Screen Share on Skype
Screen sharing on Skype allows you to show your screen to the person you are calling, making it easy to show pictures, get technical help, and more. Want to show a slideshow of your travel photos to your grandparents, but don't want to send a bunch of files that they'll have to download? Need technical support from your grandkids? Screen sharing is the quick and easy answer. Screen sharing is free for all Skype users, though if you want to share your screen during a video call or with multiple people at once, you’ll need to upgrade to Skype Premium. Follow this guide to share your screen on both Windows and Mac.
Steps
- Launch Skype. Sign into your Skype account. Sign in by using your Skype name and password that you created when you signed up for your Skype account, then click “Sign In”. After you sign in, a list of the contacts you have added while using Skype will appear on the left side of the screen.
- Start a voice or video call with a contact. You can share your screen through either voice or video calls. Screen sharing with a video call requires Skype Premium. If you don’t have it and try to initiate a screen share, you will be informed that you need to revert to the free call (no video).
- You can only share your screen with one other person unless you have Skype Premium. With Premium, you can share your screen with up to 10 other Skype users.
- Both Skype users must be running the most current version of Skype in order to use screen sharing.
- You must have a broadband internet connection to share your screen. Dial-up connections do not support screen sharing.
- Click the blue “+” button during the call. The button in located next to the red “hang up” icon. This will open a small menu. Select “Share screens” to open the Screen Sharing options.
- For Mac, the “+” sign is in a speech bubble icon and is not blue.
- Check your screen preview. Before you start sharing your screen, you can check out a preview of what will be shown. Double-check that there is nothing that you want to keep hidden displayed.
- You can share a specific window instead of your whole screen by clicking the down arrow button in the corner of the window. Select “Share window” and then choose the window that you want to share. For Mac, click the dropdown menu at the top of the window, and select “Share a window”.
- Click Start to begin sharing your screen. Your contact will be able to see your screen, and anything that you do on it. When you are finished sharing your screen, click the “Stop sharing” button.
- Only one person can share their screen at a time.
Video
Template:Video:Screen Share on Skype
Tips
- Be aware of any bandwidth limitations that your Internet service has as screen sharing and video calling could use a great deal of bandwidth transfer.
- You should only screen share if you have sufficient Internet speed to support a video call.
- If you are the person being called, select the “Answer with Video” button when the incoming call screen appears as seen in the image below.
- When doing selection screen sharing, your contact will only be able to see the area you have selected on your screen signified by the screen sharing box on your screen.
Warnings
- Once you share your screen they can't see you at the same time!
- Be aware that Internet quality may cause your video call freeze momentarily.
- Only select things on your screen that you are fully willing to share with your contact.
- If you have the preinstalled Windows version of Skype, share screens will not show up.
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- Rediscover Your Skype Name
- Access Entertainment and Information Services With Skype
- Use MeetSkype
- Run Two Skype Accounts at the Same Time
