// GUIDE · UPDATED OCTOBER 2026
How to draw on your screen in Xcode while demoing an app
Xcode has no drawing or zoom tool for presenting. Make the code readable with a larger font in Settings > Fonts & Colors, then use a screen annotation app like Overlaid to circle code and point at the Simulator.
Xcode demos have two things to point at, the code and the Simulator, and the Simulator is a separate window.
That's the case for a drawing layer that sits above every window, not one that lives inside a single app.
METHOD 01
Bigger fonts in Xcode
Free
Xcode's themes include a large Presentation theme, and you can set any theme's font size yourself.
- 1Open Xcode > Settings > Fonts & Colors.
- 2Choose the Presentation theme, or duplicate a theme and raise its font size.
- 3Check how it looks at the resolution and display you'll present on.
GOOD
- +Free
- +Makes code readable from a distance
NOT SO GOOD
- −Nothing to point with
- −Changes your everyday editor look until you switch back
METHOD 02THAT'S US
Overlaid
$11.99 once, 7-day free trial
Draws over Xcode and the Simulator at once, since it sits above every window.
- 1Press ⌃⌥D to draw and circle the line you're talking about.
- 2Drag a Blur & Hide box over anything private, like an API key, before you share.
- 3Pinch to zoom the screen when the Simulator's text is too small.
- 4Press ⌃⌥D again to go back to coding.
GOOD
- +One layer over code and Simulator
- +Blur & Hide for keys and tokens
- +Zoom for small interface details
NOT SO GOOD
- −Paid after the trial
// WORTH KNOWING
THREE TIPS.
Hide secrets before you start
Draw a Blur & Hide box over keys and tokens before opening the file, not after.
Draw over the Simulator too
The Simulator is its own window, so a drawing layer that covers the screen handles both with one shortcut.
Zoom after the layout is set
Set your fonts first, then use zoom for the moments when a detail needs closer attention.
// FAQ
QUICK QUESTIONS.
Not within Xcode. Use a screen annotation app on top of it.
Open Xcode > Settings > Fonts & Colors and pick the Presentation theme, or raise the font size of a theme you duplicated.
Yes. It draws on top of every window, including the Simulator.
// COMPARE
// GUIDES
// YOUR NEXT CALL
Draw on your screen in the next five minutes.
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