How to share your screen on Zoom

Zoom's green Share button is easy to find, but sound, permissions and host settings trip people up. Here is the whole process on computers and phones, plus fixes for the usual problems.

Written for the Zoom app in October 2026. Zoom updates its interface regularly, so some labels may differ in your version.

Share your screen on Zoom (Windows and Mac)

1. In the meeting, select Share in the controls at the bottom (called Share Screen in older versions).
2. Choose your whole screen, a single app window, a whiteboard or a connected iPhone or iPad.
3. To play a video with sound, tick Share sound. For smooth playback, also tick Optimise for video clip.
4. Select Share. A green border shows what others see.
5. To finish, select Stop Share in the bar at the top of your screen.

Share your screen on Zoom on a phone

1. Tap Share in the meeting controls, then Screen.
2. On an iPhone, tap Start Broadcast. On Android, allow Zoom to capture your screen.
3. Tap Stop Share to finish.

Let participants share their screen

If you host and others cannot share, open Security in the meeting controls and allow participants to Share screen. In the arrow next to Share you can also choose whether one participant or several can share at the same time.

Zoom screen sharing not working?

• "Host disabled participant screen sharing". Ask the host to allow it in Security, as described above.
• Black screen or no Share option on a Mac. Allow Zoom in System Settings, Privacy & Security, Screen Recording (Screen & System Audio Recording on recent macOS), then restart Zoom.
• No sound. Tick Share sound before sharing, or turn it on from the More menu while sharing.
• Zoom in the browser. The web client supports sharing in current Chrome and Edge, but the app is more reliable.
• Laggy video. Turn on Optimise for video clip and close other heavy apps.

Sharing your screen without Zoom

Zoom works best when everyone has the app, and free meetings have a time limit. To show your screen to one to three people quickly, Abeedesk screen sharing runs in the browser from a link, with no account and no time limit. It shares the picture only, without computer sound.

Questions people ask

Can people see my other windows when I share on Zoom?

Only if you share your entire screen. Share a single app window to keep everything else private.

Can I share my screen on Zoom without being the host?

Yes, if the host allows participants to share. Many meetings allow it by default.

Why is my shared video choppy on Zoom?

Make sure Optimise for video clip is on, use a wired or strong Wi-Fi connection, and share the window with the video instead of the whole screen.

More guides: Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Mac.