Productivity Tools

How to Screen Share on Windows

clicking share on a webpage in a browser window on a laptop

If you regularly use a Windows computer, especially for work, you will undoubtedly run into a situation where you will need to share your screen with others. For example, you may need to give a presentation, help a client with a software problem, get technical assistance, or share project feedback with coworkers. Though these situations are varied, they all require the ability to share your screen. With these circumstances, you need access to a tool that lets you screen share in Windows.

In this article, we will discuss how to screen share for Windows 10 and Windows 11 using both native tools and downloadable software. First, we will discuss the two methods for screen sharing that use pre-installed software on Windows. Then, we will cover 4 screen share apps for Windows and their respective use cases. By the end, you should know how to screen share in Windows and which software is best for your screen sharing needs.

Screen Share in Windows with Native Tools

There are 2 ways to screen share on Windows 10 and Windows 11 without downloading additional tools. These 2 methods are:

  •  Using Quick Assist to allow remote control of your screen
  • Turning on screen mirroring to project your screen to another device (and vice versa)

Which method you choose to use will depend on the reason you want to share your screen. Below, we discuss each method in full and include instructions for how to turn on screen share permissions for each Windows tool. If neither of these methods fit your use case, then proceed to the section on third-party screen sharing apps for Windows.

Quick Assist

With Quick Assist, you can let another Windows computer take remote control of your screen. You can use Quick Assist to get remote technical assistance or to access your own device remotely. Quick Assist comes pre-installed on Windows 10 and 11 devices. Follow these instructions to give remote access to your screen:

1. Get an access code from the device being used to remotely access your screen. This access code can be found by going to Quick Assist and then clicking the “Assist another person” button. Pressing this button will redirect the user to a window that includes the security code as well as a countdown timer until the code expires. The code will expire if not used in 10 minutes.

share security code on windows quick assist

2. Open Quick Assist on the computer that will be remotely accessed.

3. Input the access code from step 1 into the form field “Code from assistant”, then press the “Share screen” button.

get assistance screen on microsoft quick assist featuring code from assistant input

4. The other device will now be able to remotely view and control your screen.

Screen Mirroring

Screen mirroring lets you project your screen to a nearby device, or project the screen of a nearby device to your Windows computer. Keep in mind that screen mirroring only works with other Windows computers or Wi-Fi devices that have Miracast.

To let your Windows connect to another device for screen mirroring, first you must turn on the “Wireless Display” feature. To do so, go to Settings>Apps>Optional Features. You can check whether Wireless Display is already installed on the “installed features” list. If it is not installed, then click on the “View features” button next to “Add an optional feature”. Find “Wireless Display” on the pop-up window, check the box next to, then click “Next”. On the next window, click “Install” to begin the installation process.

add an optional feature window with wireless display circled in red

Once Wireless Display is installed, follow these instructions to start mirroring your screen:

  1. On the device you want to project to, go to Settings>System>Projecting to this PC.
  2. Adjust your settings to determine when other devices can project to your device and whether to require a PIN for connecting.
system > projecting to this pc settings

3. Open the Connect app on the Windows device you want to project to.

MSI is ready for you to connect wirelessly window

4. On the device you want to project the screen from, go to the screen mirroring settings. They may be called cast settings instead of some devices. If the screen you want to share is on a PC, you can select the Windows logo key + K to open these settings.

5. Select the device you want to project your screen to. If the device doesn’t show up, then click “Find other devices” to go into your Devices settings. Then, click the “Add device” button. Click on “Wireless display or dock” and select the device you want to screen share to.

add a device window next to bluetooth & devices settings window

6. The screen should now be displayed in your selected device on the Connect app. If the screen still isn’t showing up, then press Ctrl+S to open the Settings menu and make sure the device is listed under “Allowed Devices” and not under “Blocked Devices”. If it is blocked, Then go to the “Devices” settings and make sure that it has permission to screen share.

device access list settings with columns for allowed devices and blocked devices

For more assistance, go to Microsoft’s Support page.

Best Screen Sharing Apps for Windows

Unfortunately, Windows native screen sharing tools have several limits. For example, you cannot audio or video call while sharing your screen. The tools also do not enable Windows-Mac screen sharing. If you need more functionality in your screen share Windows tool, then you will need to download third-party screen sharing software.

Fortunately, there are many such software available. Listed below are 4 of the best screen sharing apps for Windows. Each app is best for a specific use case, so whether you need to share videos of your screen, get remote access, or share your screen with audio, there is an app that will work for you.

Best for Screencasts – Droplr

screen record window on droplr

Droplr for Windows offers a screencast app that lets you share your screen with screenshots and screen recordings. With Droplr, you can record your entire screen or a set part of it with optional audio recording and webcam. After completing your screen capture, you can add annotations or trim it down as needed. You can easily share your screencast with others by simply copying and pasting a generated short link. When your recipient clicks on the link, they can access the screen share’s location in the cloud and view it from their browser.

Droplr is perfect for quickly sharing your screen to provide feedback, help a customer, or demonstrate an issue to a co-worker. That’s why Droplr is the best screen sharing app for businesses. For more information, visit the Droplr product guide or contact us for a free demo.

Best for Video Messaging – Covideo

manage covideo on dashboard

Covideo lets you share your screen over email and text message with embedded videos. With Covideo, you can record your Windows computer (or mobile device) and send videos in seconds. When you send a video, Covideo automatically embeds it into your message as an animated preview. When your recipient clicks on the video, they access a landing page that you can customize with your logo, website, and CTA buttons. Best of all, you can perfect your screen shares with video annotations, auto-generated subtitles, and embedded links.

Covideo provides the best way to share your screen from your favorite messaging platform. You can even share videos on your company’s CRM or use an embed code to add them to any platform. Ultimately, Covideo is a great choice for sales and marketing teams as well as support staff who use video to help customers.

Best for Remote Access – TeamViewer

man sitting on a computer using teamviewer to remote access another computer

Are you looking for a solution that both shares your screen and offers remote access to it? Then TeamViewer is the app for you. With TeamViewer, you can let a remote person access your Windows computer from any device – it doesn’t even have to be another Windows! To use the software, simply install the program on both devices, then enter the set ID and password. The remote user will then have full access to the target device.

TeamViewer is primarily used by IT and customer support specialists to fix software issues. However, you can also use it to remotely access your devices to grab files, do maintenance, or monitor usage. Even better, TeamViewer is completely free for private, non-commercial use. In all, TeamViewer is the ideal choice if you need to share your screen for remote help or access.

Best for Quick Screen Sharing – Screenleap

using screenleap on a laptop to share a graph online

Of all the options on this list, Screenleap offers the easiest way to quickly show your screen to others from a website. With Screenleap, you can share your Windows screen instantly from your Chrome browser without signing in to an app or installing software. All you have to do is go to the website, click “Share your screen now!”, and share your meeting link.

Best of all, Screenleap is completely free to use for up to 40/minutes a day. You can also add up to 8 viewers to your screen share. As such, Screenleap is the best solution for quick and easy screen sharing with multiple viewers. In particular, it is perfect for sharing a presentation, discussing progress on a project, or showing off a new digital tool.

Want More Options? Check Out These Guides

If none of the above options fulfill your Windows screen share needs, you can check out our guides on the top 10 screen sharing apps for desktop sharing, best free screen sharing software, and best browser sharing websites. If you use Google Chrome, you can also learn all about Chrome screen sharing extensions.

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