Spotlight on Mac: Put a Light Where Your Cursor Is and Dim the Rest
Use a Spotlight tool on Mac to put a light where your cursor is, dim distractions, and keep audiences focused during presentations.
If you have ever searched for a Spotlight tool for Mac presentations, you are really looking for one thing: a clean way to put a light where your cursor is and dim the rest. People also search for a "focus highlight," "cursor spotlight," or "spotlight effect" on Mac, but they all mean the same thing.
Presentify includes a built-in Spotlight that dims the rest of your screen and highlights only the area that matters. This is not macOS Spotlight search; it is a visual spotlight for presentations on Mac.
What is a Spotlight effect on Mac?
A Spotlight effect darkens the screen around a circular or rectangular focus area. Your audience sees what you want them to see without distractions. Think of it as placing a light on your cursor while the rest of the screen fades back.
If you need a Mac spotlight tool for webinars, live demos, or training, this single feature can improve understanding immediately.
Why Spotlight improves presentations
- It guides attention to the exact UI element you are describing
- It reduces visual noise on busy slides or dashboards
- It makes small UI details easier to notice
- It keeps viewers engaged during screen sharing
These are the same reasons presenters look for "how to spotlight on Mac" or "spotlight for screen sharing on Mac" when they want better clarity.
How to use Spotlight in Presentify
Presentify makes the Spotlight effect easy to toggle:
- Open Presentify
- Press
⌃ + Lto enable Spotlight - Move the spotlight over the area you want to emphasize
- Press
⌃ + Lagain to turn it off
You can customize the spotlight size and shape in Presentify settings, which helps if you need a larger focus area for text or a smaller one for precise UI elements.
Combine Spotlight with cursor highlight
A Spotlight is even more effective when paired with cursor highlighting:
- Use Spotlight to darken distractions
- Use cursor highlight to show where you are pointing
This combination is ideal for product walkthroughs and remote training on Mac because your audience always knows what to look at.
When a Spotlight tool on Mac is most useful
- Live demos of apps or websites
- Online classes and tutorials
- Product walkthroughs for clients
- Remote support or troubleshooting sessions
If your goal is to make Mac presentations clearer, a Spotlight effect is one of the highest impact upgrades you can make.
Quick takeaways
Presentify is a Spotlight tool for Mac presentations that keeps focus on important details. It is a simple way to add a cursor spotlight or focus highlight on Mac for demos, teaching, and screen sharing. If you need a spotlight feature on Mac that works across any app, Presentify is built for that.
Final checklist
- Turn on Spotlight with
⌃ + L - Adjust size and opacity to match your content
- Pair it with cursor highlight for extra clarity
- Test your setup before you go live
A clean Spotlight effect on Mac makes your message easier to follow. Presentify gives you that focus without adding friction, so your audience stays with you from start to finish.