If you’re having trouble with Zoom screen sharing not working, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Many people have reported this issue, and there are several ways to fix it.
I’ve outlined 10 checks below. Start with the host’s sharing permission and your device’s screen-recording permission, then work through the app and connection settings if sharing still fails.
First, check Zoom’s screen-sharing settings if a share starts but appears blank or freezes. The screenshots in this section show an older desktop app; the current settings are under your profile picture.
1. Open the Zoom desktop app, click your profile picture, and select Settings. The older screenshot shows a path through Audio Settings; use the profile menu in current versions.
2. Go to the “Share Screen” tab.
3. Open Share Screen > Advanced. The older screenshot shows Enable the remote control of all applications, which is for remote control and is not needed to share your screen. Leave it alone unless you specifically need that feature.
4. If the share is choppy on a limited connection, try Limit your screen share to … frames-per-second in Advanced settings. There is no universal under-10 setting; choose a lower rate only when bandwidth is the problem, then test again.
5. Exit the settings and check if the screen share works now.
2. Close Zoom from Task Manager
A stuck Zoom process can keep a failed share session alive. Quit Zoom completely, then reopen it and test a short share. On Windows, use Task Manager if the app will not close normally:
1. Open Task Manager.
2. Locate the Zoom processes and click “End Task.”
3. You might find multiple Zoom processes running. Close all of them by following step 2.
Next, open the application again and check if screen share works.
If you’re on a Mac, press Command + Option + Esc, select Zoom, and click Force Quit. Reopen Zoom afterward. If you are using the web app, restart the browser instead.
3. Check If Screen Sharing is Enabled for Participants
If you’re trying to share your screen, the host might not have enabled that option. Ask the host to check their settings. Here’s how they can allow it:
1. Open the Zoom Desktop app and join a meeting as a host.
2. In the meeting toolbar, open Host tools or the arrow beside Share. The screenshot shows the older Security menu; sharing controls have moved in some desktop versions.
3. Under sharing permissions, set Who can share to All participants if attendees need to present. In versions with the older Security menu, enable Share Screen under Allow Participants to.
3. If that control is unavailable, the host should check the web portal’s Screen sharing setting or ask an account administrator about a locked setting.
4. Check Your Internet Connection
A weak or unstable connection can make an active share freeze or appear blank. Test the connection, pause downloads or other heavy traffic, and try sharing one app window again. The screenshot below illustrates the older connection check.
5. Turn on Hardware Acceleration
Hardware acceleration can help on some systems, but it can also cause display problems. If viewers see a black or flickering share on Windows, Zoom recommends testing with Screen sharing hardware acceleration turned off. Note the original screenshots show an older settings layout.
Open the desktop app’s profile menu, then Settings > Share Screen > Advanced. Change only the relevant setting and test again, so you can tell whether it helped:
1. Select Share Screen in Zoom Settings. The screenshot shows the older tab location.
2. Open Advanced. On Windows, find Use hardware acceleration for > Screen sharing; the control can differ on macOS.
3. On Windows, if the share is black or flickers, clear Screen sharing under Use hardware acceleration for, then test again. Restore the setting if it makes no difference.
6. Stop Your Video Before Sharing Screen
If the computer is struggling, try Stop Video during the share, then share again. Zoom allows screen sharing while your camera is on; stopping video is an optional performance check.
7. Lower Your PC’s Display Resolution
If stopping video did not help and you use a high-resolution display, try a lower display resolution. Restore your preferred setting after testing if the share does not improve.
If you use high-resolution displays like 2K or 4K, lowering the screen resolution might help. This reduces strain on your system, potentially solving the screen sharing issue. Here’s how to do it:
1. Open your computer’s Settings and select System.
3. Select a lower resolution.
2. Under the Display option, open “Display resolution.”
8. Give Zoom Permission to Use the Camera
Camera access is separate from screen sharing. Check it only if your Zoom video also fails; the Windows screenshots below show the older camera permission controls. A Mac screen-share failure instead calls for the screen-recording permission described next.
Camera permission affects your video, not desktop screen sharing. The Windows camera screenshots below are useful only if your video also fails. For a Mac share that will not start, check System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording and allow Zoom, then restart the app when prompted.
2. Select Camera from the left menu.
1. Open the Settings app and head over to Privacy.
3. For a camera problem on Windows, turn on Allow desktop apps to access your camera. This will not grant screen-sharing permission. For a screen-share problem, use Zoom’s host permissions and, on macOS, Screen & System Audio Recording access instead.
9. Stop Other Apps Using the Camera
Restart Zoom after changing a device permission. On a Mac, choose the specific permission under System Settings > Privacy & Security: Camera for video or Screen & System Audio Recording for screen sharing.
If your camera also fails, another app may be using it. Close that app and test Zoom video separately. Camera conflicts do not explain a disabled Share button or missing macOS screen-recording permission. Here is how to close an unneeded app:
1. Open the Task Manager and click on the Processes tab.
2. End processes using the camera, like Skype.
3. Close any apps using the camera.
10. Update or Reinstall Zoom
If the share still fails, check for a Zoom app update before reinstalling. Restarting the app and installing the latest release are among Zoom’s recommended troubleshooting steps.
If you need to stop an unresponsive program on your Mac, use the Force Quit Application option.
1. Open Settings and go to Apps.
If an update does not help, note your current app version and try a short test meeting. If the problem happens only in one meeting, ask the host to recheck sharing permissions before reinstalling.
You can uninstall the app and then install the latest release. This will give you a fresh installation, which might resolve the issue. Here’s how to delete the old Zoom app and install the latest version:
2. Click on Zoom, then press Uninstall.
3. Confirm Uninstall when prompted. The older screenshots show the Windows Apps flow; menu names vary by Windows version.
4. Download and install the latest version from Zoom, then test screen sharing again.
