How to Show Keystrokes and Mouse Clicks on Screen in Windows

To show both keystrokes and mouse clicks in a Windows screen recording, use ShowOff, a small utility that places a movable activity box over the desktop. It displays pressed keys and mouse buttons as you work. The author’s page currently lists ShowOff version 1.2, last updated December 12, 2017, so test it on your Windows version before relying on it for an important recording.

ShowOff is useful when viewers need to follow shortcuts or clicks without guessing. It does not draw a trail for mouse movement or identify the control under the pointer. If you only need click highlights, Microsoft PowerToys has a separate Mouse Highlighter feature.

Download and place the ShowOff overlay

1. Download ShowOff from its author’s page. Open the ShowOff page from Skrommel and use the download provided there. The page describes the utility as showing pressed keys and buttons and lists controls for which keys appear, the window’s font and colors, and its position. Choose the compiled application if the download offers a choice between an executable and a script.
2. Launch the application and locate its status box. ShowOff runs as a small floating window. Drag the box to an empty corner inside the area your recording captures. Keep it clear of menus, subtitles, important controls, and the pointer so it does not hide the action.

3. Make a short test recording. Type a letter, press a shortcut such as Ctrl+Shift+S, and try both mouse buttons. The display should identify keyboard input and button presses; labels such as LClick and RClick indicate left and right clicks. Some modifier keys may be identified by side, such as left or right Ctrl. Check the recording itself to confirm the overlay appears in the captured video.
4. Keep the display focused on the lesson. Move it if it covers a menu or dialog. ShowOff reports input events rather than pointer movement, hover location, or a visible click animation, so narrate or add an annotation when the pointer’s path matters.

Change the box and text colors

If the default white box and dark text blend into your recording, the older ShowOff instructions describe editing the utility’s INI settings file. Right-click the ShowOff icon in the notification area and choose Settings; in that build, the command opens the text file for editing. Before changing it, save a copy of the original file so you can restore the defaults.

Look for the backcolor and fontcolor entries. These control the box background and the text color. Change only the color values, using the same format already present in your file; the sample below shows six-digit RGB-style values for a white background and black text. Save the file, then close and reopen ShowOff if the display does not update. Avoid replacing the whole file with a sample from another version, because settings and syntax can differ.

Use PowerToys when you need click highlights only

For mouse clicks without a keystroke overlay, install PowerToys using Microsoft’s official installation instructions. Microsoft lists Windows 10 version 2004 (build 19041) or later, or Windows 11, as requirements. In PowerToys Settings, open Mouse utilities, select Mouse Highlighter, and enable it. The default shortcut for toggling the highlight is Win+Shift+H. The feature marks clicks of the primary and secondary mouse buttons, but it does not display typed keys, so use ShowOff when both types of input need to be visible.

Fix common recording issues

• The box is missing: Confirm ShowOff is running, look for its icon in the notification area, and check that the box is positioned on the display being recorded.
• A key or click does not appear: Test it in a blank document, then review the INI settings for key-display options. ShowOff’s author lists changing which keys are shown as a feature.
• The overlay is visible on the desktop but absent from the video: Try a short capture with the recorder set to record the full desktop, then check its preview before recording the tutorial.

Because ShowOff displays keyboard and mouse activity, keep passwords, private messages, account details, and other sensitive information off-screen while recording. Its small status box is best treated as a teaching aid for deliberate demonstrations, not as a complete pointer-tracking or annotation tool. For current feature details, see the author’s ShowOff page and Microsoft’s Mouse Utilities documentation.