# Point at the line, not just the file. Overlaid for Developers & Engineers

Source: https://useoverlaid.app/for/developers

> Code reviews, pairing sessions and tech interviews all run into the same wall: nobody can see what you're pointing at or what you just pressed. Overlaid fixes both without leaving your editor.

## What people say before Overlaid

- Scroll up a bit. No, the other up.
- Wait, which line are we on?
- What did you just press?

## Scenarios

### Pairing, with your shortcuts on screen

You fly through the editor on muscle memory and your pair sees the screen jump around with no idea why. Turn on the keystroke overlay and every combo shows up as a keycap at the bottom of the screen. It only shows key combos by default, so plain lowercase typing stays off screen.

1. ⌃⌥K: Turn the keystroke overlay on or off from anywhere.
2. Work as normal. Combos like ⌘D and ⌥⇧F appear as raised keycaps and fade after a moment.
3. Password fields and other secure input are never shown, even with all keys turned on.

### Zoom into the tiny thing

The bug is in a 9pt log line or an issue number buried in a comment. Freeze the screen and [zoom in](https://useoverlaid.app/guides/zoom-in-during-presentation-mac) up to 8x, then draw on the frozen frame so everyone is looking at the same character. Press Esc and you're back to the live screen.

1. ⌘: With draw mode on, hold ⌘ and scroll, or pinch on a trackpad, to freeze and zoom.
2. Scroll to pan around the frozen frame. Every drawing tool still works.
3. esc: Go back to live.

### Walk through a code path

Explaining how a value flows through three functions is where screen shares fall apart. Set ink to fade after two seconds and just keep drawing. Each underline and arrow clears itself, so the code never ends up buried under your own scribbles.

1. Set Fade to 2s in the toolbar.
2. A: Draw arrows between definitions and call sites as you talk.
3. Nothing to clean up. Old marks fade on their own.

## Suggested setup

- **Fade:** 5s. Long enough to discuss a line, short enough that the diff stays readable.
- **Keystrokes:** On, combos only. Shows ⌘P and ⌘D, not the lowercase code you type.
- **Cursor effect:** Highlight clicks. People can see where you clicked even when the call lags.
- **Toolbar:** Hidden. You'll use the single-key tools (E, A, T) anyway.

## Questions

### Will it show everything I type in the keystroke overlay?

Not by default. It shows key combos only (keys pressed with ⌘, ⌥, ⌃ or ⇧), so plain lowercase typing stays off screen. Capitals and symbols typed with Shift do show, so if that matters, toggle keystrokes off with ⌃⌥K while you type. Secure input like password fields is never shown.

### Does it work in a technical interview on Zoom or CoderPad?

Yes. Overlaid draws over whatever is on your screen, so it works over a browser-based editor as well as a native one. Share your whole screen rather than a single window, because a single-window share doesn't include the overlay.

### Does it get in the way of my editor's own shortcuts?

Only while draw mode is on, where single letters pick tools. Turn draw mode off with ⌃⌥D and your editor gets every key back. Every Overlaid shortcut can be rebound in Settings.