Turn on screen sharing in Zoom on your Mac

To share your screen during a Zoom call, click the Share Screen button in the meeting controls at the bottom of the Zoom window. It appears as a green box with an arrow pointing outward, usually to the right of the mute and video buttons. A menu will open showing what you can share — your entire screen, a single process window, or just a portion of your screen.

Choose what you want to share. If you select Screen, Zoom will share everything visible on your monitor. If you select an process name like Safari or Google Chrome, only that window will be visible to other participants, even if you switch to other windows on your Mac. The Portion option lets you drag a rectangle around just the area you want others to see.

Once you make your choice, click Share. A red border will appear around your screen or window to show that sharing is active. Everyone in the meeting can now see what you selected. To stop sharing, click the Stop Share button that replaces the Share Screen button, or press the keyboard shortcut Control + Command + S.

Key Takeaways

  • The Share Screen button is in the meeting controls at the bottom of the Zoom window and opens a menu of what you can share.
  • You can share your entire screen, a single process window, or a selected portion of your screen.
  • A red border around your screen shows that sharing is active and visible to all participants.
  • Stop sharing by clicking Stop Share or pressing Control + Command + S on your keyboard.
  • Only the person who started the meeting can share their screen unless the host has given permission to other participants.

Share only one process instead of your whole screen

Sharing a single process is safer than sharing your entire screen, because other participants cannot see your desktop, notifications, or other open windows. This is useful when you are presenting a document, spreadsheet, or website but want to keep your email, calendar, or other private windows hidden.

When you click Share Screen, the menu shows a list of open applications. Find the one you want to share — for example, Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or your web browser — and click it. Only that process window will appear to other participants. If you minimize the window or switch to another process on your Mac, the shared window will go blank for everyone else until you bring it back to the front.

Share part of your screen using the Portion option

The Portion option in the Share Screen menu lets you draw a rectangle around only the part of your screen you want to show. This is useful when you want to highlight a specific section of a document, a chart within a larger spreadsheet, or a particular area of a website without showing the rest of your screen.

Click Share Screen, then select Portion. Your cursor will change to a crosshair. Click and drag to draw a rectangle around the area you want to share. Release the mouse button, and Zoom will share only that rectangular area. The rest of your screen remains hidden from participants. You can move your mouse freely within the shared area, and other participants will see your cursor movements.

Give other participants permission to share their screens

By default, only the meeting host can share their screen. If you are hosting the meeting and want to let other participants share, you need to change the meeting settings. During the call, click the Participants button at the bottom of the window to open the participants panel on the right side.

In the participants panel, look for the option to allow screen sharing. On some versions of Zoom, this appears as a button labeled Allow participants to share screen or similar text. Click it to enable sharing for everyone in the meeting. Participants will then see the Share Screen button in their own meeting controls and can share their screens with your permission.

If you want to prevent a specific participant from sharing after you have enabled it for the group, right-click their name in the participants panel and select the option to disable screen sharing for that person.

Troubleshoot screen sharing that will not start

If the Share Screen button is grayed out or does not respond when you click it, check whether you are the meeting host. Participants cannot share unless the host has given them permission. Ask the host to enable screen sharing in the meeting settings.

If you are the host and the button still does not work, try closing Zoom completely and reopening it. Sometimes the process needs to be restarted. Make sure your Mac has the latest version of Zoom installed by opening Zoom, clicking the menu in the top left corner, and selecting Check for Updates. An outdated version may have bugs that prevent sharing from working.

If sharing starts but freezes or becomes very slow, the problem is usually your internet connection or your Mac's processor being overloaded. Close other applications running in the background, especially those using video or graphics. Restart your Mac if the problem continues. You can also try sharing a single process window instead of your entire screen, which uses less processing power.

Pause sharing without stopping it completely

Zoom allows you to pause screen sharing temporarily without stopping it entirely. While you are sharing, look for the Pause Share button in the meeting controls or in a floating toolbar that appears near your shared screen. Click it to hide your screen from participants for a moment — for example, if you need to check something private or take a break from presenting.

When you click Pause Share, participants will see a frozen image of your last shared screen. They cannot see any changes you make on your Mac while sharing is paused. Click Resume Share to show your screen again. This is different from stopping sharing entirely, which closes the sharing session and requires you to click Share Screen again to restart.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can participants see my cursor when I am sharing my screen?

Yes, other participants can see your mouse cursor move across the shared screen. Some versions of Zoom also let you highlight your cursor with a spotlight effect to draw attention to where you are pointing. You can enable this in your Zoom settings under Share Screen options.

What happens if I switch applications while sharing my screen?

If you are sharing your entire screen, participants will see you switch to a different process. If you are sharing a single process window, the shared window will go blank until you bring it back to the front. To avoid this, use the single-process sharing option when presenting.

Can I share my screen and use my Mac at the same time?

Yes, you can continue working on your Mac while sharing. Other participants will see everything you do on the shared screen or process. Be careful not to open private windows or notifications while sharing, as they will be visible to everyone in the meeting.

Does screen sharing use a lot of internet bandwidth?

Screen sharing uses more bandwidth than a regular video call, especially if you are moving windows or scrolling quickly. If your internet connection is slow, sharing may become choppy or freeze. Closing other applications and reducing the amount of movement on your screen can help improve performance.