How to Share Screen on Zoom (PC, Mac and Mobile)

To share your screen on Zoom, click Share in the meeting controls toolbar, pick the screen or window you want to show, and click Share again. On an iPhone or iPad, the button is Share Content. On Android, it is Share. To end it, click Stop share.

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If the Share button is greyed out or missing, the host has probably limited sharing. On free Zoom Basic accounts, screen sharing is set to the host only by default, so participants can share only after the host allows it.

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If you haven't joined the meeting yet, see how to join a Zoom meeting from any device.

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What Can You Share on Zoom?

Zoom groups what you can share into four tabs in the share window of the desktop app:

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• Screens: your whole screen, or a single app window listed under it;
• Windows: one app window at a time;
• Files: a Zoom Whiteboard or another Zoom file, or a file from OneDrive, Google Drive, SharePoint, Box or Dropbox;
• Other: Chrome tabs, a video file, a Zoom Clip, a second camera, your computer audio only, slides as your virtual background, an iPhone or iPad screen, or a portion of your screen.

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Common things to share in meetings include:

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• Presentations and documents: show your PowerPoint slides, Word documents, spreadsheets or PDFs;
• Web pages and apps: a browser tab, a product demo, a design tool or a code editor;
• Whiteboard: brainstorm ideas, draw or explain a concept visually while everyone watches;
• Video and audio: a clip with its sound, or music, using the Share sound option.

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How to Share Screen on Zoom (PC, Mac and Mobile)

The steps below follow the current Zoom Workplace app. If a button looks different on your device, update the app first. Zoom does not support app versions older than its minimum required version.

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On Windows and Mac

Here's how to share your screen in a Zoom meeting on a computer:

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1. Open the meeting: start or join a meeting in the Zoom Workplace desktop app. You can download it from the Zoom website;
2. Click Share: find Share in the meeting controls toolbar at the bottom of the window;
3. Pick what to show: in the share window, choose a screen on the Screens tab or an app on the Windows tab, or open Files or Other for everything else;
4. Set the options: tick Share sound if a video or audio needs to be heard, and Optimize for video sharing only if you will play a video full screen. The Presenter layout panel lets you show your camera next to or over the shared content;
5. Start sharing: click Share. When most participants' devices have received it, Zoom shows the message "Participants can now see your shared screen";
6. Stop: click Stop share on the floating toolbar at the top of your screen.

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While you share, the meeting controls move to a floating toolbar. From there you can pause the share, annotate, open the chat or start a new share without stopping the meeting.

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On a Mac: Allow Screen Recording First

The first time you share on a Mac, macOS asks for permission. Without it, the other participants may see a black screen or only your desktop wallpaper. In the share window, every screen and window shows a warning icon instead of a preview:

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To give Zoom that permission:

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1. Open the setting: go to Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording;
2. Allow Zoom: find Zoom in the list and turn on screen recording access. If Zoom isn't listed, return to the app and try sharing your screen to trigger the permission request;
3. Restart Zoom: quit Zoom and open it again, then rejoin the meeting.

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Apple's guide to screen and system audio recording shows the same path. On older versions of macOS, the setting is called Screen Recording.

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In a Browser (Zoom Web App)

If you joined from a browser instead of the app, click Share in the toolbar and choose a browser tab, an app window or your entire screen. Turn on Also share tab audio if the tab plays sound. This option is only available in Google Chrome.

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On iPhone and iPad

On an iPhone or iPad, the steps are:

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1. Silence notifications: turn on Do Not Disturb so messages do not pop up on your shared screen;
2. Open the share menu: in the meeting, tap Share Content in the meeting controls toolbar;
3. Choose Screen: tap Screen. You can also share photos, files from iCloud Drive or a cloud service, a website URL or, on iPad, a whiteboard;
4. Choose your microphone setting: select Microphone On or Microphone Off on the broadcast screen. After sharing starts, you can use Share Device Audio in Zoom to control whether participants hear audio playing on your device;
5. Start the broadcast: tap Start Broadcast. Sharing starts after a 3-second countdown;
6. Go to your content: swipe up or press the Home button and open the app you want to show.

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To stop, open the Zoom app and tap Stop Share, or tap the red indicator at the top of the screen and tap Stop. You cannot annotate while you share your entire iOS screen. If you want to show your iPhone on a bigger display in the room, you can also screen share iPhone to TV.

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On Android

In the Android app, follow these steps:

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1. Open the share menu: in the meeting, tap Share in the meeting controls toolbar;
2. Choose Screen: tap Screen. The menu also offers photos, documents, a website URL, a bookmark, your camera or a whiteboard;
3. Allow the capture: confirm the Android prompt that lets Zoom capture your screen;
4. Share audio if needed: tap Share Audio to share your device sound, and tap it again to turn it off;
5. Stop: tap Stop Share when you are done.

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Screen sharing on Android needs Android 10 or later.

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Zoom Meeting Screen Sharing Settings + Pro Tips

While sharing your screen, you can use a few controls to manage what participants see.

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1. Controls for Participants Viewing a Share

When someone else is sharing, you can also:

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• Change the view: click View at the top right and choose a Side-by-side layout to see the shared screen and the speakers at the same time. You can drag the divider to resize each side;
• Ask for control: if remote control is enabled, you can request control of the shared screen from the sharing options. The person sharing must approve your request and can take back control at any time;
• Chat or raise your hand: use the chat for questions, or raise your hand in Zoom to ask to speak without interrupting.

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2. Share Sound

If you play a video or audio clip, the others only hear it if you share your computer sound. On Windows and Mac, tick Share sound in the share window before you click Share. If you are already sharing, open More on the floating toolbar and choose Share computer sounds.

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In the browser, use Also share tab audio (Chrome only). On iPhone, tap Share Device Audio, and on Android, Share Audio. Others may hear the sound with a short delay.

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3. Stop Screen Sharing

To stop sharing, click Stop share on the floating toolbar (Windows and Mac) or use the stop-sharing control in the browser or mobile app. You'll return to the normal meeting view.

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4. Start a New Screen Share

To switch to a different window or screen, click Share on the floating toolbar and select the content you want to show next.

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5. Pause and Resume Screen Share

Click Pause on the floating toolbar to freeze what others see while you look for a file or answer a question. Click Resume to continue. Pausing keeps the share open, so you do not have to set it up again.

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6. Annotation

Click Annotate on the floating toolbar to draw, highlight or add text on your shared screen. Participants can annotate too if the host allows it. Annotation is not available when you share your entire screen from an iPhone or iPad.

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7. Let Participants Share Their Screen

If you're the host, you can choose who is allowed to share their screen. In the Zoom desktop app, click the arrow next to Share and open Host tools for share. There you can:

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• Turn screen sharing on or off: with the Share screen switch;
• Allow several people at once: under How many participants can share at a time;
• Decide who can take over a share: under Who can override sharing.

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To change the default for all your meetings, open the screen sharing setting in your Zoom web settings. Remember that on Basic accounts it starts as host only. For co-hosts and other roles, see how to change the Zoom host.

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8. Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcuts save a few clicks during a presentation. These are Zoom's own shortcuts for screen sharing:

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On Windows, Alt + S and Alt + T only work when the meeting toolbar is in focus. You can check or change every shortcut in the Zoom app under Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts.

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How to Record a Zoom Screen Share

After the call, it can be hard to remember what was shown, such as a demo, the numbers on a slide or a decision made while everyone was looking at them, unless someone recorded it.

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Zoom's own recording captures the shared screen together with the audio. On a free account you can record to your computer, and paid plans add cloud recording. Our guides explain where Zoom recordings go and how to record yourself on Zoom without a meeting.

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A recording lets you revisit the meeting, but finding a specific discussion or decision can take time. MeetGeek's AI note taker for Zoom can join your scheduled meetings, even when you're not the host, and record the video with a transcript, so you can rewatch the call later.

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After the meeting is processed, MeetGeek generates a summary and identifies action items. You can use AI Chat to ask questions about what was discussed, find decisions and revisit important details. You can also set up workflows to send meeting notes to tools such as your CRM, Notion, Slack or Google Drive automatically.

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Why Can't I Share My Screen on Zoom? Troubleshooting Tips

Sharing problems are often caused by a setting. Check these in order:

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• The Share button is greyed out: the host has probably limited sharing to the host only, which is the default on Basic accounts. Ask the host to turn on Share screen in Host tools for share;
• Someone else is sharing: only one person can share at a time unless the host changes it. Wait until they stop, or ask the host to allow several participants to share;
• Others see a black screen on a Mac: Zoom probably does not have the Screen & System Audio Recording permission. Turn it on in System Settings and restart Zoom;
• Nobody hears the video: Share sound was probably not ticked. Turn on Share computer sounds from More on the floating toolbar;
• No Screen option on Android: screen sharing needs Android 10 or later;
• You can only share the whole desktop on Linux: this happens on Wayland. Start your session with Xorg to share a single app;
• The app is out of date: update Zoom, because Zoom does not support app versions older than its minimum required version. A stable connection also helps, especially when you share video.

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If none of these fix it, run a Zoom test meeting before your next call so you can try sharing without an audience.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can Multiple Participants Share Their Screens Simultaneously?

Yes, if the host allows it. The host opens Host tools for share from the arrow next to Share and sets How many participants can share at a time to let several participants share at once. Each participant then clicks Share as usual.

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Can I Share a Video With Sound on Zoom?

Yes. Tick Share sound in the share window before you click Share, and tick Optimize for video sharing if the video plays full screen. If you are already sharing, choose Share computer sounds from More on the floating toolbar.

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How Do I Share My Screen on Zoom When I'm Not the Host?

Click Share the same way the host does. If the button is greyed out or Zoom says the host disabled participant screen sharing, ask the host to turn on Share screen in Host tools for share.

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How Do I Stop Sharing My Screen on Zoom?

Click Stop share on the floating toolbar at the top of your screen on Windows or Mac. In the browser, click Stop Share. On iPhone, iPad and Android, tap Stop Share.

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How Do I Share My Screen on Google Meet Instead?

The steps are similar but the buttons are different. See our guide on how to share screen on Google Meet.