Sharing your screen in Zoom lets everyone in the meeting see exactly what you see, whether that's your roomvu dashboard, a document, or your browser. It takes just two clicks once you know where to look. This guide walks you through it on both Windows and Mac, in plain language.
Before the Meeting: One Quick Check for Mac Users
Windows users can skip this part. Mac users need to give Zoom permission to share the screen once, and this is the single most common reason screen sharing "doesn't work" on a Mac.
Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen
Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older Macs)
Click Privacy & Security in the left menu
Scroll down and click Screen Recording
Find zoom.us in the list and turn its toggle on
If Zoom was open, quit and reopen it
You only ever do this once. After that, screen sharing works normally in every meeting.
How to Share Your Screen (Windows and Mac)
Step 1: Join or start your Zoom meeting
Step 2: Find the green "Share Screen" button
Look at the toolbar at the bottom of the Zoom window. In the middle, you'll see a green button with an upward arrow labeled Share Screen. If you don't see the toolbar, move your mouse, the toolbar hides itself when your mouse is still.
Step 3: Click Share Screen
A window will open showing everything you can share.
Step 4: Choose what to share
You'll see a few options as clickable tiles:
Desktop / Screen: shares your entire screen, everything you see, the other person sees. This is the simplest and safest choice if you're not sure what to pick.
Individual windows: shares only one app, like just your browser or just a document. Other windows stay private.
For most support sessions and meetings, click Desktop.
Step 5: Click the blue "Share" button
It's in the bottom-right corner of that window. Your screen is now visible to everyone in the meeting, and you'll see a green border around your screen confirming it's being shared.
Step 6: To stop sharing
Look at the top of your screen, you'll see a small red button labeled Stop Share. Click it whenever you're done.
Helpful Extras
Keyboard shortcut: press Alt + S on Windows or Shift + Command + S on Mac to start sharing instantly
Sharing a video with sound? Before clicking Share, check the Share sound box in the bottom-left of the sharing window, otherwise participants see your video but hear nothing
Shared the wrong thing? Click Stop Share at the top of your screen and start again, no harm done
Quick Troubleshooting
Problem | Fix |
"Share Screen" button is missing | Move your mouse so the toolbar appears; if it's still missing, the host may have restricted sharing, ask them to allow it |
Mac shares a black screen or won't share | The Screen Recording permission is off, follow the Mac steps at the top of this guide, then restart Zoom |
Participants can't hear my video | Stop sharing, then share again with the "Share sound" box checked |