up like anything else on that screen.
- Press ⌃⌥⌘Space to bring JellyDraw up over the app you're teaching from, then draw.
- Teaching online? Share your entire screen in Zoom, Meet or Teams so students see your drawings. How to draw during video calls.
- Recording a lesson? Record the whole screen or a selected area and your drawings are in the video. How to draw in screen recordings.
Is the free version enough for teachers?
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.
For writing, circling and highlighting, yes. Pro is useful if you want typed labels, neat shapes and arrows, or to export an annotated slide as a file to share with students afterward.
Before you rely on it
JellyDraw needs a Mac with Apple Silicon (M1 or later) on macOS 26.2 Tahoe or later. Older school Macs won't run it, so try the free version on your classroom Mac first. Nothing you draw leaves your Mac: no accounts, no analytics, and drawings aren't saved unless you export them.
Try it in your next lesson
Free with no time limit, including whiteboard mode. No account, no student data.
Free download from jellydraw.app · Notarized by Apple · macOS 26.2 or later on Apple Silicon
Questions
What's the best way to write on my screen while teaching on a Mac?
Use a screen drawing app that floats over every app, like JellyDraw. You can write over slides, PDFs and websites, and use whiteboard mode for a blank page.
Is whiteboard mode free?
Yes. Whiteboard mode is part of JellyDraw's free version, along with the pen, highlighter, eraser and window anchoring.
Will students see my drawings in Zoom or Google Meet?
Yes, as long as you share your entire screen rather than one window or tab.
Does JellyDraw collect student or classroom data?
No. It has no accounts, analytics or tracking, never records the screen, and doesn't save drawings unless you export them.
Does it work on older school Macs?
Only if they have Apple Silicon (M1 or later) and run macOS 26.2 or later. Intel Macs aren't supported.