Highlight: Draw on Screen During Screen Sharing
Highlight is Copera's on-screen drawing tool that lets you draw on top of any app, window, or screen during meetings, presentations, screen sharing, and recordings. Press one keyboard shortcut and your entire desktop turns into a transparent canvas you can draw on — over Google Meet, Zoom, Loom, your code editor, a browser tab, or anything else visible. Press Esc and the screen annotation overlay disappears instantly. Highlight is available in the Copera Desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
It is built for the moment you need to point at something and say "this — right here" — without ever leaving the app you are already in.
Highlight is part of the Copera Desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It is not available in the web browser version of Copera. If you are using Copera in a browser tab, install the Copera Desktop app to use Highlight, Bankai voice, and other desktop-only features.
What Makes Highlight Different from Other Screen Annotation Tools
Most video meeting apps — Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Webex — include some form of on-screen annotation, but they only work inside their own video call window. Built-in screen drawing in those tools stops the moment you tab to another application. Highlight is built differently in two important ways that matter for any team that points at things on a shared screen every day:
- It is a truly global screen drawing tool. Highlight works inside Copera meetings, but it also works inside Google Meet, Zoom, Loom, Microsoft Teams, Chrome, your code editor, your file explorer, a PDF, a YouTube video, a Figma file, or anything else visible on your screen. If you can see it, you can draw on it. This is what people mean when they search for a "transparent overlay drawing tool" or a "screen annotation tool that works everywhere".
- It is invisible until you need it. There is no overlay window sitting on your desktop in the background. Nothing renders, nothing intercepts your clicks, nothing slows your machine down. The transparent canvas only exists during the seconds you are actively drawing, then it tears itself down completely when you exit. According to internal benchmarks, Highlight uses 0% CPU and 0 MB of GPU memory when not active.
That combination is what makes Highlight feel weightless compared to other screen annotation software. You forget it is there until the moment you need it, and then it appears in under 100 milliseconds.
How to Activate Highlight on Windows, macOS, and Linux
There are three ways to turn Highlight on. The keyboard shortcut is the fastest and works the same way on all three operating systems.
Keyboard shortcut (fastest)
Press the activation shortcut from anywhere on your computer:
- Windows:
Ctrl + Shift + M - Linux:
Ctrl + Shift + M - macOS:
Cmd + Shift + M
The shortcut is global and works system-wide. You do not need to have Copera in focus, the meeting window in focus, or any specific app open. As soon as you press it, your entire screen becomes a transparent drawing canvas in under 100 milliseconds.
Tray menu
Right-click the Copera icon in your system tray (Windows / Linux) or menu bar (macOS) and choose Start Highlighting. This is useful when you do not remember the shortcut, or when you want to discover the feature for the first time.
From the share picker
When you start a screen share inside a Copera meeting, the share picker reminds you that Highlight is available. The hint also tells you which sharing option works best when you plan to draw.
Drawing on Your Screen
Once Highlight is active, the entire screen becomes a transparent drawing canvas. A small toolbar appears at the bottom of your screen, and your cursor turns into a drawing cursor.
To draw on screen, click and hold the mouse button, then drag. Release to finish a stroke. Highlight uses the same perfect-freehand rendering library as professional drawing apps, so strokes are pressure-aware and naturally taper at the start and end. They look like real marker or pen strokes — not the stiff straight lines you get from Zoom annotation, Google Meet pointer, or Microsoft Teams whiteboard markers.
You can draw as many strokes as you want. There is no limit, no save button, and no document being created behind the scenes — Highlight is a real-time screen annotation overlay, not a document editor.
The Two Drawing Tools: Highlight Marker vs Pen
Highlight has two drawing tools that solve different problems. You switch between them with a single keystroke or by clicking the tool icons in the toolbar.
Highlight tool (default — auto-fading marker)
Press H to select the Highlight tool. This is the default tool and is selected automatically every time you activate Highlight.
The Highlight tool draws bright, translucent marker strokes that fade out automatically after about 1.5 seconds. It is the right tool for the most common use case: pointing at things in real time during a screen share. You circle a button, the audience sees the circle, and a moment later the circle disappears so the screen is clean again. No clutter, no need to clear anything. Think of it as a laser pointer that leaves a brief trail your audience can actually follow with their eyes.
Use Highlight when:
- You are talking through something live and pointing as you go
- You want to draw attention to one element without leaving permanent marks
- You are in a fast-moving conversation where strokes from a moment ago are no longer relevant
Pen tool (permanent strokes until cleared)
Press P to switch to the Pen tool.
The Pen tool draws solid, opaque strokes that stay on screen until you clear them or exit Highlight. Use it when you want your screen annotation to stick around — for diagrams, longer explanations, marking up a screenshot, or annotating a static image while you talk through several steps.
Use Pen when:
- You are explaining something with multiple labels or annotations that need to stay visible
- You are drawing a diagram on top of a real interface
- You want viewers to see your marks for more than a couple of seconds
You can mix tools freely in a single session. Sketch a permanent box with the Pen tool, then switch to Highlight (H) to point at things inside the box without cluttering your drawing.
Colors and Keyboard Shortcuts
Highlight ships with a fixed palette of six colors chosen to stay readable on both light and dark backgrounds. Press the number keys 1 through 6 to switch colors instantly while drawing:
| Key | Color | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
1 | Yellow (default) | The classic highlighter look. Works well on most light backgrounds. |
2 | Red | Errors, warnings, things to avoid. |
3 | Purple | Distinct from your usual colors when you want to stand out. |
4 | Blue | Calm, neutral marks. Good for diagrams and labels. |
5 | Green | Approvals, things that are correct, "yes" marks. |
6 | White | Use over dark backgrounds — terminals, dark IDEs, dark video — where bright colors get lost or the yellow looks muddy. |
You can also click the color swatches in the toolbar instead of using the number keys. The selected color persists for the rest of your Highlight session, so you do not need to switch back every time you draw.
The Toolbar
A small toolbar sits at the bottom-center of your screen while Highlight is active. It contains everything you need to draw, switch tools, and exit.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Tool picker | Switch between Highlight and Pen. |
| Color swatches | Six colors, click to select. Number keys 1–6 do the same thing. |
| Brush size − / + | Make your brush smaller or larger. A numeric readout shows the current size. |
| Clear | Wipe all strokes from the screen at once. |
| Exit | Turn Highlight off and remove the overlay. Same as pressing Esc. |
| Shortcut hint | A small line of text reminding you of the most useful shortcuts. |
The toolbar is draggable. Grab the dotted handle on the left edge of the toolbar and move it anywhere on your screen — useful if your default position covers something you need to see while drawing.
Brush Size
Click the − and + buttons in the toolbar to make your brush smaller or thicker. The current size is displayed between the buttons as a number.
Brush size is remembered for the rest of your current Highlight session. The next time you activate Highlight, the size resets to the default.
Undo and Clear
You will sometimes draw a stroke you did not mean to. Highlight gives you two ways to take it back:
- Undo: press
Ctrl + Z(Windows / Linux) orCmd + Z(macOS) to remove your most recent stroke. Press it again to remove the one before that, and so on. - Clear: click the Clear button in the toolbar to remove every stroke on screen at once. Use this when you want a fresh canvas without leaving Highlight.
Strokes drawn with the Highlight tool fade by themselves after about 1.5 seconds, so you usually do not need to clear them. Clear is most useful when you have been working with the Pen tool and want a clean slate before drawing the next thing.
Exiting Highlight
When you are done drawing, exit Highlight with any of these:
- Press
Esc. - Press the activation shortcut again (
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + M). - Click the Exit button on the toolbar.
When you exit, every stroke on the screen disappears, the overlay window is destroyed, and Copera goes back to using zero resources for the feature. Your normal cursor returns and you can interact with windows on screen again as if Highlight had never been there.
Highlight is ephemeral by design, like a laser pointer. Nothing is saved when you exit — there is no history, no replay, and no export. If you want to keep what you drew, take a screenshot before exiting Highlight.
How to Draw on Screen During Screen Sharing in Any Meeting
Highlight is most powerful during a Copera meeting channel — or any other video call you happen to be in — when you are sharing your screen and pointing things out live. Because Highlight is a global overlay, the same workflow works in Copera meetings, Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, Loom, and any other screen-sharing or recording tool. There is one important rule to know.
Share your entire screen, not a single window
When you share your entire screen, Highlight appears in the shared output and everyone in the call sees your strokes exactly as you draw them. This is true whether you are sharing into a Copera meeting, Zoom call, Google Meet room, Microsoft Teams call, Loom recording, or any other tool.
When you share a single window, the Highlight overlay is a separate window of its own, so the application you are sharing does not include the strokes. Viewers will see your shared app, but your drawings will be invisible to them.
The Copera share picker tells you this directly when you choose a single window — there is a hint reminding you to share the whole screen if you want to use Highlight. See Screen Sharing for more on choosing what to share.
If you plan to draw on your screen during a call, share your entire screen. If you only need to show one app and you do not plan to annotate, share a single window for a more focused presentation.
For everything else about screen sharing — quality presets, multiple sharers, viewer experience — see the Screen Sharing page.
When to Use Highlight: Common Use Cases
Reach for Highlight whenever pointing with your cursor is not enough. Roughly 70% of usage happens during live screen sharing, but the remaining cases are just as important. The strongest use cases are:
Screen sharing in meetings (Copera, Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Loom)
The original reason for the feature. Circle, underline, and point at exactly what you mean during any call — Copera meetings, Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, Loom, anywhere. It is especially powerful for design reviews, code reviews, product demos, bug reports, sales calls, customer support sessions, and onboarding sessions. If you have ever wished Zoom annotation worked outside the Zoom window, or that Google Meet had a real pen tool, Highlight is the answer.
Teaching, training, and screen recording
Mark things up without leaving your real workflow. Stay in your real terminal, browser, or app — Highlight overlays the explanation on top. There is no separate annotation tool to open and no editing to do afterwards. Highlight is a popular alternative to dedicated screen annotation software like Epic Pen, ZoomIt, or Presentify, because it lives inside the same desktop app teams already use for messaging, video meetings, and project management.
Live presentations
Faster than the laser pointer in slide tools, and your strokes leave a trace your audience can actually follow with their eyes — even briefly with the Highlight tool, or persistently with the Pen.
Pair work and code walkthroughs
Drawing a circle around a function while saying "this is the broken one" is dramatically clearer than just moving your cursor around the file.
Quick mental notes for yourself
Circling a thing while you think, marking up two designs side by side, or scratching a quick note across the screen. Highlight is fast enough to use as a personal "thinking tool", not just a presentation aid.
When Not to Use Highlight
Highlight is not the right tool for every situation:
- For persistent annotations you want to save. Strokes disappear on exit. Take a screenshot first if you need to keep them.
- For editing or marking up the contents of a file. Highlight draws on pixels, not into documents. To annotate a real document, use a proper editor.
- For collaborative drawing. Only you draw. Other people in the call see your strokes through your screen share but cannot draw on your screen themselves. For shared, multi-user drawing during a meeting, use the Whiteboard instead, where every participant can draw on the same canvas in real time.
Highlight vs Built-In Meeting Annotation Tools
Most users who land on this page are comparing Highlight to the built-in annotation tools in Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Loom. Here is how they stack up:
| Feature | Copera Highlight | Zoom Annotation | Google Meet | Microsoft Teams | Loom |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draw on screen during call | Yes | Yes | No (laser pointer only) | Limited (whiteboard only) | No |
| Works outside the meeting window | Yes — global overlay | No | No | No | No |
| Works on any app, any window | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Works in other tools' meetings | Yes (any tool) | No | No | No | No |
| Auto-fading marker | Yes (Highlight tool) | No | No | No | No |
| Permanent strokes | Yes (Pen tool) | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Pressure-aware natural strokes | Yes (perfect-freehand) | No | No | No | No |
| Available on Windows / macOS / Linux | Yes (all three) | Mac, Win | Mac, Win | Mac, Win | Mac, Win |
| Resource usage when idle | 0 CPU, 0 GPU memory | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Number of colors | 6 | 8 | N/A | 6 | N/A |
| Keyboard shortcut activation | Global system-wide | In-call only | N/A | In-call only | N/A |
The key difference: Highlight is the only screen annotation tool on this list that works across every application on your computer, regardless of which meeting tool you happen to be in. If you switch from Copera meetings to Zoom for a customer call, Highlight still works. If you tab into your code editor mid-presentation, Highlight still works.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Every Highlight shortcut, all in one place.
Activation
| Action | Windows / Linux | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Activate / Deactivate | Ctrl + Shift + M | Cmd + Shift + M |
| Exit | Esc | Esc |
Tools
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Highlight tool | H |
| Pen tool | P |
Colors
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Yellow (default) | 1 |
| Red | 2 |
| Purple | 3 |
| Blue | 4 |
| Green | 5 |
| White | 6 |
Editing
| Action | Windows / Linux | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Undo | Ctrl + Z | Cmd + Z |
| Clear | (toolbar button) | (toolbar button) |
| Brush size − | (toolbar button) | (toolbar button) |
| Brush size + | (toolbar button) | (toolbar button) |
Things Worth Knowing
Five things that will save you confusion the first time you use Highlight.
Zero performance impact when not in use
Until you press the shortcut, Highlight does not exist as a window, does not render anything, and does not consume resources in the background. Leave the desktop app running forever — Highlight will not slow your machine down.
"In Highlight or not in Highlight"
The mental model is binary: you are either in Highlight (drawing on the screen) or you are not (using your computer normally). While Highlight is active, your clicks go to the drawing layer, not to the windows underneath. If you need to click on something below, exit Highlight (Esc), click, then re-activate with the shortcut. The whole round trip takes about half a second.
Strokes are not saved
There is no history, no replay, and no export. By design — Highlight is ephemeral, like a laser pointer. Take a screenshot before exiting if you need to keep your marks.
Highlight tool fades, Pen tool sticks
The most common surprise: Highlight strokes vanish on their own after about 1.5 seconds, while Pen strokes stay until you clear them or exit. This is intentional — the two tools are designed for different jobs. If your strokes are disappearing and you wanted them to stay, switch to the Pen (P).
Full-screen sharing matters
When sharing into a meeting, share your entire screen if you want others to see your Highlight strokes. Sharing a single window will not include the overlay.
V1 Limitations
This is the first version of Highlight. A few things are intentionally fixed and will become configurable in future versions:
- Activation shortcut is fixed at
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + M. Custom shortcuts are planned. - Two tools only — Highlight and Pen. More shapes (arrows, rectangles, circles, text labels) are on the roadmap.
- Six fixed colors. Custom palettes are planned.
If any of these limitations are blocking how you want to use Highlight, let us know — your feedback helps us prioritize what comes next.
Tips and Best Practices
For pointing during live calls, use the Highlight tool with the default yellow. Strokes fade automatically and you never have to think about cleanup.
For anything you want to leave on screen for more than a few seconds — labels, arrows you draw by hand, or step-by-step diagrams — switch to the Pen tool with P.
When you are sharing a terminal, a dark IDE, or any dark interface, switch to white (press 6). Yellow gets muddy on dark backgrounds and white pops.
If the toolbar covers something you need to see, drag it. Grab the dotted handle on its left edge and place it anywhere on screen.
If you draw something you might want to keep, take a screenshot before pressing Esc. Once you exit, the strokes are gone for good.
When you are about to use Highlight during a Copera meeting, share your entire screen rather than a single window. The Copera share picker even reminds you of this when you pick a window.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Copera Highlight?
Copera Highlight is a global screen annotation tool built into the Copera Desktop app. It lets you draw on top of any app, window, or screen on Windows, macOS, or Linux with a transparent overlay — making it ideal for screen sharing in meetings, presentations, screen recordings, code reviews, and live demos. Press Ctrl + Shift + M (Windows / Linux) or Cmd + Shift + M (macOS) to draw on your screen, and Esc to exit.
How do I draw on my screen during a Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams call?
Install the Copera Desktop app, then press Ctrl + Shift + M (Windows / Linux) or Cmd + Shift + M (macOS) anywhere on your computer — even while you are inside a Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Webex, or Loom call. Highlight turns your entire screen into a transparent canvas you can draw on. As long as you are sharing your entire screen (not a single window) in the call, every participant will see your strokes.
Does Highlight work in the browser version of Copera?
No. Highlight is a desktop-only feature because it needs to draw on top of your entire operating system, which a web browser cannot do. You need the Copera Desktop app for Windows, macOS, or Linux. Install Copera Desktop here.
Does Highlight work on Windows, Mac, and Linux?
Yes. Highlight works on all three operating systems supported by the Copera Desktop app: Windows 10 and 11, macOS 11 (Big Sur) and later, and most modern Linux distributions. The keyboard shortcut is Ctrl + Shift + M on Windows and Linux, and Cmd + Shift + M on macOS.
Will my strokes appear when I share a single window?
Usually no. Highlight is rendered in a separate transparent overlay window, so when you share only one app window, your shared output will not include the overlay. Share your entire screen when you plan to use Highlight during a call. The Copera share picker reminds you of this when you pick a single window.
Can other people in my meeting draw on my screen too?
No. Only you can draw. Viewers see your strokes through your screen share, but they cannot annotate your screen themselves. If you need multi-user drawing inside a meeting, use the Whiteboard instead — every participant can draw on the same shared canvas in real time.
Can I save my Highlight drawings?
No. Highlight is intentionally ephemeral — strokes are erased when you exit and there is no save, history, or export. If you want to keep what you drew, take a screenshot before you press Esc. On Windows use Win + Shift + S, on macOS use Cmd + Shift + 4, and on Linux use your distribution's normal screenshot shortcut.
Why do my Highlight strokes keep disappearing?
The Highlight tool (the default) is designed to fade out automatically after about 1.5 seconds. That is the whole point of the tool — laser-pointer style annotation that cleans up after itself. If you want strokes that stay until you clear them, press P to switch to the Pen tool.
Does Highlight slow down my computer when I am not using it?
No. When Highlight is not active, the overlay window does not exist at all. Nothing is rendering, nothing is intercepting your clicks, and nothing is using your CPU or GPU. Internal benchmarks measure 0% CPU and 0 MB of GPU memory at idle. You can leave the Copera Desktop app running indefinitely without any cost from Highlight.
Can I change the activation shortcut?
Not in the current version. The activation shortcut is fixed at Ctrl + Shift + M on Windows and Linux and Cmd + Shift + M on macOS. Custom shortcuts are planned for a future version.
Can I add my own colors or get more drawing tools?
Not yet. The first version of Highlight ships with two tools (Highlight and Pen) and a fixed six-color palette. More tools — arrows, rectangles, circles, text labels — and custom colors are on the roadmap.
Is Highlight a good alternative to Zoom annotation or Epic Pen?
Yes. Highlight is a global drawing overlay that works on Windows, macOS, and Linux, across every app and meeting tool — not just inside Zoom calls or one specific app. Unlike Zoom annotation (which only works inside Zoom), unlike Google Meet's laser pointer (which has no real pen), and unlike Epic Pen (which is a separate paid utility), Highlight comes free with the Copera Desktop app you are already using for meetings, messaging, project management, and documents.
How do I take a screenshot before exiting Highlight?
Use your operating system's normal screenshot shortcut. On Windows: Win + Shift + S. On macOS: Cmd + Shift + 4. On Linux: depends on your distribution (usually PrtSc or a tool like gnome-screenshot). The screenshot will capture the entire screen including your Highlight strokes, as long as you take it while Highlight is still active.
What if the toolbar is covering what I want to draw on?
Drag it. The toolbar has a dotted handle on its left edge — grab the handle and move the toolbar anywhere on your screen.
Can I undo a stroke I just drew?
Yes. Press Ctrl + Z on Windows or Linux, or Cmd + Z on macOS. Press it again to remove the previous stroke, and so on. Or click Clear in the toolbar to wipe everything at once.
Related Features
- Screen Sharing in Copera Meetings — Share your entire screen, a single window, or a browser tab during meeting channels.
- Whiteboard — Open a shared canvas inside a meeting where every participant can draw at the same time.
- Joining and Controls — All the in-meeting controls and how to use them.
- Meeting Channels Overview — Persistent video meeting rooms with screen sharing, transcription, AI summaries, and more.
- Bankai Voice — Another desktop-only Copera feature that gives you AI superpowers across the entire operating system, not just inside Copera.