Screen sharing: how it works and how to share safely

What is screen sharing?

Screen sharing shows what is on your screen, a single window or a browser tab to the other people in a call, so they can follow a document, a demo or a problem as it happens.

How screen sharing works

The browser or app captures the chosen screen, window or tab as a video stream and sends it to the other participants like a second camera. The first time, the browser asks for screen sharing permissions, and on some systems the operating system must allow it too.

Share a window or the entire screen?

Sharing one window or tab is safer: people see the presentation, not your notifications, your other tabs or a private message that pops up. Share the entire screen only when you need to move between applications during the call.

Screen sharing tips

  • Close or hide anything private before you start.
  • Turn on do-not-disturb so notifications stay hidden.
  • Make text bigger; small text becomes unreadable over video.
  • Say what you are about to show before you show it.

Screen sharing privacy comes down to what is visible, so choosing a window and tidying your desktop matter more than any setting.

Sharing in Arkenso Meet

In Arkenso Meet you share your screen from the browser during a call, alongside chat, reactions and a raised hand for when you do not want to interrupt.

Last reviewed 2026-11-01.

Related terms

  • WebRTC — WebRTC is an open web standard that lets browsers send audio, video and data directly to each other in real time, without plugins or a downloaded app.
  • Video conferencing — Video conferencing is a live meeting between people in different places using video and audio over the internet, usually with screen sharing and chat, from a browser, an app or a meeting-room system.
  • Local recording — Local recording saves a meeting recording to the computer of the person who records it, rather than to the meeting provider’s servers.

All glossary terms →