{"id":47989,"date":"2021-02-26T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-26T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/helpdeskgeek.com\/?p=47989"},"modified":"2025-01-30T23:57:21","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T04:57:21","slug":"discord-screen-share-not-working-6-ways-to-fix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/helpdeskgeek.com\/discord-screen-share-not-working-6-ways-to-fix\/","title":{"rendered":"Discord Screen Share Not Working? 6 Ways to Fix"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

While Discord is a great platform for communication, it\u2019s more than just a way to send messages. One useful Discord feature is the ability to share your screen with others, letting others see the games you\u2019re playing or the software you\u2019re using. If your Discord screen share is not working, however, you\u2019ll need to troubleshoot the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a number of causes that could be behind this issue, from missing permissions to outdated hardware. If you\u2019re trying to fix a broken Discord screen share on your PC or mobile device, you\u2019ll need to follow the steps below to resolve the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t

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Add Applications to Your Discord Profile<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re trying to share your Discord screen as you\u2019re playing a game or running software in the desktop app (but not through the website), you may need to add it to your Discord profile. This instructs Discord to list it as a running application as you enable screen sharing, as well as updating your status to show you\u2019re running it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. To begin, open the Discord desktop app on your PC or Mac while the game you\u2019re looking to stream is open and running in the background. Next to your username in the bottom left corner, select the settings cog icon<\/strong>.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t
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    1. In the Settings<\/strong> menu, select the Game Activity <\/strong>option, listed under the Gaming Settings<\/strong> category.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t
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      1. If Discord doesn\u2019t identify a running game or open application, it\u2019ll show a No game detected <\/strong>message. To get around this issue, select the Add it <\/strong>option underneath.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t
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        1. Search through the list of open apps in the drop-down menu provided. Once you\u2019ve found your running game or software, select the Add Game<\/strong> option.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t
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          Once added, Discord should identify the game or app you\u2019re running and list it accordingly. When you go to start a screen share (either privately or in an audio channel), Discord will identify the software in your list of open applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Check Permissions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          Because of the privacy concerns<\/a>, it may be necessary for you to check and update Discord\u2019s permissions before you enable screen sharing. If the required permissions are blocked, Discord might not be able to record and stream your screen on any platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          1. To do this on Windows, you\u2019ll need to run the Discord app as an administrator. You can do this by opening the Start menu and finding the Discord app listed. Right-click the entry, then select the More <\/strong>> Run as Administrator <\/strong>option. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t
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            1. For Mac users, you\u2019ll need to open the System Preferences<\/strong> menu. You can do this by opening the Apple menu<\/strong> on the menu bar and selecting System Preferences<\/strong>.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t
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              1. In the System Preferences<\/strong> menu, select Security & Privacy <\/strong>> Privacy <\/strong>> Screen Recording<\/strong>. You may need to unlock access by selecting the Click the lock to make changes<\/strong> option beneath, then authenticating using your password or with Touch ID. Once unlocked, make sure to select the checkbox for Discord<\/strong> to allow it to read and record your screen, then restart the Discord app afterwards.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t
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                1. If you\u2019re using a web browser (like Google Chrome) for screen recording, you should be asked for permission to share your screen each time you start streaming. Make sure to select the correct screen, application window, or Chrome tab to share, then select the Share<\/strong> button to begin.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t
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                  Switch to Windowed Mode<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                  Unfortunately, Discord (at present) only supports screen sharing for applications and games that are windowed, meaning they\u2019re not full screen. If you attempt to stream a full screen application or game, your viewers will likely see a black screen instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  If you\u2019re running certain applications, you can usually switch to windowed mode by selecting the F11<\/strong> key on your keyboard (especially for browsers). You may also be able to switch to windowed mode by using the window controls in the top left (for Mac, while holding the Shift <\/strong>key) or top right (for Windows) sections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t

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                  To do this in games, however, you may need to access the settings menu. Make sure to choose windowed<\/strong> or borderless<\/strong> to ensure a near-full screen experience while allowing Discord to record and stream your screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  Disable Discord \u201cLatest Technology\u201d Settings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                  A setting in the Discord desktop app on Windows gives you the option to switch to Discord\u2019s \u201clatest technology\u201d for screen capture. Some users have reported that this causes screen sharing issues, including displaying a flickering or black screen during streaming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  1. To disable this feature and return to the (potentially more stable) legacy technology, open the Discord app on your Windows PC and sign in. Select the settings cog icon <\/strong>in the bottom left corner, next to your username, to access your settings.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t
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                    1. In the Discord Settings menu<\/strong>, select Voice & Video<\/strong> (listed under App Settings<\/strong>) from the menu on the left. From there, make sure to select the Use our latest technology to capture your screen<\/strong> slider, switching it to the Off<\/strong> position.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t
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                      Disable Hardware Acceleration for Older Computers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                      Hardware acceleration uses the power of your graphics card to help handle the load of certain CPU-intensive applications. Discord uses it to help balance your PC\u2019s system resources for certain tasks, such as screen sharing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      However, if your screen recording is stuttering or failing to work, it could point to an issue with hardware acceleration, especially on older PCs. You\u2019ll need to disable hardware acceleration entirely to resolve the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      1. In the Discord desktop app, select the settings cog icon<\/strong>, shown next to your username in the bottom left corner.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t
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                        1. Select Voice & Video <\/strong>in the Discord Settings menu<\/strong>. From there, select the H.264 Hardware Acceleration<\/strong> slider, switching it to the Off<\/strong> position.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t
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                          Switch Platforms or Reinstall<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                          If you\u2019re having trouble with Discord screen share not working, and the steps above haven\u2019t fixed the problem, you may need to switch platforms to find a resolution. For instance, if you\u2019re using the Discord desktop app, switching to the Discord web client could resolve the issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                          Alternatively, switching from your browser to the Discord app, or removing and reinstalling the app, could help to fix the problem. While a corrupt installation is unlikely, reinstalling Discord (or switching to a clean installation of the app) can be a good way to clear any conflicting cache files or settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t

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                          Discord is updated regularly with new bug fixes and feature releases. For the cutting edge fixes, you could think about switching to Discord Canary, the alpha testing release of Discord. While Discord Canary is considered unstable, it could include new bug fixes that resolve unknown issues with your screen recording.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                          Making Use of Discord<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                          If your Discord screen share isn\u2019t working, the steps above should help to resolve the issue. You can then make use of Discord\u2019s other features, such as the in-game overlay, to enhance your gameplay experience fully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                          If you\u2019re making a new Discord server, you\u2019ll be able to build a community to share your gameplay experiences with, too. Discord server admins can do more to expand Discord\u2019s functionality like adding Discord bots to play music<\/a> or to block bad words<\/a>. There are alternatives, however, with Slack available for more serious communities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                          While Discord is a great platform for communication, it\u2019s more than just a way to send messages. One useful Discord feature is the ability to share your screen with others, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":47990,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10359],"tags":[10410],"class_list":{"0":"post-47989","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-social-media","8":"tag-discord"},"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/helpdeskgeek.com\/wp-content\/pictures\/2021\/02\/1-Discord-Screen-Share-Featured.png","author_info":{"display_name":"Ben Stockton","author_link":"https:\/\/helpdeskgeek.com\/author\/bstockton\/"},"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t