Showing a client your work or presenting a presentation to your coworkers virtually can be difficult if you’ve never done it before. However, you can share your device’s screen during a live meeting.
There are many professional video conference calling platforms that allow for screen sharing. Platforms such as Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, and Google Hangouts all offer this feature. While accessing the feature isn’t too hard, if you are unfamiliar with the tool, then it might halt your conference for a few seconds. You want your conferences to go as smoothly as possible, so it’s important to know how to use the feature no matter what platform your clients or coworkers want to meet on.
We will go over how you can screen share on all the platforms listed earlier. But first, let’s dive into what screen sharing is first.
What is screen sharing?
Screen sharing is a feature of many video call services. When you share, everyone in the call will be able to see everything being displayed on your device. So it’s equivalent to you projecting your computer screen to a nearby television. Everything you see on your screen, others will see. It is very useful for showing videos, presentations, images, or workshopping how a work software works to employees
How to screen share
Zoom

While Zoom has long been one of the more refined video conferencing platforms, it’s springboarded into being one of the most used in recent times. As more professionals flock to the platform, they’re learning how Zoom works and figuring out how to screen share. This is how you do it and what you’ll experience when using the feature:
1. Make sure you have everything up and ready on your screen before screen sharing.
2. While in a video call, select Share. Zoom will automatically switch to full screen. However, you can exit this mode if you choose.
3. Use the share screen menu if you need to. The meeting controls will be moved into a menu you can drag around your screen. In the menu, you will have the option to pause share and display annotation tools for drawing and adding text. These options will be accompanied by the other tools you have before sharing.
4. Your video will be displayed alongside the rest of the participant’s video
Skype

Skype has been around for a while and is one of the most refined video conferencing platforms. Though recently it’s been challenged by Zoom, Skype is still one of the top dogs and continuing to grow. For instance, it just doubled its max conference call limit to 50 people at a time. That is a lot of people to present to effectively, but Skype supports screen sharing, making it easier. Here’s how screen sharing works on Skype:
1. While in a Skype call (can work for either audio or video calls) select the overlapping box icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen
2. To turn on screen share, switch the screen share button ON. You will also have the option to include computer sound. If this is on, everyone in the call will be able to hear the audio coming from whatever media is playing on your screen.
3. You will know if the share feature is on when the borders of your display become red.
4. Your camera will still be visible to everyone while you are sharing
Microsoft Teams

Microsoft has its own video conferencing platform and it’s called Microsoft Teams. During a meeting in Microsoft Teams, at times it will be helpful to share your screen. It is easy and fast today. This is how you do it:
1. Go to the bottom-middle corner of the screen and select chat control options. Note that if you are running Linux, you will not have the option to screen share. It isn’t supported.
2. Select the icon with a square box and an arrow. This is the Share icon. It’s the third icon on the left
3. You will get the option to choose either to display your entire screen of just an application
4. You will know it is screen sharing when the outline of your screen turns red.
Google Hangouts

Last but not least on our list is Google Hangouts. One of the positives about Google Hangouts is that many companies already use Google to communicate, so it is much more seamless to use Google Hangouts than to sign up for another video conferencing software. You can also use the screen share tool as well:
1. In a call, click the three dots in the top-right corner of the screen
2. Select Share Screen
3. Choose either to display your entire screen or just an application window
4. Click Share
Use screen sharing to make your meetings more effective
All of these platforms support screen sharing and allow you to use your camera during the call to further increase engagement. Many of the screen sharing tools act in very similar ways across each platform, so you are now prepared to use the feature no matter what platform you, your client or your coworkers choose to use.
Image courtesy: HipChat