MacPipAnswer
How do I make my cursor bigger in a screen recording?
Before you record, open System Settings → Accessibility → Display, and under Pointer drag Pointer size to the right: Apple’s recorder films the pointer you see, so make a five-second test to check it comes out bigger.
Some recorders draw their own cursor instead. Clacky’s Screen Recorder (macOS 15 or later) can draw a Big Arrow at twice the normal size, and you can switch the style later in Studio.
Make the pointer bigger in macOS
- Choose Apple menu → System Settings → Accessibility → Display.
- Under Pointer, drag Pointer size to the right.
- Optional: change Pointer outline color and Pointer fill color so it stands out on white apps.
- Turn on Shake mouse pointer to locate: a quick wiggle makes it big for a moment.
- Record a short test with Shift-Command-5 and play it back.
- Set the size back when you’re done, if you like.
Other ways to help people follow the pointer
- Show clicks. In Shift-Command-5 → Options, choose Show Mouse Clicks. More in how to show mouse clicks.
- Move slowly and stop on what you click for a beat.
- Zoom in on the important clicks, see how to zoom in on clicks.
- A highlighter. Apps that ring or light up the pointer are compared in the best cursor highlighters.
With Clacky: cursor styles
Clacky’s recorder bar has a Cursor menu: Arrow, Hand, Big Arrow, Boop Paw or Hidden. Every click squishes it a little, with the ripple right under its tip.
Arrow records the Mac’s own pointer. The other styles are drawn from where the pointer was, so in Studio you can switch a recording to another style later, for example to Big Arrow after you notice the arrow is too small. Spotlight in the same bar dims the screen around the pointer, for one more way to guide the eye.
Where these facts come from
Checked on 5 November 2026.
- Apple: Make the pointer easier to see on Mac (Pointer size, outline and fill colour, Shake mouse pointer to locate)
- Apple: Take screenshots or screen recordings on Mac (Show Mouse Pointer)
Questions
Why is the pointer missing from my recording?
Can I change the cursor after recording?
Does a bigger pointer show on Zoom or Teams screen shares?
Facts checked on 5 November 2026.
Related
- Cursor stylesArrow, Hand, Big Arrow, Boop Paw or Hidden. Every click squishes it, the ripple right under its tip.
- The best cursor highlighter apps for MacCursor highlighters and click visualizers for Mac: macOS’s own options, Mouseposé, Mouzz, CursorFlow, Cursor Pilot, Cluxo, CursorRipple and Clacky.
- How do I show mouse clicks in a screen recording on Mac?Show mouse clicks in a Mac screen recording: Apple’s Show Mouse Clicks option, editors that add click effects later, and a live click ripple with a sound.
- Zoom in on clicks in a screen recordingmacOS can’t zoom on clicks by itself. Zoom by hand in iMovie with Ken Burns, or use a recorder that knows where you clicked, like Clacky.
- SpotlightDims the screen around the pointer while you record.
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