How to Screen Share on Facebook

Sharing your screen on Facebook is a simple way to collaborate on a project, walk a family member through a tech problem, or host a live demo for your audience. Whatever your goal, we'll show you exactly how to do it. This guide covers how to screen share in Facebook Messenger on both desktop and mobile, plus a straightforward way to share your screen during a public Facebook Live video.

Why Screen Share on Facebook? More Than Just Tech Support

While helping your parents find a button on their computer is a classic use case, screen sharing on Facebook has become an incredibly versatile tool for personal and professional use. It transforms a simple video call into an interactive presentation, a collaborative workspace, or a virtual classroom.

For Businesses & Marketers

If you're building a brand, screen sharing is an underutilized way to connect with your community and provide tangible value. It lets you get past static images and pre-recorded videos to offer something dynamic and immediate.

• Live Product Demos: Instead of just talking about your new software or app, show it in action. Walk viewers through features, answer questions, and demonstrate how to solve common problems in real time.
• Webinars and Workshops: Host a live training session directly on a platform your audience already uses. You can present slides, walk through an online tool, or review a document with your team or clients.
• Client Support: Quickly diagnose and solve client issues by having them share their screen in a private Messenger call. It's often faster and clearer than trading screenshots and emails.

For Content Creators & Educators

Teaching is all about showing, not just telling. Screen sharing lets you bring your lessons to life in a way that feels personal and direct.

• Creative Tutorials: Artists can share their design software to show digital painting techniques. Musicians can share their audio production software to break down how a track was made.
• Live Coding or Gaming: Programmers can host live coding sessions to build a project with their community. Gamers can broadcast gameplay and strategy directly to their followers.
• Group Study Sessions: Students and educators can use group Messenger calls to review lecture notes, work through complex problems on a shared digital whiteboard, or collaborate on a presentation.

For Personal Use

On a personal level, screen sharing makes digital connections feel more helpful and collaborative.

• Family Tech Support: The definitive use case! Tame technology frustrations by guiding your loved ones through a process right on their screen.
• Planning Together: Organize a trip with friends by looking at maps, travel sites, and booking options together in a video call.
• Virtual Hangouts: Share photos from a recent trip, watch a short video clip together, or just have fun browsing the internet during a call.

How to Screen Share on Facebook Messenger: The Desktop Guide

Using screen share on a desktop or laptop is the most common use case, offering you the most control over what you share. The process works whether you’re using the Messenger desktop app or accessing it through Messenger.com in a web browser like Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.

Here’s the step-by-step breakdown:

1. Start a Video Call

First, open a chat with the person or group you want to call. In the top-right corner of the chat window, click the video camera icon to initiate a video call.

2. Find the “Share Screen” Icon

Once the other person answers and your call is active, look for a new control bar that appears on your video feed. On this bar, you'll find an icon that looks like a computer screen with an arrow pointing out of it. This is the Share Screen button. Click it.

3. Choose What You Want to Share

After clicking the button, a pop-up window will appear asking you to choose exactly what you want to share. This is an important step for privacy and for keeping your audience focused. You typically have three options:

• Entire Screen: This shares everything on your active monitor. The other people on the call will see exactly what you see, including your desktop, notifications, and any programs you switch between. Use this when you need to jump between multiple applications.
• Application Window: This option lets you share a single, specific application like PowerPoint, Google Chrome, or Photoshop. People will only see that window, even if you click outside of it. This is the best option for keeping your presentation clean and private.
• Browser Tab: If you're using Messenger in a browser, you'll see an option to share a specific browser tab. This is perfect for showing a single website without revealing all of your other open tabs.

4. Click “Share” to Begin

Select the window, tab, or screen you want to present and click the blue "Share" button. Your screen will now be broadcast to everyone in the video call. You'll typically see a small picture-in-picture view of your own camera so you can still see yourself.

5. Stop Sharing When You're Done

When you're finished, look for the "Stop Sharing" button, which is usually located in the same control bar where you started. Clicking it will end the screen share, but your video call will continue.

Screen Sharing from Your Phone: Using the Messenger Mobile App

You can also share your screen directly from your smartphone or tablet using the Messenger app for iOS or Android. This is great for showing how to use a mobile app, walking someone through phone settings, or sharing photos without having to send them. Be careful: this method shares your entire screen, including all notifications that pop up, so make sure to enable "Do Not Disturb" mode first.

Here’s how it works:

1. Start a Messenger Video Call

Open the Messenger app, start a conversation with a person or group, and tap the video camera icon to start a video call.

2. Open the Control Panel

Once the call connects, you'll see a control panel at the bottom of your screen. You may need to tap the screen once to make it appear. Swipe up on this panel to reveal more options.

3. Tap “Share Screen”

Among the additional options, you will see one labeled "Share Screen." Tap on it.

4. Confirm the System Prompt

Your phone's operating system will ask for confirmation before it begins broadcasting your screen. This is a security measure.

• On iOS (iPhone/iPad), a "Screen Broadcast" notification will appear. Tap "Start Broadcast," and a 3-second countdown will begin before your screen goes live.
• On Android, a pop-up will appear warning you that Messenger will be able to see everything on your screen. Tap "Start Now" to confirm.

5. Stop Sharing When You're Ready

Once you're done, you can stop sharing in a couple of ways. You can return to the Messenger app and tap the "Stop Sharing" button in the call window, or you can tap the screen recording indicator in your phone's status bar (it's usually a red bar or icon at the top of your screen) to stop the broadcast.

Going Public: How to Screen Share During a Facebook Live

Direct screen sharing isn't a native feature of the Facebook Live interface itself. You can't just press a "share screen" button after going live from your phone or webcam. However, you can achieve a professional-looking screen share for a live stream by using free third-party streaming software.

Using Third-Party Streaming Software (like OBS)

The most popular tool for this is OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software), a powerful and free program used by streamers everywhere. While it may look a bit intimidating at first, the basic process is pretty straightforward.

1. Download and Install OBS: Get it from the official OBS Project website. It's available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
2. Connect OBS to Facebook: Go to the Facebook Live Producer page. Set up your live broadcast details and look for the "Stream Key." This is a unique code that you'll copy and paste into the "Stream" settings of OBS. This creates a link between the two platforms.
3. Set Up Your Scene: In OBS, you create "scenes" which are layouts for your broadcast. In the "Sources" box, click the "+" button to add different elements.
   • To share your screen, add a "Display Capture" (for the whole monitor) or "Window Capture" (for a specific app).
   • Add a "Video Capture Device" to include your webcam feed, which you can resize and move around.
4. Go Live: Once your scene is arranged, click "Start Streaming" in OBS. When OBS confirms it's sending data, switch back to the Facebook Live Producer page and click the blue "Go Live" button. Now, your OBS scene - including your screen share and webcam - is being broadcast to your Facebook audience.

This method gives you much more control and allows you to create a highly polished, professional live stream with graphics, multiple camera angles, and seamless screen sharing.

Tips for a Smooth and Professional Screen-Sharing Session

Whether you're presenting to a client or helping a friend, a little preparation goes a long way. Follow these tips to make sure your session goes off without a hitch.

• Prepare Your Space: Before you even start the call, have all relevant tabs, documents, and applications open and ready. Close everything else. A clean desktop reduces distractions and keeps you looking professional.
• Silence All Notifications: This is a big one. Enable "Do Not Disturb" on your Mac, "Focus Assist" on your PC, or the equivalent on your phone. The last thing you want is a personal text message or an unrelated email notification popping up for everyone to see.
• Use Two Monitors if Possible: Having a second monitor is a game-changer. You can share one screen with your presentation while keeping your notes, the chat window, and call controls visible on the other.
• Communicate Your Intentions: Don't just suddenly share your screen. Let your audience know what you're doing. A simple phrase like, "Okay, I'm going to share my screen now so I can walk you through the new dashboard," makes the transition smoother.
• Check Your Audio and Framing: Make sure your microphone is clear. If your webcam is on, position it so that it doesn't cover an important part of the screen you're sharing.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, sharing your screen on Facebook is a flexible and powerful feature. With options for private Messenger calls on desktop and mobile, plus more advanced solutions like OBS for public live streams, you have the tools you need to create more dynamic tutorials, collaborative meetings, and engaging presentations for your audience.

Mastering features like screen sharing is a great way to create engaging live content, and that hands-on approach is part of any strong social media strategy. We know that once you've created that content, keeping the momentum going with a consistent schedule across all platforms is the next major challenge. From our experience, we built Postbase to streamline that exact process. We created a clean, modern tool focused on what matters today: a visual calendar for easy planning, rock-solid scheduling designed for video, and a unified inbox so you never miss a comment or DM.