> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.tella.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Customize the animated cursor

> Choose your cursor style and customize its movement, click effects, size, and visibility in the Tella editor.

Tella can redraw the cursor from captured mouse data, giving you control over how it looks and moves in your video.

## Check that cursor settings are available

The **Cursor** settings are available for eligible recordings from the Tella Mac and Windows apps. Record with **Animated cursor** or **Hide cursor** so Tella can redraw the pointer without duplicating one already visible in the recording.

<Note>
  If you record with **Show cursor**, the pointer becomes part of the video and the **Cursor** settings are hidden. The web recorder and Chrome extension don't report a cursor setting, so these controls aren't available for those recordings.
</Note>

## Turn on the animated cursor

1. Open your video in the Tella editor.
2. Click **Effect** in the sidebar, or press `E`.
3. In **Cursor**, turn on **Cursor**.

To control only the current clip, expand **Advanced zoom settings** under **Zooms** and turn on **Adjust this clip** before enabling the cursor.

## Customize the cursor

Use the controls in **Cursor** to adjust its appearance:

* **Cursor style** — choose macOS Sequoia, macOS Tahoe, macOS Golden Gate, Windows, or Touch.
* **Size** — drag the slider to make the cursor smaller or larger.

Expand **Advanced cursor settings** to control its movement and click effects:

* **Smooth movement** — soften the recorded cursor path.
* **Movement tilt** — tilt the cursor as it moves horizontally.
* **Click spring** — make the cursor shrink and spring back when you click.
* **Click ripple** — show a ripple around each click.
* **Hide when inactive** — fade the cursor out when it stops moving and bring it back when activity resumes.

<Note>
  For a new video, Tella starts the animated cursor at 2× size with **Movement tilt** and **Click spring** turned off unless it can reuse video-wide cursor settings you previously chose. Existing videos keep their current cursor settings.
</Note>

## Apply settings to one clip

Cursor appearance settings apply across the video by default. With **Adjust this clip** off, turning on **Cursor** enables it on the selected clip and on eligible clips that already have zooms. Tella skips clips recorded with **Show cursor** because their pointer is already part of the video.

Select another eligible clip and turn on **Cursor** there if it has no zooms yet. To customize only the current clip, expand **Advanced zoom settings** under **Zooms** and turn on **Adjust this clip** before changing its cursor settings. Turn it off to make the clip use the video-wide styling again.

## Use the animated cursor with Auto Zoom

On eligible Mac and Windows app recordings, **Auto Zoom** and **Cursor** use the same captured mouse data but control different things:

* Auto Zoom follows the pointer to frame the action.
* Cursor controls how the pointer itself looks and moves.

You can use either feature on its own or combine them. Chrome tab recordings can support Auto Zoom even though their cursor cannot be restyled. See [add zooms and screen effects](/docs/help/editing/add-a-zoom) to generate or edit zooms.


## Related topics

- [Add zooms and screen effects](/docs/help/editing/add-a-zoom.md)
- [Record with the Tella Windows app](/docs/help/recording/record-a-video-using-the-windows-app.md)
- [Customize embed settings](/docs/help/sharing/customize-embed-settings.md)
- [Customize your branding](/docs/help/admin/customize-your-branding.md)
- [Product Changelog](/docs/changelog.md)