To screen share on Discord, join a voice channel (or start a DM call), click the Share Your Screen icon in the voice panel at the bottom left, pick an application window or a whole screen, set quality, then click Go Live. Free accounts stream at up to 720p and 30fps; Nitro goes up to 4K and 60fps.
How do you screen share in a Discord server?
From Discord's help article Go Live and Screen Share, on the Windows desktop app:
- Join a voice channel where you're allowed to stream. Screen sharing sits behind the Video permission, which is on by default but often switched off in big servers.
- Click the screen streaming icon (Share Your Screen) in the voice status panel near the bottom left corner. A picker pops out.
- Choose an application window or an entire screen. The picker has separate tabs for applications and screens.
- Check the stream settings: resolution, frame rate and the Hide stream preview box, which stops people outside the stream from seeing a thumbnail of it.
- Click Go Live. A small picture-in-picture window shows what viewers see. Hover it for the settings gear or to end the stream.
Streaming a game works a little differently. Discord needs to recognise the game through its built-in game detection (add it manually under User Settings > Game Activity if it doesn't). Then you can also start the stream from the in-game overlay with Shift + `, choose Stream, and Go Live without alt-tabbing out.
How do you screen share in a Discord DM or group call?
- Open the DM and start a call with the phone or video icon in the top header.
- Click the Share Your Screen icon in the call.
- Pick an application or a screen, choose your quality settings, and click Go Live.
Mid-stream, the Change Window option lets you swap to another app without stopping. That's the move when a demo jumps from a browser to a code editor.
Should you share an application or your whole screen on Discord?
| Discord option | What viewers see | Notifications? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application (one window) | That app only, even if other windows overlap it | Not captured | Games, a browser, a single program |
| Screen | The whole monitor | Captured, including Discord's own pop-ups and Windows toasts | Hopping between apps, desktop walkthroughs |
| Game via overlay | The detected game window | Not captured | Streaming gameplay to friends |
There's a technical wrinkle on Windows worth knowing. Discord's capture documentation says its long-standing method for application windows injects a signed DLL into the app to grab frames, while on Windows 11 the default is Windows Graphics Capture. Windows Graphics Capture doesn't work with full screen exclusive games, so if a game streams as a black window, switch the game's display mode to Borderless.
What resolution can you stream on Discord without Nitro?
Everyone can stream at up to 720p and 30fps. Nitro (and Nitro Classic) subscribers can go up to 4K at 60fps, and Nitro on iOS allows 1080p at 60fps. To change it during a stream, hover over your picture-in-picture window, click the gear and choose Stream Quality. In a DM, use the down arrow next to the stream instead. Streaming from the browser version doesn't let you change quality at all.
Our take: 720p/30 is fine for slides, code and documents. Text stays readable as long as you share one window rather than a 1440p ultrawide desktop that gets squashed down. It's games and video that look rough without Nitro.
How do you screen share with sound on Discord?
Audio comes along automatically when you share an application, as long as you're on the Windows desktop app, the macOS desktop app, Chrome, or the mobile apps. Firefox, other browsers and Linux can't share app audio. If friends hear nothing, check two things: that you shared the app (not a screen) with audio support, and that the viewer hasn't muted the stream. Viewers can right-click the stream to find Mute and Stream Volume.
How do you share only one monitor on Discord?
Open the picker and switch to the screens tab. Each display appears as its own thumbnail. Pick the monitor you want to show. Everything on the other monitor stays private, which is why many streamers keep Discord itself and their chat on the second screen.
Discord has no annotation or drawing tool for screen shares, so if you need to point at things, use your mouse cursor or a whiteboard app on the shared screen.
How do you stop screen sharing on Discord?
Click the screen share icon in the voice panel again, or hover the picture-in-picture window and end the stream from there. Leaving the voice channel also ends the stream.
How do you screen share on Discord on Mac, in a browser or on mobile?
Mac
Same steps. macOS asks for Screen & System Audio Recording permission the first time; grant it and restart Discord. Discord has a separate article on macOS screen share with audio.
Browser
Screen sharing works at discord.com in Chrome, with the browser's own picker. You can't change stream quality, and only Chrome carries audio.
Android and iPhone
From Discord's Mobile Screenshare FAQ: while in voice, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and tap Screenshare (in a video call it's in the bottom row of controls). Tap Start now on the system prompt. To end, tap Stop Sharing in the call or Stop Streaming in your notification panel. Android needs version 5 or later to share the screen and Android 10 or later to share audio, and apps like Netflix and Spotify block it.
Why is my Discord screen share black or lagging?
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Black screen when streaming a game | The game runs in full screen exclusive mode, which Windows Graphics Capture can't grab | Set the game to Borderless; test with Win + G (if the game minimises, it's exclusive) |
| Black screen when sharing anything | GPU or driver conflict | User Settings > Voice & Video > Video, turn off Hardware Acceleration; update graphics drivers |
| Black screen for Netflix or similar | DRM-protected video blocks capture | Not fixable from Discord |
| No audio for viewers | Sharing a screen rather than an app, unsupported browser, or viewer muted the stream | Share the application; use the desktop app or Chrome; ask the viewer to check Stream Volume |
| Stream lags or drops frames | Quality set above your upload speed | Lower resolution or frame rate under Stream Quality |
| No Share Your Screen icon | Your role lacks the Video permission in that server or channel | Ask a server admin to enable Video for your role |
| Game isn't listed | Game detection didn't pick it up | User Settings > Game Activity > Add it |
Discord's voice and video troubleshooting guide also suggests checking that Discord has screen access in your system's privacy settings.
What can others see when you screen share on Discord?
With an application share, only that app. With a screen share, everything on that monitor, which in a Discord context often means DMs popping up, server names in notification toasts, and your friends list if you click back into Discord mid-stream. Servers also show a live preview thumbnail of your stream to members who aren't watching yet, unless you tick Hide stream preview.
Discord's built-in protection is Streamer Mode (User Settings > Streamer Mode). It can hide personal information like emails and account connections, hide invite links, and disable Discord's sounds and desktop notifications. It can switch on automatically when OBS or XSplit is running. It doesn't touch notifications from other apps, so pair it with Windows Do not disturb; our guide to hiding notifications while screen sharing has the steps.
Want notes, a checklist or an AI chat on screen while you stream the whole desktop? Share one application if you can. If you can't, use a window that's excluded from screen capture. Windows lets an app flag its own window with WDA_EXCLUDEFROMCAPTURE, and capture tools that go through Windows skip it. We compare that with the other options in how to hide a window from screen share.
AuraCloak is an AI chat overlay that Discord streams leave out, even when you share your whole screen.
Get AuraCloakAuraCloak is an invisible AI overlay for Windows that works this way. Discord, OBS and Xbox Game Bar captures don't include it, and you toggle it with Ctrl + Alt + Space. It won't hide from a camera filming your monitor or from a hardware capture card on your HDMI output, since those never go through Windows capture.
FAQ
Why can't I screen share on Discord?
In a server, your role probably lacks the Video permission for that voice channel; ask an admin. On a Mac, Discord also needs Screen & System Audio Recording permission. In a browser other than Chrome, features like audio are limited.
Can you screen share on Discord without Nitro?
Yes. Every account can screen share at up to 720p and 30fps. Nitro raises the limit to 4K at 60fps on desktop, and 1080p at 60fps on iOS.
How do I fix a black screen when streaming on Discord?
Turn off Hardware Acceleration under User Settings, Voice and Video, Video. For games, switch from full screen exclusive to Borderless, because Windows Graphics Capture can't capture exclusive full screen. DRM video like Netflix always shows black.
How many people can watch a Discord stream?
A Go Live stream supports up to 50 concurrent viewers plus the broadcaster, and up to 50 people can share video or screens at once in a voice channel.
Does Discord screen share include sound?
Yes, when you share an application from the Windows or macOS desktop app, Chrome, or the mobile apps (Android 10 or later for audio). Linux and browsers other than Chrome can't share app audio.