How to share your screen in Microsoft Teams

Virtual meetings are a great way to stay in touch with people. But sometimes a video chat isn’t enough. What happens when you need to share something with the group?

Microsoft Teams makes it easy to show the group exactly what you’re talking about with Screen Sharing. You can use it whether you’re on a desktop or your mobile device.

Now you have the freedom to hold meetings without losing the visual rhythm.

Desktop sharing

Sharing from your desktop is as simple as pressing a single button from your meeting controls:

1. Look for the Share icon (it looks like an upward-pointing arrow surrounded by a box).

2. From there, you can select a window, a PowerPoint file, a whiteboard, or your entire desktop to share.

   

3. Don’t forget that you must click the Stop Sharing button when you’re done, or your window will remain open to the entire group.

   

Please note that the web version of Teams also works a little differently. If you’re not using the desktop app, you need the latest version of Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome to share more than your screen.

Mac users may see a prompt to change privacy settings before sharing the screen. Linux users, however, are out of luck. Window sharing is not available on the platform.

Share PowerPoint Slides

If you want to share a PowerPoint presentation, you start the same way.

1. Locate your meeting controls and click the Share icon.

   

2. Choose PowerPoint as the type you want to share.

   

3. You can then select your file in the PowerPoint section. This list comes from the most recent files on your desktop. So if you opened or edited files on your OneDrive or your team’s SharePoint site, it will appear here.

Selecting a file from this pre-populated list allows all meeting participants to view the slides. They can also access the files when the meeting ends.

However, if you select a file from the Browse feature, the process is slightly different. Your team can still view the slides, but you must first upload the file to Teams for the meeting. For channel meetings, this file goes to the Channel Files tab. Any team member in the channel has access to the file this way. However, private meeting files are saved to OneDrive. Only participants in that private meeting have access to the PowerPoint file.

Give control of shared screens

Sometimes it is necessary to work together with other team members during a meeting. If you want someone else to help you with your screen presentations, you must give them control. But don’t worry, because you’ll both have control of the file during the meeting.

1. Hover over the top of the screen to open the sharing toolbar. Click the Give Control button and scroll down to the person you want to give control to.

   

2. Click the person’s name to complete the action.

When you do, Microsoft Teams notifies that person that you are sharing control with them. They can then make edits, selections, and modify the shared screen.

Regaining control is as easy as clicking the Regain Control button in the toolbar.

Taking control of shared screens

Do you think it would be useful to help the person with the file? You can send a request to take control when another person shares a screen.

1. Simply click Request Control and wait for their response (if they haven’t enabled this capability, it will appear grayed out like in the photo below).

   

2. The person sharing the screen has the freedom to approve or reject the request. If they accept it, you can do a variety of things while you have control, such as edits, selections, and modifications.

   

3. When you are ready to stop sharing control, return to the toolbar and click Release Control.

   

Using system audio while sharing

Sometimes it is necessary to share audio during remote presentations. Teams makes it easy to stream audio from your computer to meeting participants to share audio clips or play a video.

1. Select the Share icon in your meeting controls to begin sharing audio from your system.

   

2. Click the Include System Audio button to begin.

   

Remember that all sounds from your system will go through Teams. And that includes notifications you may want to keep private. Therefore, it may be a good idea to turn off those notifications, at least temporarily!

Please note that sharing system audio will not work when sharing a whiteboard or PowerPoint file. Additionally, due to app limitations, audio sharing only works on Windows devices.

Mobile sharing

Sometimes you need to share screens when you meet while traveling. Teams also let you share what you’re watching via the mobile app!

1. To start sharing content, click the three dots for More Options on your meeting screen.

   

2. Select the Share icon

   

3. Choose what you would like to share. Your options include a video, a photo, and your full screen.

   

4. Head to the bottom of the screen and tap Start when you’re ready to share.

   

5. When finished, tap the Stop button.

   

Share more content in your team meetings

Nowadays, distance doesn’t have to be an obstacle to great content. Share yours whenever you need with the touch of a button in Microsoft Teams. Or give control to someone else in the meeting while the presentation continues. Collaboration has never been easier!

Do you use Screen Sharing for your Teams meetings? How is it working? Tell us your experience in the comments section below.