How to Share Your Screen on Zoom

You are in a Zoom meeting and need to show something on your computer to everyone else. The steps below cover the desktop app on Windows and Mac.

Click Share Screen

In the meeting toolbar at the bottom of the window, click the green Share Screen button. Shortcut: Alt + S (Mac: Cmd + Shift + S). If the toolbar is hidden, move the mouse over the meeting window to bring it back.

Pick what to share

A window opens with your options under the Basic tab. Choose one:

• Screen shares everything on that display, including notifications. Pick this for demos that move between apps.
• A specific window shares only that app. Others cannot see anything else, even if you switch away from it.
• A browser tab or app, if listed, shares only that.

If you have more than one monitor, each screen appears as its own tile.

Turn on sound if you are playing video

Before you share, check Share sound in the lower left of the share window. Without it, participants see the video but hear nothing. For smooth playback also check Optimize for video clip. Leave both off for slides or documents, since optimizing lowers text sharpness.

Click Share

Click Share in the lower right. A green border appears around the shared area and a small floating toolbar sits at the top of your screen. Anything inside the green border is visible to the meeting, including anything you type or open there.

Stop sharing

Click the red Stop Share button on the floating toolbar at the top of the screen. You can also press Alt + S (Mac: Cmd + Shift + S) again. To switch to a different window without a gap, click New Share on the same toolbar instead of stopping and restarting.

On a Mac. The first time you share, macOS asks for Screen Recording permission. Open System Settings, Privacy & Security, Screen & System Audio Recording (older versions: Screen Recording), turn on zoom.us, then quit and reopen Zoom. Until you do this, participants see a black screen.

If the button is grayed out. The host has restricted sharing to hosts only. Ask the host to click Security in their toolbar and allow participants to share, or to make you a co-host.