How to Share Your Screen on TikTok Live

Sharing your screen on TikTok Live lets you show viewers exactly what's happening on your phone in real time, making it one of the most powerful and engaging features for creators. Whether you’re a gamer, an educator, or a small business owner, this guide will walk you through the entire process, from checking your eligibility to hosting a flawless broadcast. We'll cover the step-by-step instructions and then dive into pro tips and creative ideas to make your screen-share stream a massive success.

What’s the Big Deal About Screen Sharing on TikTok Live?

Before getting into the how-to, it’s worth understanding why this feature is such a game-changer. Screen sharing transforms your Live stream from a simple talking head video into an interactive and educational experience. It closes the distance between you and your audience by letting them see what you see.

Engage Your Audience in a New Way

There's a massive difference between telling someone how to do something and showing them. When you share your screen, you can provide real, tangible value that viewers can follow along with. Live reactions to a website, a walkthrough of your favorite app’s new feature, or co-creating something with your audience - all of this becomes possible, leading to higher engagement and longer watch times.

Perfect for Gaming, Tutorials, and Demos

If your content involves anything that happens on a screen, this feature is for you.

• Gamers: Mobile gaming on TikTok Live is huge. Instead of pointing a camera at another screen, you can broadcast high-quality, direct-feed gameplay of popular titles like Among Us, PUBG Mobile, or Genshin Impact while interacting with your chat.
• Educators & Coaches: Teach your audience how to edit a photo using Lightroom mobile, design a graphic in Canva, structure their notes in Notion, or navigate a complex app they need for your course.
• SaaS & App Marketers: Run a live product demo to show potential customers how your software works. Answer their questions in real time and guide them through a user journey, building confidence in your product directly on a platform they love.

Builds Authority and Trust

By showing your process - whether it’s how you edit videos, research a topic, or design a product - you demonstrate genuine expertise. This type of transparent, "behind-the-curtain" content builds immense trust with your audience. When people see that you know your stuff, they’re more likely to follow you, trust your recommendations, and eventually buy from you.

Before You Go Live: Do You Have Access?

Not everyone can go Live on TikTok, and even fewer might have the screen share functionality right away, as it's often rolled out in phases. Before you plan your grand live debut, make sure you meet the basic requirements.

• Age Requirement: You must be at least 18 years old to go LIVE on TikTok.
• Follower Count: Generally, you need at least 1,000 followers to unlock the LIVE feature. This number can vary by region and account, but 1k is the standard benchmark.
• A Clean Record: Your account must be in good standing, with no recent violations of TikTok's Community Guidelines. If you’ve been flagged recently, you might temporarily lose access to LIVE features.
• The Latest App Version: Features like screen sharing roll out with app updates. Go to the App Store or Google Play Store and make sure your TikTok app is fully updated to the latest version.

If you check all these boxes but still don't see the option, be patient. TikTok often tests new features with smaller groups of creators before a widespread release.

How to Share Your Screen on TikTok Live: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Ready to get started? The process is surprisingly straightforward. Since screen sharing is primarily designed for mobile gaming tutorials, you'll find the option under the “Mobile Gaming” category. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Open the TikTok LIVE Screen

First, open your TikTok app. Tap the circular "Create" button (the + icon) at the bottom center of your screen. On the next screen, swipe along the bottom menu past "Camera," "Templates," and your standard video options until you land on "LIVE."

Step 2: Customize Your LIVE Details

Before you hit the broadcast button, set yourself up for success. You’ll see a few options on this initial LIVE screen:

• Add a title: Create a short, catchy title that tells viewers exactly what you’ll be doing. Instead of "Live stream," try something specific like "iPhone Photo Editing Masterclass" or "First Playthrough: New Game!" This helps attract the right audience.
• Select a Topic: Choose a relevant category like "Games," "Education," or "Chat & Interview." This helps TikTok's algorithm show your stream to interested users.
• Settings/Moderators: Tap the settings icon to add moderators, toggle comments, or set controls for gifts if you have them enabled.

Step 3: Go to the "Mobile Gaming" Option

This is the key step. On the main LIVE setup screen before you go live, scroll down or look through the different live modes. You'll see an option labeled "Mobile Gaming." Tap on this to enter the screen-sharing mode. Don't worry if you’re not a gamer, this is currently the main pathway TikTok provides for general screen sharing.

Step 4: Configure Your Screen Share Settings

Once you select "Mobile Gaming," TikTok will ask you to confirm a few more details. You'll be prompted to choose your game and set the screen orientation.

• Pick the game: Don't panic if your goal isn't gaming. You have to select something, but you can choose a popular game or whatever app you'll be using. This selection primarily helps with discovery.
• Set the orientation: Choose whether you'll be broadcasting in Landscape (horizontal) or Portrait (vertical). Pick the orientation that best matches the app you plan to use. Most games and video editing apps work best in landscape, while browsing social media or most other apps is better in portrait.

Step 5: Start the Broadcast on Your Phone

Now for the final step before you're truly live. Tap "Go LIVE."

This won’t immediately start showing your screen. Instead, TikTok will trigger your phone's built-in screen recording function and give you one final confirmation. The prompt looks slightly different on iOS and Android:

• On iOS (iPhone/iPad): A system menu will appear over a screen with instructions. This menu is the "Screen Broadcast" tool. You'll see a list of apps that can receive the broadcast. Tap "TikTok" from the list, enable the microphone if it's not already on (at the bottom), and then tap "Start Broadcast." You will get a 3-second countdown before your screen is broadcasting live to your TikTok audience.
• On Android: A similar pop-up will appear from the Android system, asking for your permission to let TikTok capture everything on your display. Confirm by tapping "Start Now" or "Allow." You'll usually see a countdown, and then your broadcast will begin.

You are now live! Return to your home screen or open the app you want to share, and your audience will see it. You'll see a small, floating TikTok window or widget that you can move around, which shows your camera view and comments from viewers.

Step 6: Ending Your Screen Share LIVE

When you're ready to finish, you have two options. You can either end the screen broadcast or end the entire LIVE stream.

1. To stop screen sharing but keep the LIVE stream going: Pull down your phone's Control Center (iOS) or notification shade (Android) and tap the red glowing "Stop Recording/Broadcast" button. This will revert your LIVE to a camera-only view.
2. To end the entire LIVE stream: Go back into the TikTok app (by tapping the floating widget or opening the app manually) and press the power button icon in the bottom corner to end your LIVE as you normally would.

Best Practices for an Unforgettable Screen Share Stream

Simply knowing how to go live isn't enough. Follow these best practices to ensure your stream is smooth, professional, and engaging.

Prepare Your Device Beforehand

Close all unnecessary apps to free up your phone’s resources and prevent performance lag. Make sure you’re connected to a stable Wi-Fi network and that your device is fully charged or plugged in. Nothing kills a stream faster than a dead battery or choppy connection.

Enable "Do Not Disturb" Mode!

This is maybe the most important tip. Your viewers will see absolutely everything on your screen, including incoming text messages, email notifications, and alerts from friends. Go into your phone's settings and turn on a "Do Not Disturb" or "Focus" mode to avoid potentially embarrassing or private notifications from popping up live.

Engage with Your Viewers Constantly

It's easy to get lost in what you're doing and forget about the chat. Use the floating TikTok widget to keep an eye on comments. Remember to talk through your actions, greet new viewers by username, and ask questions to keep the conversation flowing. Your commentary is what makes a screen-share stream compelling.

Have a Plan (But Be Flexible)

Know what you want to achieve before you go live. Are you trying to beat a certain level in a game? Are you teaching three specific photo editing tricks? Have a loose agenda. That said, don’t be a robot. If your chat is really interested in a particular feature you glossed over, be ready to pivot and spend more time on it.

Promote Your LIVE Stream in Advance

Don't just go live out of the blue. Create a few short videos leading up to your scheduled time, telling your followers when you'll be live and what you'll be covering. Use TikTok's countdown sticker in your Stories to build anticipation.

Check Your Audio

Your phone’s built-in microphone will work, but using headphones with a dedicated mic will make a world of difference. It puts your voice front and center, reduces background noise, and prevents distracting audio echoes from your phone’s speaker.

Final Thoughts

Screen sharing on TikTok Live is an incredibly direct way to connect with your community by offering genuine value, thrilling gameplay, or a helpful look behind the scenes. Armed with a clear plan and the technical steps covered in this guide, you have everything you need to host streams that not only capture attention but also build a loyal following.

Staying organized is half the battle when it comes to going LIVE consistently and promoting it ahead of time. At Postbase, we built our visual calendar to solve this exact challenge for creators and brands. Being able to plan our announcement videos, reminder posts, and the live stream itself all in one clean calendar view helps us see the full picture. It ensures great content ideas don't fall through the cracks and helps us stay consistent so our audience always knows when to tune in.