Guide overview
- How to screen share during a video call meeting and what can be shared
- Taking or giving control of the screen
- Zooming in on content
- Recording shared content
- Screen share from a phone
If you have never set up a Microsoft Teams video call before, please first access the guidance on the following help page: creating video meetings in Microsoft Teams
How to screen share during a video call meeting and what can be shared
1.When in a video call meeting, click on the screen share icon on the call menu bar to share content.
From a browser only Google Chrome or the latest version of Microsoft Edge will allow sharing. Mac users may be prompted to change privacy settings to screen share, and window sharing isn’t available for Linux users.
2.Choose from the listed options to share:
- your desktop (useful if you want to share views of multiple items you are accessing – browser windows, your desktop, and files etc,.)
- a browser window only (useful for sharing a view on one item you are accessing – a browser window, a file you have open etc,.)
- a PowerPoint file only (shared in Teams already, open on your device or one you want to upload and share)
- a Whiteboard (the Windows Microsoft Whiteboard app or Freehand by InVision). This is useful for collaborating with others in real time and allows users to all ‘write’ on a whiteboard canvas
- additionally share your system audio if you have a Windows device (useful to play a video or audio clip as part of a presentation)
3.To stop sharing, navigate back to the meeting tool bar and select stop sharing.
Sharing PowerPoint slides – further guidance
PowerPoint slides you can share:
- The PowerPoint section lists the most recent files you’ve opened or edited in your team SharePoint site or your OneDrive. If you select one of these files to present, all meeting participants will be able to view the slides during the meeting. Their access permissions to the file outside of the meeting won’t change.
- If you select browse and choose a PowerPoint file that hasn’t been uploaded to Teams before, it will get uploaded as part of the meeting. If you’re presenting in a channel meeting, the file is uploaded to the Files tab in the channel, where all team members will have access to it. If you’re presenting in a private meeting (such as a private chat call), the file is uploaded to your OneDrive, where only the meeting participants will be able to access it *not applicable to guest members.
- You can also view PowerPoint slides by choosing to share your desktop view of PowerPoint slides open on your desktop.
Whiteboard – further guidance
All users can contribute content to Microsoft Whiteboard or Freehand by Invision. Please access the following links to the Microsoft support pages for further guidance on using Freehand by Invision: Freehand by Invision and the Microsoft Whiteboard: use Whiteboard in Microsoft Teams. Invision also have their own useful helpage at the following link: enable Freehand in Microsoft Teams.
Include system audio – further guidance
Sharing your system audio lets you stream your computer audio to meeting participants through Teams (useful for playing a video or audio clip) *only supported on Windows devices. When you share, all your system audio, including notifications, will be included in the meeting. Please access the following link for further guidance from the Microsoft support page: share system audio in a Teams meeting.
Taking or giving control of the screen
Control of a PowerPoint file in Teams
This is not currently available if using Linux.
If you share a PowerPoint file in Teams, participants can:
- move through slides at their own pace
- sync their view back to the presenter’s view by clicking on presenter + slide number
- click on take control to take over presenting
Users can switch who is presenting by clicking on take control. Whoever is currently presenting will end the presentation by clicking on stop presenting. Clicking on the eye symbol prevents users going through slides at their own pace.
Control of a window
If you share a single window and then allow users to take control, they will not be able to modify content outside of the selected Window / navigate away from the window. Hover to the top of your shared screen view to see the tool bar and give control.Navigate back to this tool bar to take back control.
Control of a desktop
If you share your desktop view in a meeting and allow users to take control, they will take over your desktop. They will be able to modify content, launch applications and navigate between content. Hover to the top of your shared screen view to see the tool bar and give control. Navigate back to this tool bar to take back control.
Giving and taking control of the desktop is subject to user permissions and if the device used supports this.
Zooming in on shared content
- Click and drag to see different areas.
- To zoom in or out; pinch in or out on your trackpad or use the keyboard shortcuts :control + plus sign and control + minus sign. Hold the control key and scroll with your mouse
Recording shared content
Meetings can be recorded by selecting the start recording option from the meeting tool bar. Any shared content will also be recorded. Recorded content will be shared with users after the meeting in the channel / chat the meeting occurred in.
Shared meeting notes and Whiteboard / Freehand will not be recorded and guests cannot record content.
Microsoft made some changes on the 20th August which means Teams meetings that are recorded are no longer uploaded to Stream automatically. These recordings will be available in Teams channels or meeting chats (shortly after the meeting ends) for 21 days. After 21 days, the meeting recordings will be deleted. Meetings recorded before August 20th, 2020, will not be affected by this change. If you wish to keep a recording for longer than 21 days, the content will have to be manually downloaded and uploaded to Stream. Guidance on how to upload a video to Microsoft Stream can be found on the Microsoft website: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/stream/portal-upload-teams-meeting-recording
Screen share from a phone
From the Teams app on your phone you can join a video call meeting and choose to share content. You can also additionally join from your phone alongside joining from another device. To share, select more options from the meeting tool bar.
Then choose to share content.
You can then select to present a photo, video, PowerPoint, or your entire screen. You can choose to stop presenting when you’re done. You can also pinch in or out to zoom, and tap and drag to see different areas.
You can’t share a whiteboard but can contribute to one that is shared with you. Live captions may not be fully supported. Guests will also have more limited sharing options on a phone.