How to highlight your mouse pointer on Windows 11 and 10
Quick answer
Windows 11 can circle your pointer when you press Ctrl, or make it bigger under Settings › Accessibility › Mouse pointer and touch, but neither keeps a highlight on screen. For an always-on halo that flashes on every click, use a free overlay: SHARA’s halo is free forever, or PowerToys’ Mouse Highlighter.
Below, every way to highlight the mouse pointer on Windows is compared, with the exact steps for each, then the free halo for calls, lessons and recordings. Windows, PowerToys and Epic Pen facts were checked on November 1, 2026.
Every way to highlight the mouse pointer on Windows, compared
| Option | What it highlights | Stays on screen? | Marks clicks? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ctrl locator (built in) | Circles the pointer when you press Ctrl | No, only on the key press | No |
| Pointer size and style (built in) | A bigger pointer, in the style you pick | Yes, it is the pointer itself | No |
| Pointer indicator (Insider Beta only) | Helps low-vision users locate the cursor; toggled with Win+Ctrl+Shift+X | Toggle on and off | Not described |
| PowerToys Find My Mouse | A spotlight on the pointer | No, until you click or press a key | No |
| PowerToys Mouse Highlighter | Spotlight, Circle highlight or Ripple at the pointer | Spotlight and Circle: yes. Ripple: on clicks | Yes, two colours |
| Epic Pen | Lists a highlighted cursor among its features | Check its pricing table | Not described |
| SHARA (free halo) | A halo around the pointer: 3 shapes, 5 sizes, any colour | Yes, from first launch | Yes, it flashes on every click |
The short version: the built-in settings help you find or enlarge the pointer, but none of them marks clicks for an audience. For that you need a small overlay, and two free ones are covered below.
How to find your pointer with the Ctrl key
Best when you only lose the pointer now and then. It is a locator you trigger, not a highlight that stays on.
- Best for
- Finding a pointer lost on a big or multi-monitor screen
- Limit
- Shows only when you press Ctrl; no click marks
- Cost
- Built into Windows
- Open Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Mouse and select Additional mouse settings. On Windows 10 it is Settings › Devices › Mouse.
- Open the Pointer Options tab.
- Under Visibility, tick Show location of pointer when I press the CTRL key, then select OK.
- Press Ctrl. Windows circles the pointer so you can see where it is.
Under the same Visibility heading you can also tick Display pointer trails and drag the slider toward Short or Long. Steps are on Microsoft’s Change mouse settings page.
How to make the mouse pointer bigger or change its style
A larger pointer is the simplest permanent highlight, and it works in every app.
- Best for
- Everyday visibility, no extra software
- Limit
- Always on, so it can’t switch off for a recording; no click marks
- Cost
- Built into Windows 11
- Open Settings › Accessibility › Mouse pointer and touch. On Windows 10 it is Settings › Ease of Access › Mouse pointer.
- Under Mouse pointer style, choose the style you want.
- Drag the Size slider until the pointer is easy to see from your seat, or from the back of the room.
New in Windows Insider builds: the Beta build 26220.9568 (September 25, 2026) adds a Pointer indicator setting on that same page, for people with low vision, which you switch on and off with Win+Ctrl+Shift+X. Microsoft notes that features in Insider builds might never be released, so it isn’t in the settings most PCs have today (release notes).
How to highlight the mouse and clicks with PowerToys
Microsoft PowerToys is a free, open-source set of utilities for Windows 10 and 11, and its Mouse utilities include both a pointer finder and a click highlighter.
- Best for
- A free pointer finder and click highlighter from Microsoft
- Includes
- Find My Mouse, Mouse Highlighter, Mouse Pointer Crosshairs
- Limit
- Click and pointer effects only: no pen, laser or zoom
- Cost
- Free, open source
- Install PowerToys from the Microsoft Learn page and open it.
- In the left list, choose Mouse utilities.
- Turn on Mouse Highlighter. Press Win+Shift+H to switch it on and off; you can change that shortcut.
- Pick a Highlight mode: Spotlight, Circle highlight or Ripple. Ripple is the default in a new settings profile.
- Set the Primary button highlight color and Secondary button highlight color. Spotlight and Circle highlight also use the Always highlight color for a highlight that stays on the pointer.
- To find a lost pointer, turn on Find My Mouse and pick an Activation method: press Left Ctrl twice, press Right Ctrl twice, shake the mouse or a custom shortcut. Click or press any key to dismiss the spotlight.
PowerToys also has Mouse Pointer Crosshairs, which draws horizontal and vertical lines through the pointer, with a color, opacity and thickness you set. It is all on Microsoft’s Mouse utilities page.
How to highlight your mouse pointer with a free halo (SHARA)
One halo around the pointer that stays on over slides, a browser, an editor and a call, and marks every click.
- Best for
- Lessons, demos, calls and recordings
- Free forever
- Halo in 3 shapes, 5 sizes and any colour; click flash; Pen, Laser, Arrow, Text
- Limits
- Windows only; glow, borders, click ripple and separate left/right click colours need the 14-day trial or the upgrade
- Install SHARA free from the Microsoft Store. There is no account.
- Look at your pointer. The halo is on from the first launch and follows it over every window.
- Click anything. The halo flashes on every click, in white by default.
- Open SHARA’s settings to pick the halo shape (Squircle, Circle or Rhombus), one of five sizes, from S to XXL, and the colour. The default is bright green.
- Press Ctrl+Win+H to hide the halo, and again to bring it back.
- In Teams, Zoom or Meet, share your entire screen, not one window: a window share captures only that window. The screen share test shows what viewers get.
The cursor highlighter page has the full list of controls, and the same setup for lessons is in SHARA for teachers.
Epic Pen and other overlays
- Best for
- A pen over any app, if its pricing covers the cursor highlight you want
- Free (Basic)
- Pen, highlighter, eraser, screenshot tool, 16 colours
- Check first
- Its page lists a highlighted cursor but also names it among Pro features
Epic Pen is mainly a screen pen, and it runs on Windows 10 and 11 per its page. The page lists a highlighted cursor in its features, yet its FAQ says Pro adds the highlighted cursor, so confirm which plan includes it before you rely on it. Our Epic Pen alternative page compares the two in full.
How to choose
- You only lose the pointer sometimes: the Ctrl locator or Find My Mouse.
- You want it bigger all the time: the pointer size and style settings.
- You need clicks marked for a class, call or recording: PowerToys Mouse Highlighter or SHARA’s halo.
- You also draw, point with a laser or zoom while you present: an app that does it all in one, such as SHARA.
When SHARA isn’t the right fit
If all you need is a coloured circle or ripple on clicks, PowerToys does that for free. SHARA is Windows only, its halo glow, borders and click ripple are part of the trial and the upgrade, and the Spotlight that dims the screen around the pointer is too. A longer list of tools with real cons is in the Windows annotation tools roundup on Creator Kit.
Highlighting the mouse pointer: FAQ
How do I highlight the mouse pointer in Windows 11?
Tick Show location of pointer when I press the CTRL key in Mouse Properties, or enlarge the pointer under Settings › Accessibility › Mouse pointer and touch. For a highlight that stays on, use PowerToys’ Mouse Highlighter or SHARA’s free halo.
Can Windows highlight mouse clicks?
The built-in pointer settings above don’t mark clicks. PowerToys’ Mouse Highlighter (Win+Shift+H) shows a visual indicator when you click, and SHARA’s halo flashes on every click.
How do I highlight the cursor in Windows 10?
Use Settings › Ease of Access › Mouse pointer for size, and the Ctrl locator in Mouse Properties. PowerToys supports Windows 10 and 11, and SHARA runs on both with the same free halo.
Is SHARA free for highlighting the mouse?
Yes. The halo, its shapes, sizes and colour, and the click flash are free forever, with no account. Halo glow, borders, click ripple and separate left and right click colours are free for your first 14 days, then a one-time upgrade.
Will viewers see the highlight in Teams, Zoom or a recording?
Yes, if you share or capture your entire screen: an overlay sits above your windows, so a single-window share leaves it out. For recording tools, see how to show mouse clicks in OBS.
None of these worked: what now?
Check that the tool is running (SHARA’s halo or tray icon, or PowerToys open in the tray), that its shortcut isn’t taken by another app, and that you share the entire screen and not one window. Still stuck? Contact the team from the SHARA FAQ page.
Let everyone see where you point and click
Install SHARA, share your entire screen, and your next lesson or call shows the pointer and every click. No account, nothing sent online.
Sources
Mashyo makes SHARA. Windows and PowerToys are Microsoft products; Zoom, OBS and Epic Pen belong to their owners; none is affiliated with SHARA. Microsoft and competitor facts on this page were checked on November 1, 2026 on their official pages.
