MacBook camera teleprompter: how to put your script near the lens

A MacBook camera teleprompter puts your script right next to the lens, so you can read without looking down. Where exactly you put it, and how big you make it, decides whether people see eye contact or see you reading. Here's the practical placement guide.

Why notes in the middle of the screen look like reading

Viewers perceive the strongest eye contact when you look about 2° below the lens (Gao et al., 2025). At 55 cm from the screen that's about 1.9 cm. The centre of a 14-inch MacBook Pro screen sits roughly 10 cm below the camera, around 10°, which reads on video as looking down. The full explanation is in why MacBook camera eye contact is hard, and you can check your own setup with the eye contact calculator.

What usually doesn't work:

• A document or notes app in the middle of the screen. Too low.
• A second monitor to the side. Your eyes move sideways, which viewers notice more than a small downward glance.
• A tall window under the camera. The first line is fine; by the tenth you're reading from mid-screen again.

Where to put the teleprompter: Cuey's camera placements

Cuey, the teleprompter for Mac, has five placements. Each one sets where the prompt window sits relative to the camera, and the window stays above your other apps.

Start with Under Camera. Switch to Left or Right only when something else has to live directly below the lens, and use a small size so the text stays close to the camera.

Floating teleprompter on Mac: put the prompt next to any camera

The built-in camera isn't always the one you use. Drag the prompt anywhere on the screen and Cuey switches to Floating. It remembers where you left it, so it comes back in the same spot next time.

• Webcam on an external display: drag the prompt to just under wherever the webcam is clipped on that screen.
• iPhone as your camera: put the prompt on the edge of the screen closest to the phone's lens.
• Back to the built-in camera: in the prompt's … menu, choose Position, then Attach to Camera.

Pick a size, text size and opacity

Sizes are Compact (the default), Medium, Expanded and Full-width Top Bar, which spans the top of the screen. For calls, stay on Compact: it keeps the text inside the eye-contact strip. The larger sizes suit longer lines or reading from further back, at the cost of a wider eye sweep.

• Text size: set it so you can read at your normal sitting distance without leaning in. Bigger text means fewer words per line and more line changes.
• Opacity: runs from 60% to 100% (default 92%). Lower it to see a little of what's behind the prompt; keep it high in bright rooms.
• Theme: Dark, Light or System.

Then check it on camera. Open Photo Booth, record 20 seconds of yourself reading from the prompt, and play it back. If your eyes look low, make the prompt window shorter, or sit a little further back: the further you sit, the smaller the angle for the same spot on screen.

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Set up a MacBook camera teleprompter in 3 steps

1. 1

   Paste your script

   Copy your script from anywhere and press ⇧⌘V to quick-paste it into Cuey.
2. 2

   Choose placement and size

   Keep Under Camera and Compact for the built-in camera, or change them from Position and Size in the prompt's … menu. Drag the prompt to float it by another camera. Text size and opacity live in Prompt Settings.
3. 3

   Start and read

   Press ⇧⌘P. After a 3-second countdown, read in Read, Follow or Notes mode. ⌥⌘Space plays and pauses.