How much does Hotico cost?

Hotico is $4.99 — a one-time purchase. No subscription, no recurring charges. The price unlocks the app forever, including all future updates.

Is there a free trial?

Yes. You get a 3-day free trial with all features unlocked. No credit card required, no automatic charges. After the trial ends, you can unlock the full version for $4.99 whenever you're ready.

What happens after the trial ends?

The keystroke overlay stops working, but all your settings are preserved. Once you unlock the full version, everything continues exactly as before.

I bought Hotico on another Mac. Do I need to pay again?

No. Open Hotico on the new Mac, go to Settings and choose "Restore Purchase". As long as you sign in with the same Apple ID, your purchase will be restored automatically.

Can I share my purchase with family?

Yes. Hotico supports Apple Family Sharing. Up to 6 family members can use your purchase at no extra cost.

Can I get a refund?

Refunds are handled by Apple, not by the developer. Visit reportaproblem.apple.com to request a refund within 14 days of purchase.

How do I trigger the overlay?

The overlay appears automatically when you press the keys you've enabled. Open the "Modifiers" tab in Settings to choose which keys to display.

Why does Hotico need Accessibility and Input Monitoring permissions?

These macOS system permissions are required so the app can detect your keystrokes and display them on screen. Without them, Hotico cannot work. The app does not record what you type — it only observes the keys you've explicitly enabled in Settings.

The app doesn't show keystrokes. What should I do?

Please check the following:

1. Both permissions are granted: Accessibility and Input Monitoring (System Settings > Privacy & Security)
2. The desired key classes are enabled in the "Modifiers" tab
3. Display duration is greater than zero in the "Appearance" tab
4. Try restarting the app after granting permissions

If nothing helps, write to help@alexeybychkov.com — I'll help you sort it out.

Can I customize colors and fonts?

Yes. The "Appearance" tab lets you adjust font, pill color, text size, corner radius, key spacing, opacity and display duration.

How do I make the overlay stay in place during recording?

Open the "Position" tab and enable "Pin overlay position". Drag it to the desired location once and it will stay there.

How do I change the direction in which keys appear?

In the "Position" tab, choose a direction: left, center or right. New keystrokes will animate in the selected direction.

Why does it show "Shift + Щ" instead of "Shift + O"?

Enable "Always English labels" in the "Modifiers" tab. Hotico will display English characters regardless of your current keyboard layout.

What is the "hold threshold"?

This is the time, in seconds, after which a held modifier key is considered "held". Useful if you only want to display long Cmd / Shift / Alt / Ctrl presses, not accidental taps.

Can I show or hide specific keys?

Yes. The "Modifiers" tab gives you full control:

- F1-F12 (always or only with a modifier)
- Special keys: Esc, Tab, Caps, Backspace, Enter, Del
- Numbers 0-9
- Space and long-press
- Modifier hold with a customizable threshold

Does Hotico collect my data?

No. Hotico runs completely offline and does not send any data to the internet. No analytics, no telemetry, no servers.

Where are my settings stored?

Locally on your device. Nothing is sent to the cloud. Your settings remain even after uninstalling and reinstalling, as long as macOS preserves the app data.

Does Hotico record what I type?

No. The app only observes the keys you've explicitly enabled in Settings (modifiers, function keys, special keys). It never records or stores actual text input, passwords, or messages. Keystrokes are used only for instant on-screen display and are immediately discarded.

For full details, read the Privacy Policy: alexeybychkov.com/hotico-privacy