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Install on macOS

From download to your first burst in about five minutes. On a PC instead? Here's the Windows tutorial.

  1. Download

    Grab the macOS zip:

    Download for macOS

    That's the same button as on the home page — it always points at the latest release on the official releases page. Free during early access; no account needed.

  2. Unzip and move to Applications

    Double-click the zip in your Downloads folder (Safari may have already unzipped it). Drag PointerPop into your Applications folder — that keeps macOS happy and your Downloads tidy.

  3. First launch: get past Gatekeeper

    Early-access builds aren't notarized by Apple yet, so a normal double-click shows a warning. Instead:

    • Right-click (or Control-click) PointerPop → Open → Open.
    • On newer macOS versions the Open button may not appear — go to System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down, and click Open Anyway, then launch again.

    One time only; afterwards it opens like any app.

  4. Find the menu-bar icon

    PointerPop has no main window — look for the small star mark in your menu bar, near the clock. Click it to see the menu: Draw on Screen, Save Screenshot, Magnifier, Break Timer, Preferences, and more. If your menu bar is crowded, hold ⌘ and drag icons to make room.

  5. Grant Screen Recording (when asked)

    The magnifier, screenshots, and full-screen zoom read the screen, so the first time you use one, macOS asks for the Screen Recording permission:

    • Click Open System Settings on the prompt.
    • In Privacy & Security → Screen Recording, turn on PointerPop.
    • Quit and reopen PointerPop (menu-bar icon → Quit) — macOS applies the grant on the next launch.

    Nothing is recorded or uploaded — the permission just lets the lens and screenshots see your screen, locally (privacy policy). You can skip this entirely if you don't use those three features.

  6. Your first five minutes

    • Pop: press ⌘⇧P — a particle burst at your cursor. Open Preferences → Particles and play with shape, colors, and the live preview.
    • Draw: press ⌘⇧D and scribble over anything. Try 3 for the arrow, G for green ink, ⌘Z to undo, then Esc — your ink clears itself.
    • Shoot: press ⌘⇧6 — a screenshot of your display lands on the clipboard and in Pictures/PointerPop, with a confirmation toast.
    • Magnify: press ⌘⇧M for the loupe (this one triggers the permission ask above).

  7. Verify it shows up in a screen share

    Before your first real presentation: start a test meeting alone in Zoom/Meet/Teams, choose Share → Entire Screen (not a window!), press ⌘⇧P, and check the share preview. Window shares can't include overlays on any platform — why, in Help.

Want it always ready? Turn on launch at login in Preferences → System, and PointerPop will be waiting in your menu bar every morning.
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User guide

Now learn everything it can do — boards, stamps, zoom, keystroke display, and every shortcut.
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Help

Permission re-grants, share visibility, and troubleshooting.