How To Enable Screen Share in Discord

Discord is a full-featured voice and text chat platform that allows you to set up large or small chat servers for your gaming, social, or business groups. However, what many people don’t know about Discord is that it also offers a complete video calling and screen sharing solution.

Discord allows you and up to nine other people on your server to do live video chats while simultaneously sharing desktops. This feature is built right into the main Discord app — there are no additional programs to install.

Screen sharing can be incredibly useful and makes Discord a real competitor to other meetings and video calling apps currently on the market. Aside from the added benefits of an alternative messaging application that does not pull unnecessary bandwidth while streaming or gaming; Discord and its screen share feature are free!

This article will show you how to configure and use the screen share and video calling features in Discord.

Setting Up Discord Screen Share & Video Call

To get started, we need to make sure your video and audio hardware are properly set up on your Discord client. Hook up whatever webcam and microphone you plan to use to video chat.

Video/Camera Settings

To begin:

1. Go to Settings (the cog icon just to the right of your username in the lower left-hand portion of the Discord interface.
   
2. Scroll to App Settings and select Voice and Video.
   
3. Scroll to the Video Settings section and select your video camera from the drop-down. Over to the right, you have the option to Test Video in order to make sure everything is working properly.
   

Web Browser Additional Steps

If you use the Discord browser app rather than the standalone client, you may need to enable camera access from the popup to use the device successfully.

If so, click the Allow button to confirm access.

This will give Discord permission to access your phone or computer’s microphone and camera to ensure that everything works properly.

Once you’re all set up, you can begin sharing your screen on Discord.

Sharing Your Screen

Once everything is set up and ready to go, you can share your screen within your video call. To do this:

1. Click on the server you’d like to share your screen with.
2. Click Screen.
   
3. Choose which screen you’d like to share.
   
4. Adjust your video quality.
   
5. Click Go Live.
   

The instructions for this portion are the same for PC, Mac, and web users.

Share Your Screen on Discord Mobile

Fortunately, you can easily share your screen on Discord’s mobile app too! If you’re on the go or just using your phone, you can follow these steps:

1. Open the Discord mobile app and access the server you’re working with. Then, tap to join a video call.
   
2. Next, tap on the option to share your screen at the bottom. You will need to confirm that you’d like to share your screen.
   
3. Upon confirmation, you will show everyone in the chat your screen.
   

When you’re ready to stop sharing your screen, tap the red hang-up icon in the lower right.

Using The Video Call & Screen Share Features (Smartphone)

The user interface for the smartphone version of the Discord app is somewhat different from the desktop version.

If you’re using Discord on your iPhone or Android, here are the different options and features you’ll have access to during a call.

Audio Output (iOS Only)

Located at the top-right of the screen alongside the Switch Camera icon, this option will allow you to swap the audio output between using your iPhone’s default speakers or a wireless headset. The icon is displayed as an iPhone with a speaker at the bottom right.

Switch Camera

You can seamlessly switch between your smartphone’s forward-facing and rear-facing cameras. The icon is displayed as a camera with a double-headed arrow.

Toggle Camera

Towards the bottom-center of your smartphone screen, the left-most icon is the Toggle Camera icon. Tap this icon to toggle your camera view on or off.

Toggle Mute

The right side icon at the bottom-center of your smartphone screen is the “Toggle Mute” button. Tap this to mute and unmute your phone’s mic during a Discord call.

Frequently Asked Questions

We have the answers to your more frequently asked questions in this section.

Does Discord charge to use the screen sharing feature?

No, Discord and all of its features are free. Although a Discord Nitro subscription ($9.99/mo. or $99.99/year) allows some additional features, you don’t need to pay to use screen sharing.

Why am I having trouble sharing my screen?

There are several reasons you may have difficulty with the audio or a video; check out this article for troubleshooting tips and fixes.

How do I hide non-participants while in grid view?

If you’re using Discord’s grid view and it is cluttered with others who are not Live with you, you can easily hide their screens from yours. All you need to do is click the three horizontal dots in the upper right-hand corner. Then, uncheck the box to Show Non-Video Participants.

Final Thoughts

Discord’s screen sharing feature is another benefit for users. You can show others what you are doing on your computer without having to download and log into another application.