For: everyone
During a call you can show your screen to the others, for example to walk through a document or a presentation. Screen sharing works in Element in the browser and in Element Desktop.
Before you start
- You are in a call. See Make voice and video calls.
- Close or hide anything private you don't want others to see, such as email or chat windows.
Share your screen
- In the call, click the screen sharing button in the row of buttons at the bottom (it shows a screen icon).
- Choose what to share:
- the whole screen, or
- a single application window (others only see that window).
- Confirm. Your browser may ask for permission first; choose Allow.
The others now see your screen.
Stop sharing
Click the same screen sharing button again. In some browsers you can also use the "Stop sharing" bar the browser shows.
On a Mac
The first time, macOS may block screen sharing. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording (called Screen & System Audio Recording in newer versions) and allow your browser or Element. Then restart the browser or Element.
Good to know
- Sharing a single window is safer than sharing the whole screen: notifications and other windows stay private.
- To share your screen, use Element in the browser or Element Desktop. You can join and talk in calls from the phone app too.