How to Toggle Viewport Overlays in Blender

Toggling viewport overlays in Blender allows you to quickly hide or show visual aids like the grid, floor, 3D cursor, object outlines, and gizmos to get an unobstructed view of your 3D model. You can control these overlays globally using a simple keyboard shortcut or customize specific visual elements through the Viewport Overlays menu in the 3D Viewport header.

Keyboard Shortcut for All Overlays

The fastest way to hide or show all viewport overlays at once is with a hotkey:

• Shortcut: Press Shift + Alt + Z on your keyboard.

This acts as a master toggle, instantly hiding every visual guide in the active 3D Viewport. Pressing Shift + Alt + Z again will restore them.

Using the Viewport Overlays Menu

If you prefer using the mouse or need to toggle specific visual elements individually, use the Viewport Overlays menu in the interface:

1. Look at the top-right corner of the 3D Viewport.
2. Locate the Viewport Overlays icon (represented by two overlapping circles, one solid and one wireframe).
3. Click the icon to toggle all overlays on or off.

Customizing Individual Overlays

To hide specific visual aids (like only the grid or the 3D cursor) while keeping others visible:

1. Click the dropdown arrow right next to the Viewport Overlays icon.
2. Uncheck the specific elements you want to hide, such as:
   • Grid / Floor: Hides the background reference grid and axis lines (X, Y, Z).
   • 3D Cursor: Hides the 3D placement cursor.
   • Annotations: Hides grease pencil marks drawn in the viewport.
   • Extras: Hides light sources, camera frames, and empty objects.
   • Outline Selected: Hides the orange highlight around selected objects.