Why Can't I Share My Screen on Microsoft Teams [Solved]

Written By Farhan Max

Imagine how anxious you would be if you couldn’t share your screen in a meeting. The embarrassment you would feel thinking about wasting your coworkers’ time while fixing the MS Teams’ screen share issue!

Trust me, I’ve been there.

And after that situation, I promised to find the root of this issue and fix it.

So, here I am, presenting you the solutions I found to fix the screen sharing problem on Microsoft Teams.

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Why can’t I share my screen on Microsoft teams?

You cannot share your screen in Microsoft Teams due to poor internet connection, RAM shortage, corrupted Windows cache files, and an outdated MS Teams app that might be causing your inconvenience. Sometimes, Windows Firewall can cause this issue too.

Stay with me till the end as I’m about to explain every reason behind the MS Teams’ screen sharing issue and hand you over their solutions.

How to Fix Can’t Share My Screen on MS Teams

Screen sharing is a key feature of the MS Teams app, which lets you present your slides and documents. You can also use the screen share option to train your teammate on some tasks.

Either way, it’s a basic need for a business communication platform.

So, let’s jump into the part of solving the issues causing you the screen sharing trouble in the MS Teams app.

Here are the steps to fix screen sharing issues on Microsoft Teams:

1. Request Screen-sharing Permission

If you don’t have the screen sharing permission, contact your MS Teams admins and ask them for screen sharing permission. You can go through your workplace’s policy of  MS Teams and be sure if you can ask for permission or not.

Check out our separate post on how to Fix Microsoft Teams Full Screen Not Working.

While in a meeting, the steps to enable screen sharing permission for everyone are as follow:

  • Click on the three-dot menu above the screen.
  • Click on Meeting Options.
  • Select Everyone under Who can bypass the lobby option.meeting-options

Now, anyone in the meeting will be able to share their screen.

But before that, do check our latest post on how to Fix Microsoft Teams Can’t See Shared Screen on PC.

2. Use Stable High-speed Internet Connection

After receiving the necessary permission, you will need high-speed internet access to ensure a seamless screen-sharing experience for you and your teammates.

Sharing your screen in an MS Teams meeting is comparable to streaming games. Both require streaming real-time activities on your screen. SO, contact your ISP or network admin and ask for their help to resolve issues regarding your internet connection.

They’ll help you fix your internet speed along with its stability, and then you’ll be able to share your screen in MS Teams without any issues.

3. Quit Background Apps

Before running the MS Teams app on your device, quit other unnecessary apps running in the background.

Background apps take a substantial amount of your device’s RAM, which leaves little memory for the MS Teams app. And, without enough RAM, the MS Teams app can’t run smoothly. When you choose to share your screen in that state, the MS Teams app fails to do that.

Follow these steps below to quit background apps before running the MS Teams app:

  • Right-click on the taskbar.
  • Select Task Manager.
  • Select any unnecessary apps.
  • Click End Task on the lower right corner of the window.click-end-task

Now you can make enough space on your ram and use MS Teams features like screen-sharing without any issue.

Also, check out our separate post on why can’t I create a team in Microsoft Teams.

4. Clear Junk Files

Clear previous session’s junk cache files created by the MS Teams app on your system folder. The cache files conflict and block you from using specific features like screen-sharing in the MS Teams app.

It also takes a substantial amount of storage on your hard disk. So, follow the steps below to delete the MS Teams’ cache files from your pc:

  • Press Win+R keys on your keyboard to open the Run
  • Type %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams on the dialog box and press Enter
  • Press Ctrl+A to select all the folders of the newly opened File Explorer’s window.press-the-delete
  • Press the Delete
  • Confirm by clicking Yes.

Now, open the MS Teams app and see if the issue is fixed.

Check out our latest fix for Microsoft Teams Error 80090030.

5. Lower Display Resolution

Higher screen resolution occupies more resources of your pc while processed for a screen sharing session. A Higher-resolution screen generates much more data, and your pc struggles to exchange this massive amount of data with MS Teams server for a screen-sharing purpose.

So, lower your screen resolution if you want to share your screen in an MS Teams meeting without any issue.

Here are the steps to lower your screen resolution:

  • Click on the Windows Start button on your keyboard.
  • Click on Settings.
  • Click on System.
  • Select Display from the left-hand menu.
  • Click Display resolution.
  • Choose a lower resolution.lower-resolution
  • Reboot your pc.

Now you can share your screen on a lower resolution without facing any issues.

6. Update the MS Teams App

Old is not always gold; at least it goes for pc softwares. Old softwares tends to have bugs and missing features compared to updated ones. So, update the MS Teams app to avoid any kind of setbacks.

Here’s how you can update the MS Teams app:

  • Open the MS Teams
  • Click on the three-dot menu.
  • Click on Check for updates.check-for-updates
  • Download and install if there’s an updated version of the app.
  • Restart your pc.

Now rerun the MS Teams app and join a meeting to check if the screen-sharing issue still occurs.

7. Use a Reliable Internet Browser

Lastly, If none of the above is causing you trouble because you use MS Teams in a browser then, this one’s for you.

You can’t use the MS Teams app in a browser except for Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. Because only these two chromium browsers can ensure you fully feature-packed browser version of the widely used MS Teams app.

So, If you’re using any browsers other than these two, change it immediately to fix your issues with screen-sharing in the MS Teams app.

Here are the steps to download and install Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome browser:

  • Download MS Edge and download Google Chrome.
  • Locate the downloaded file on your device.
  • Double click on the downloaded file.
  • Follow on-screen instructions to finish the installation process.
  • Open MS Teams in the browser and join a meeting to share your screen.

Now, check if the issue is gone for good.

Check out our expert-recommended error fixing, Microsoft Teams Error Code 42B.

How to Share My Screen in MS Teams

To enable the screen sharing feature in MS Teams for your team, go to Select Meetings>Meeting policies>Add>Give a title and description of your policy>Choose a mode for sharing screen under the Content Policy. Now members of your team can share their screens.

Sharing your screen in an MS Teams’ meeting is a convenient way to exhibit your slides or documents, train the employee on a task, etc. And, sharing your screen in an MS Teams meeting is child’s play.

Here are the steps to share your screen in an MS Teams’ meeting:

  1. Open the MS Teams app.
  2. Join in A meeting.
  3. Click on the Share content option at the top of the screen.
  4. Choose the kind of content you want to share from the pop-up menu.

Now, your screen is being shared with your teammates in the meeting. If you want to stop sharing, you can simply click on Stop presenting on the floating window of MS Teams’ screen sharing session. If it disappears, go to MS Teams, then click on the X inside a box icon on the bottom right corner of the screen.

You may ask:

How to give screen share control in MS Teams?

After starting to share your screen in MS Teams, click on Give control on the floating control menu. Select a participant’s name from the drop-down list, and you’re done. Again, if you want to revoke control, click on Take back control, and the control will be yours.

Why is My Screen Sharing Not Working on MS Teams?

If your screen sharing is not working, check if you have permission to share the screen. Some companies only permit senior employees to share screens. Make sure to use high-speed internet and lower your screen resolution to ensure seamless screen sharing.

The screen sharing issue pales the glory of Microsoft Teams as a fantastic business communication platform. As MS Teams is a relatively new development, many users like you and I have recently faced the screen sharing issue.

There are several issues related to software and hardware, which cause this problem. I’ve researched and listed all of them below, with short explanations to help you understand.

So, the reasons causing screen sharing issue in the Microsoft Teams app are:

Restriction of Screen-Sharing

If you cannot share your screen in the Microsoft Teams app, check if you have permission to do so.

Rules and regulations for MS Teams app vary from company to company. Some allow their employees to share their screens, whereas others restrict this feature for the sake of avoiding inconveniences from accidental screen shares.

So, contact your team admin and ask about the rules and regulations of the MS team of your workplace.

Unstable Internet Connection

Moving on to the next issue, check your internet connection if you have permission to share your screen in the MS Teams app but still can’t.

Sometimes, a lousy internet connection is the root of your problem. Screen sharing in any app requires immense data exchange through the internet to present real-time activities on your screen. MS Teams is no exception. It requires high-speed internet access to present your screen to your team. Otherwise, if you use a lousy internet connection, they will see a black screen in front of them. 

Shortage of RAM

Ram management issue is often the culprit behind the screen sharing issue in the MS Teams app. If you don’t have enough ram installed on your pc, you’ll face a struggle running this type of softwares.

Microsoft Teams requires a moderate amount of space in your memory to run its background processes and share your screen without any issue. If there isn’t enough ram or you’re running a couple of heavy softwares simultaneously, you’ll experience various issues like the inability to share your screen.

Conflicting Cache Files

Another reason for your inability to share the screen in MS Teams app is unnecessary cache files.

An app creates cache files to store data for a short time to run its background processes smoothly. But, these files can pile up and conflict with each other if you’re running your pc for a long time. When this happens, MS Teams’ background processes cannot perform as they should. Screen sharing service requires those processes to run without any complications.

Higher Display Resolution

I told you before that screen sharing requires a seamless high-speed internet connection to run smoothly. But, if your display resolution is very high, like 4k, then all your screen contents will start to stream in 4k resolution, putting immense pressure on your pc and router.

In that case, if you even have high-speed internet access, your pc will act like a rusty old locomotive engine and will struggle to perform.

Outdated MS Teams App

An outdated MS Teams app is another reason for you struggling to share your screen. Outdated softwares lack the latest algorithms, optimization, and features like the updated ones. That’s why you’ll face various complications while using outdated software.

So, if you didn’t update the MS Teams app in a while, you will have difficulties sharing your screen with your teammates in an MS Teams meeting.

Third-Party Browser

Finally, if you’re using a third-party browser other than the official MS Teams app, it might cause you the trouble of can’t share the screen. Third-party browsers can’t cope with the features of the MS Teams, like screen sharing.

There’s an unnecessary complication of bonding a communication service and a browser. You’ll be unable to use various features of MS Teams if you’re using it in a browser. Sometimes that missing feature might be the screen sharing option.

Final Thoughts

So, I’ve covered all the complications and issues behind why I can’t share my screen on Microsoft Teams. Follow my leads about finding out the problems and apply the solutions accordingly to overcome them.

Comment down below if you’ve any questions or have any troubles understanding any points. Our experts will try to answer any of your queries right away.

About The Author
Farhan Max is a tech geek with a particular interest in computer hardware. He's been fascinated by gaming since childhood and is now completing his undergraduate studies while researching and testing the latest tech innovations. Alongside his love for all things geeky, Farhan is also a skilled photographer.

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