KeyCastr For Mac

If you’re recording some sort of video guide, or even when streaming, you may want your audience to see exactly which keys are being pressed and where you are clicking your mouse.

KeyCastr is a free, open-source solution for keystroke visualization. It can work with key combinations or anything you type, and it can also capture mouse clicks. It’s easy to set up, with a few visual options to customize, and a minimalistic design.

The app runs in either the Dock or menu bar, and it captures keystrokes once it’s been given permission to do so. By default, they are displayed in the bottom-left corner of the screen, but you can move the OSD by just clicking and dragging it.

The OSD displays all key presses in its default configuration. These include key combinations and any words you may be typing. If you like, you can set it up so that combinations including the Cmd key are shown on the screen.

You have two options for the visualized: the default one, which only displays the OSD when keys are pressed, and the alternative one meant primarily for key combinations. The latter shows all modifiers on the screen at all times and highlights them when they are pressed.

Both have some possibilities for customization. For the first one, you can change the font, delay, linger time, fade duration, and color. For the second, you can have it display all keystrokes, but that’s probably not what it’s made for.

KeyCastr does the job if you’re looking for a basic, free app for key visualization. It offers enough features and fine-tuning possibilities for most use cases, and comes in a lightweight package that you don’t have to pay a dime for.