Install Microsoft PowerToys, enable Mouse Highlighter, and press Windows logo key + Shift + H to show a visual effect when you click the primary or secondary mouse button. You can choose different colors for the two buttons and press the shortcut again to turn the effect off. This works on Windows 11 and 64-bit Windows 10 version 2004 or newer; the PowerToys steps are the same on both.

Windows PowerToys Mouse Highlighter settings are shown beside File Explorer, with the Win+Shift+H shortcut displayed. Check the requirements​

Before installing, make sure you have:

  • A PC with an x64 or ARM64 processor. PowerToys does not support 32-bit Windows.
  • Windows 11 or Windows 10 version 2004, build 19041, or newer. To check your version, press Windows + R, type winver, and press Enter.
  • An internet connection to download PowerToys. Its installer also installs the Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime if needed.
  • Permission to install software. On a work or school PC, an administrator may need to approve or deploy it.

PowerToys is a separate Microsoft application, not a setting built into Windows. Mouse Highlighter must be enabled in PowerToys, and PowerToys must be running for the shortcut and highlighting to work.

Windows 10 security note: Microsoft ended regular Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025. A qualifying Windows 10 PC can still run PowerToys, but installing it does not replace Windows security updates.

Install PowerToys and turn on Mouse Highlighter​

The simplest route is the Microsoft Store. If PowerToys is already installed, open it and start at step 4.

  1. Open Start, search for Microsoft Store, and open it.
  2. Search the Store for Microsoft PowerToys. Open the listing published by Microsoft and select the button to install it.
  3. After installation, open PowerToys from Start. If an introductory window appears, continue to PowerToys Settings.
  4. In PowerToys Settings, find Mouse Highlighter. It may be listed under Mouse utilities. You can also use the search box at the top of Settings to find it.
  5. Turn on the Mouse Highlighter switch. This makes the utility available; it does not necessarily mean that the click effect is currently active.
  6. Press Windows + Shift + H. Then click a clear area of the desktop with your primary mouse button and click again with the secondary button. You should see a brief visual effect near the pointer for each click.
  7. To stop the effect, press Windows + Shift + H again. The utility can remain enabled in Settings while the visible highlighting is off.

No Windows restart is normally needed. Keep PowerToys running while you use the feature. Closing the Settings window is different from exiting PowerToys; you can reopen Settings from Start or from the PowerToys system-tray icon if it is shown.

The shortcut is a toggle, not a hold-to-highlight command. If you press it once and see nothing, check the utility’s settings and test another click before pressing it again; another press may turn an already-active effect off.

Choose colors for the two buttons​

Different colors make it easier to tell a selection click from a context-menu click during a demonstration or recording.

  1. Open PowerToys Settings and return to Mouse Highlighter.
  2. Find Primary button highlight color and select its color control. Choose a color that stands out against the windows you normally use.
  3. Find Secondary button highlight color and choose a contrasting color. For example, use one bright color for the primary button and a distinctly different color for the secondary button.
  4. If the color control offers transparency or opacity, avoid making the color fully transparent: an invisible highlight can look like a malfunction. Close or confirm the color selection as prompted by the control.
  5. Activate Mouse Highlighter with its shortcut if necessary, then test both buttons on the desktop. Adjust the colors again if either is difficult to distinguish from the background.

The current Microsoft documentation describes green as the default primary-click color and blue as the default secondary-click color for a new settings profile. Existing installations can have different saved colors.

Primary usually means the physical left button, and secondary usually means the physical right button. If you have swapped the buttons in Windows for left-handed use, check the results with your own configuration rather than relying only on the physical button names. You can inspect the Windows mouse settings at:

  • Windows 11: Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse
  • Windows 10: Settings > Devices > Mouse

There is no need to change the Windows button assignment just to change the PowerToys colors.

Adjust the highlight’s appearance​

On the Mouse Highlighter page, Highlight mode controls the style of the effect. Current PowerToys documentation lists these modes:

  • Ripple shows an animated pulse. A new settings profile uses this mode by default.
  • Circle highlight uses a circular highlight without dimming the rest of the screen.
  • Spotlight dims the surrounding screen to draw attention to the pointer.

Choose the mode, then test a few clicks. The available appearance controls depend on that selection:

  • For Ripple, adjust Size (px), Intensity, and Duration (ms) if the pulse is too small, faint, or brief. A larger size or longer duration can make a click easier for an audience to notice.
  • For Circle highlight and Spotlight, adjust Radius (px), Fade delay (ms), and Fade duration (ms). Fade delay controls the wait before fading begins; fade duration controls the fade animation itself.
  • Always highlight color controls a persistent pointer highlight in Spotlight and Circle highlight. It is separate from the primary- and secondary-click colors.

If your aim is to show only occasional clicks without a persistent pointer emphasis, try Ripple first. If the whole-screen dimming in Spotlight is distracting, switch to Circle highlight or Ripple. Settings and modes can differ in older PowerToys versions, so update PowerToys if your page does not show an option described here.

Change the keyboard shortcut​

The default Windows + Shift + H is convenient, but you can assign a different combination if it conflicts with your workflow.

  1. Open PowerToys Settings > Mouse Highlighter.
  2. Find Activation shortcut and select the edit control beside the existing shortcut.
  3. Enter the key combination you want to use, then save it in the shortcut editor.
  4. Press your new combination and test a mouse click. Press it again and test another click to confirm it turns the effect off.

Choose a combination you do not already use in Windows, PowerToys, or the application you are presenting. PowerToys can warn about conflicts between its own utility shortcuts, but you should also test the new combination in the other applications you use.

To return to the standard shortcut, edit Activation shortcut again and set it to Windows + Shift + H. Once you change it, use the displayed shortcut—not necessarily the default—to toggle the effect.

Make highlighting available after sign-in​

Two settings control different parts of startup:

  1. In PowerToys Settings > General, turn on Run at startup if you want PowerToys to start when you sign in to Windows.
  2. Return to Mouse Highlighter and turn on Automatically activate on utility startup if you also want the highlighting effect to activate when the utility starts.
  3. At your next sign-in, test a primary and secondary click. If you enabled PowerToys startup but not automatic activation of Mouse Highlighter, use the activation shortcut to turn on the effect.

You can leave either option off. For example, starting PowerToys at sign-in but activating Mouse Highlighter only when needed keeps the shortcut available without requiring the click effect all the time.

Verify what viewers can see​

For a basic local test, activate Mouse Highlighter and click an empty area of the desktop with each button. You should see the configured visual effect near the pointer. The secondary click may also open a context menu; press Esc to dismiss it.

If you use screen sharing or recording, make a short test with the application and capture method you intend to use. Review the recording or ask a viewer to confirm that both colors and the animation are visible. A local highlight alone does not establish what a particular sharing or capture setup includes. If it is difficult to see, increase the effect’s size or duration, choose stronger colors, and test again.

Troubleshoot missing or unexpected highlights​

Neither button shows an effect. Open PowerToys Settings and confirm Mouse Highlighter is enabled. Check the displayed Activation shortcut, press it once, and test again on the desktop. Also make sure PowerToys is running. If it was exited, open it from Start before testing the shortcut.

The shortcut appears to do something else. The combination may already be in use. Check Activation shortcut on the Mouse Highlighter page, choose another combination, save it, and test both the on and off states. If PowerToys reports a shortcut conflict, resolve the conflict in its settings.

One button’s effect is invisible or hard to distinguish. Check its individual highlight color and any transparency setting. Try a brighter, contrasting color and test against a plain background. Also check whether your primary and secondary mouse buttons are swapped in Windows.

The effect disappears too quickly. For Ripple, increase Duration (ms); for Circle highlight or Spotlight, increase Fade delay (ms) or Fade duration (ms). Click after each change until the effect is visible long enough without getting in the way.

The pointer stays highlighted even when you are not clicking. In Spotlight or Circle highlight, check Always highlight color. That setting is separate from the click colors. You can also try Ripple or turn the effect off with the activation shortcut.

A setting or mode is missing. Open PowerToys Settings > General and check for updates. Install an available update, reopen the Mouse Highlighter page, and check again. Microsoft notes that PowerToys restarts itself when an automatic update is applied.

Installation is blocked or fails. Confirm the Windows version and processor requirements first. On a managed PC, ask your IT administrator whether the Store or application installation is restricted. If the Store route is unavailable, Microsoft also documents installation from the official PowerToys GitHub releases page or with Windows Package Manager; use an installation method permitted by your organization.

Turn it off or remove it​

For a temporary pause, press the configured activation shortcut. To prevent Mouse Highlighter from running, open its PowerToys settings page and turn off the Mouse Highlighter switch. To stop all PowerToys utilities, exit PowerToys instead; this also stops any other PowerToys features you were using.

If you no longer want PowerToys at all, uninstalling it removes the application rather than just the click effect:

  1. Open Windows Settings > Apps.
  2. On Windows 11, select Installed apps, find Microsoft PowerToys, select More options next to it, and choose Uninstall.
  3. On Windows 10, select Apps & features, find Microsoft PowerToys, select it, and choose Uninstall.
  4. Follow the uninstall prompts.

After disabling the utility or uninstalling PowerToys, click the desktop again to verify that the PowerToys click effect no longer appears.

 

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