David Shepstone
Desktop Utilities

KeyOverlay

A lightweight Windows keystroke visualizer for showing keyboard shortcuts, modifier keys, and typed input during demos, recordings, and live teaching.

KeyOverlay is a small Windows utility for displaying keyboard input on screen so shortcuts, modifier keys, and command sequences are easier to follow during tutorials, classroom demonstrations, livestreams, and screen recordings.

What it helps with

Clear shortcut demos
Show key presses visually so students and viewers can see the exact shortcuts used while you work.
Recording-friendly overlay
Use an on-screen overlay to make software tutorials, process videos, and live demonstrations easier to follow.
Lightweight Windows utility
Install it with a standard Windows setup wizard, launch it from the Start menu, and run it alongside the software you are presenting.

Who it's for

  • Instructors and tutorial creators who want keyboard commands to be visible without repeatedly pausing to explain every shortcut.
  • Artists, editors, and technical demos where shortcut-heavy workflows are easier to understand when the keys are shown on screen.
  • Livestreamers and screen-recording workflows that benefit from a simple keystroke overlay during real-time presentation.

Version v0.3.0

Version 0.3.0 introduces a proper Windows installer. The download is a single zip containing the installer, an install guide, and the MIT license.

  • Setup wizard that installs for your user account by default, with no administrator rights needed, or for all users if you choose.
  • Start menu shortcuts for KeyOverlay, the project website, and an uninstaller.
  • Optional desktop shortcut and start-at-sign-in.
  • Clean uninstall from Settings → Apps, with your settings kept for a later reinstall.

Install

  1. Download KeyOverlay-0.3.0-Windows-x64.zip.
  2. Right-click the zip and choose Extract All…
  3. Double-click KeyOverlay-Setup-0.3.0-x64.exe and follow the wizard.
  4. Launch KeyOverlay from the Start menu.

Requires Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit). The installer is not yet code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen may show “Windows protected your PC”. Click More info → Run anyway. Full instructions are in INSTALL.txt inside the zip.

Release Notes — v0.3.0 

## Download

### [⬇ Download KeyOverlay-0.3.0-Windows-x64.zip](https://github.com/dshepstone/keyoverlay/releases/download/v0.3.0/KeyOverlay-0.3.0-Windows-x64.zip)

The zip contains:
- **KeyOverlay-Setup-0.3.0-x64.exe** — the installer. Adds KeyOverlay to the Start menu and registers an uninstaller in *Settings → Apps*.
- **INSTALL.txt** — step-by-step install, update and uninstall instructions.
- **LICENSE.txt** — the MIT License.

**To install:** right-click the zip → *Extract All…*, then double-click the Setup `.exe`. Requires Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit). The installer is not code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen may show "Windows protected your PC" — click **More info → Run anyway**.


## What's Changed
* Add Windows installer with Start menu shortcuts and release workflow by @dshepstone in https://github.com/dshepstone/keyoverlay/pull/43


**Full Changelog**: https://github.com/dshepstone/keyoverlay/compare/v0.2.0...v0.3.0
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