Start sharing your screen
Click on the screen share icon below the video.
A window will open asking you what you’d like to share. There are 3 options:
Entire Screen
This option shares your entire screen, which means the viewers will see exactly what you see. If you’re using a setup with multiple screens, select the screen you’d like to share.
Window
This option shares a specific window open on your computer. The viewers will only see that specific window. We recommend using this over the ‘Entire Screen’ option, as it gives you more control and prevents accidentally showing private information.
Please note! The window in question has to remain open. If you minimize the window, the viewers will see a black screen.
If you share a PowerPoint presentation using the application window share and use the presentation mode in your PowerPoint software, the presentation will no longer be detected by the application window share and the viewers will see a black screen. In this case, please use the ‘Entire Screen’ option.
You also have the option to upload your presentation.
Browser Tab
This option shares a specific tab that’s open in your browser. The viewers will only see that specific tab. If you check the audio box when selecting the tab, viewers will be able to hear the audio from that tab.
While sharing your screen, a notification will appear at the bottom of your screen that reminds you your screen is being shared.
This notification can be hidden to ensure viewers won’t be able to see it.
Sharing your audio
It's possible to share the audio from a browser tab.
Click on the screen share icon below the video.
Select the browser tab option.
Click the browser tab that you want to share.
Check the 'Share tab audio' checkbox.
Click 'Share' .
You're now sharing a browser tab with your audience, as well as that tab's audio!
Please note! Sharing your audio is only supported when using the browser tab option during screen sharing. The audience cannot hear your audio if you share a window or your entire screen.
Stop sharing your screen
There are two ways to stop sharing your screen. The first is to press the screen sharing button below the video.
The second method is pressing the ‘Stop sharing’ button the notification letting you know that your screen is being shared.
Sharing screen while appearing on camera
You can appear on camera and share your screen at the same time. To do so, simply make sure that your camera is enabled while sharing your screen. The participants will be able to see both you and what you’re sharing.
Tip! Disabling your camera(s) will make the shared screen larger, increasing the readability of text
Rather not appear on camera while sharing your screen? Disable your camera and you will disappear from view and a name placeholder will be displayed. If you wish to hide people without camera and not show their name placeholder, you can refer to this article.
Please note! If your camera was disabled before starting screenshare, the name placeholder will not be visible for viewers once you're sharing your screen. If you wish to have a visible placeholder, you can change the 'Hide people without a camera' setting.
Using a single screen
Sharing your screen requires more practice when you use a single screen setup. This is because you can’t see the webinar room and the thing you’re sharing at the same time.
If you’re working with a single screen setup, a looping effect will occur for the viewer when you share your entire screen and are looking at the webinar room. This looping effect looks like this:
If you see this on your screen it means you’re sharing the webinar room. Quickly swap to the window you’d like to show to your viewers. You won’t be able to see the webinar room anymore, but your viewers will be able to see the right screen.
The screen sharing process is much easier with a dual-screen setup, which you can read more about below.
Using two screens
The best way to make sharing your screen easier is using a dual-screen setup, which means two monitors connected to the same computer.
The process is as follows:
On the first screen, open the webinar room.
On the second screen, open the thing you’d like to share (such as an application or a website).
Start sharing your screen and select screen 2 or an application opened on screen 2.
You’ll be able to see the webinar room on one screen, which allows you to chat with viewers and control your webinar, while sharing what’s on the second screen.
Tips for optimal quality
Sharing your screen asks a lot from your computer, making it even more important for your setup to be of a high quality. The video quality is calibrated to the computer’s CPU strength, which means that the more computing power is available, the easier it will be to share your screen in a high quality.
To optimize your screen sharing, apply the following tips:
Close all software running in the background. Make sure that only WebinarGeek and the application you’re looking to share are open.
Turning of your camera makes the shared screen larger and will increase readability.
Use screen options to zoom in whenever possible. Let’s say you’re sharing a website on a large monitor. Your viewers may be watching on much smaller screens, making the text difficult to read. If you zoom in, the text will be much clearer for the viewers. You can use Control/Command together with the ‘+’ key to zoom in.
Change your screen resolution to 720 pixels (e.g. 1280x720) or 1080 pixels (e.g. 1920x1080) in height. Your webinar is broadcasted in this resolution. If the screen you’re sharing is in a different resolution, it has to be cropped or resized, which can have negative effects on the quality. You can read more about changing your monitor resolution here. You can change the resolution back to normal after the webinar.
Frequently asked questions
What is causing my screen to be repeated on the webinar screen?
If you see this on your screen it means you’re sharing the webinar room. Swap to the window you’d like to show to your viewers. You won’t be able to see the webinar room anymore, but your viewers will be able to see the right screen.
Am I able to see the webinar and the screen I’m sharing at the same time?
This is possible if you’re using a dual monitor setup. Check out this section of the article for instructions on setting this up.
Keywords: extra, external, showing, screen sharing quality, screenshare