How to highlight the mouse cursor on Windows
Short answer
Windows can make the pointer bigger or more colourful, and can flash its location when you press Ctrl, but it cannot keep a highlight around the cursor as it moves. For recordings and demos, use a cursor highlighter that draws a halo that follows the mouse. AppRig adds one you toggle with Ctrl+Shift+H, with a soft glow, a click flash and, in AppRig Pro, ring and crosshair styles.
The manual way
Windows has a few built-in ways to make the pointer easier to follow. In Settings > Accessibility, the mouse pointer settings (“Mouse pointer and touch” on Windows 11) let you make the cursor larger and give it a bright colour. In the classic Mouse control panel, the Pointer Options tab has “Show location of pointer when I press the CTRL key”, which draws a brief ring around the pointer when you tap Ctrl.
None of these keep a highlight around the cursor as it moves, and none show your clicks, which is what viewers of a demo or recording really need. Microsoft PowerToys includes free Mouse Highlighter and Find My Mouse utilities that cover this if you already use PowerToys.
The faster way with AppRig
AppRig’s Mouse Highlighter draws a halo that follows your cursor, with the normal Windows pointer still on top. Press Ctrl+Shift+H from anywhere to switch it on and off, or use the toggle in the tool. The soft Glow style is the default, AppRig Pro adds a thin Ring and a Crosshair for precision work, and you can pick from six colours and set the opacity and size (16 to 160 px).
Turn on Click flash and every left-click sends a ring pulsing out from the cursor, so viewers see exactly when you click. Dim when idle fades the halo while the mouse sits still and brings it back the moment you move. The highlighter currently covers your primary monitor only.
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Common questions
How do I make my mouse pointer bigger on Windows?
Open Settings > Accessibility and look for the mouse pointer settings ("Mouse pointer and touch" on Windows 11, "Mouse pointer" on Windows 10). There you can drag the size slider and pick a pointer style, including a bright custom colour. A bigger, coloured pointer is easier to follow on a recording, though it is not the same as a halo around the cursor.
How do I find my mouse cursor when I lose it?
Turn on the Ctrl locator: open Control Panel > Mouse (or Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse > Additional mouse settings), go to the Pointer Options tab and tick "Show location of pointer when I press the CTRL key". Pressing Ctrl then draws shrinking circles around the pointer. Microsoft PowerToys also has a Find My Mouse utility for the same job.
Can I show mouse clicks in a screen recording?
Some recorders have a built-in option to highlight clicks, so check your recording app's cursor settings first. If yours does not, a cursor highlighter with a click effect works with any recorder or screen share, because it draws on the screen itself. Each left-click shows a brief ring or flash so viewers can see exactly when you clicked.
Does a cursor highlight show up when I share my screen in Teams or Zoom?
Yes, as long as you share the whole screen. The highlight is drawn on your desktop, so a full-screen share or display capture includes it. If you share a single window, the overlay is usually left out, so switch to sharing the entire screen when you want people to follow your pointer.
Related questions
AppRig does this and more, all in one local-first Windows app. See what AppRig does →