Markfloat Support
Draw on your screen while you present · macOS 14 or later
Getting started
- Open Markfloat. It lives in the menu bar (pencil icon); there is no Dock icon.
- Press ⌘⇧A or choose Start drawing. Drag to draw.
- Press Esc to go back to your normal pointer. Your drawings stay on screen until you clear them.
Keyboard shortcuts
| Global (configurable in Settings › Shortcuts) | Default |
|---|---|
| Toggle drawing | ⌘⇧A |
| Hold to draw (key) | Right ⌥, held by itself (Settings › General) |
| Spotlight | ⌃⌥S |
| Highlight cursor | ⌃⌥H |
| Click ripple | ⌃⌥K |
| Clear all | ⌃⌥⌫ |
| Erase under cursor | ⌃⌥E |
| Capture screen | ⌃⌥C |
| Copy annotations only | Not set |
| While drawing | Key |
|---|---|
| Pen · Highlighter · Arrow · Rectangle · Oval · Line · Text · Laser · Eraser | P H A R O L T X E |
| Board: white → black → off | B |
| Erase the item under the cursor | D |
| Undo · Clear all · Exit | ⌘Z ⌫ Esc |
| Straight lines (15° steps), squares, circles | Hold Shift |
Permissions
| Feature | Permission |
|---|---|
| Drawing, shortcuts, hold-to-draw, cursor highlight, click ripple, spotlight | None |
| Copy annotations only | None |
| Capture screen with annotations | Screen Recording (asked the first time, after an explanation) |
| Save captures as PNG | Access to the folder you choose |
Markfloat never asks for Accessibility or Input Monitoring and makes no network connections. See the privacy policy.
FAQ
The shortcut ⌘⇧A doesn’t work.
Another app may use the same shortcut. Pick a different one in Settings › Shortcuts.
Holding fn / 🌐 opens Emoji or Dictation.
Set System Settings › Keyboard › “Press 🌐 key to” to “Do Nothing”, or choose right ⌥ as the hold key in Settings › General.
Hold-to-draw doesn’t start.
Hold the chosen key by itself: if another modifier is also pressed, Markfloat ignores it so ⌥-letter characters keep working. You can also set a “Hold to draw” shortcut in Settings › Shortcuts.
Screen capture says it needs permission, but I already allowed it.
Open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen Recording, make sure Markfloat is on, then quit and reopen Markfloat. If you denied it once, macOS won’t ask again; turn it on there.
I don’t want to give Screen Recording.
Use Copy annotations only: it copies your drawings as a transparent image without any permission.
Where are my captures saved?
In the folder you chose the first time (Settings › Capture shows it and lets you change it), and/or on the clipboard.
My drawings disappear by themselves.
Check Settings › General › Auto-clear and “Fading strokes”. Auto-clear can be undone with ⌘Z.
Can I draw with a tablet or Apple Pencil (Sidecar)?
Yes. The pen uses pressure when the device provides it.
Does it work with multiple displays and full-screen apps?
Yes. Each display has its own drawing layer.
How do I remove Markfloat?
Quit it from the menu bar and drag it from Applications to the Trash.