Teams Share Window vs Screen: Which Should You Pick?

What's the difference between sharing a window and a screen in Teams?

Both live in the same share tray (select Share in the meeting controls; see Microsoft's share content article). The difference is what Teams captures.

Notice the audio row. People assume Window sharing limits sound to that app. It doesn't: Microsoft says that with Include sound on, "All sound from your computer, including notifications, will be audible in the meeting." Window keeps notifications out of the picture, not out of the audio.

When should you share a window in Teams?

Most of the time. Pick Window when:

• You're presenting from one app: a browser, Excel, a PDF, a design tool.
• You have chat, email or a messaging app open that you'd rather nobody reads.
• You're on a single laptop screen with no second monitor to hide things on.
• You want your notes visible to you in another window.

The cost is small but real. A dialog box (Save As, an Excel Format Cells box, a browser permission prompt) is often its own window, so viewers might not see it. You'll say "I'm clicking OK now" a few times. And if you minimise the shared app, there's nothing to capture.

One tip: maximise the window before you share. A small window gets scaled up on viewers' screens and text turns soft, while a maximised one fills their view at the right size.

When should you share your screen in Teams?

Share your screen when the content won't stay inside one app:

• A live demo that moves between a browser, a terminal and a desktop app.
• You need to annotate. Teams annotation runs on Microsoft Whiteboard and locks the screen while it's on (Microsoft Support: Use annotation while sharing your screen). It's designed for screen shares, so if the Annotate button doesn't show up while sharing a window, switch to Screen.
• You're troubleshooting with someone and they need to see system dialogs, the taskbar or the Settings app.
• You have a second monitor that holds only what you want to show. Sharing that monitor gives you screen-sharing flexibility with window-sharing privacy.

Before you click it, take ten seconds: turn on Windows Do not disturb, close chat apps you don't need, and check the browser tab bar for tab titles you wouldn't want read aloud.

When is PowerPoint Live better than both?

For slides. Share the PowerPoint file from the share tray instead of the window or screen, and Teams renders the deck for attendees while you get speaker notes, a slide grid and the meeting chat. None of that presenter view is sent. Attendees' Teams loads the slides directly rather than watching a compressed video of your screen, so small text stays crisp.

The catch: it's PowerPoint only, and animations or embedded videos sometimes behave differently than in a normal slideshow. Rehearse once with a colleague if the deck is animation-heavy.

Can you switch from window to screen sharing during a Teams meeting?

Yes. Select Stop sharing, then Share again and pick the other option. It takes about five seconds, and your audio and video stay on. On Windows 11 you can also hover over an app on the taskbar and select Share this window to switch straight to a new window during a Teams call.

The full walkthrough for every Teams share option, including Mac and mobile, is in how to share your screen on Teams.

How private is each Teams sharing mode?

Teams only sends what you pick. It can't watch apps you didn't share; our page on whether Teams can see other windows goes deeper on that. In practice:

• Window: private by default. Leaks come from audio (with Include sound on) or from opening something sensitive inside the shared app, like your inbox in the same browser window.
• Screen: anything on that monitor is fair game, especially notifications. Teams on mobile is explicit about it: sharing your screen shows "your entire screen, including notifications and other activity."

If you want notes or an AI assistant in view while sharing the whole screen, put them on a monitor you don't share, or use a window that Windows excludes from capture with WDA_EXCLUDEFROMCAPTURE (Windows 10 version 2004 and later). Both are compared in how to hide a window from screen share, and our guide to hiding notifications while screen sharing handles the toast problem.

AuraCloak is an invisible AI overlay for Windows built on that flag. It lets you pick Screen for the flexibility and still keep a private notes or AI panel on top. It won't hide from anyone looking at your actual monitor.

FAQ

Is it better to share a window or the screen in Teams?

Share a window for most meetings. It shows only one app and keeps notifications and other apps private. Share your screen when you need to switch between apps, show system dialogs, or annotate.

Does sharing a window in Teams hide notifications?

Yes, visually. Windows notifications are separate windows, so they aren't part of a window share. If Include sound is on, notification sounds are still shared, because Teams shares all computer sound.

Why can't participants see my dialog box when I share a window in Teams?

Dialog boxes and some menus open as separate windows, so they're outside the window you shared. Share your screen instead if viewers need to see every dialog.

Can I annotate when sharing a window in Teams?

Teams annotation is designed around screen sharing. If the Annotate button isn't available while you share a window, stop sharing and share your screen instead.

Should I share my screen or PowerPoint Live for slides in Teams?

Use PowerPoint Live. Attendees see the slides, and you see speaker notes and a slide grid that aren't shared. Slides are rendered for each attendee rather than streamed as video, so text stays sharp.