Content

• To step
• Tips
• Warnings

Sharing your screen via Skype gives you the option to show your screen to someone else you are on the phone with, making it easy to show pictures or ask for technical help, for example. Want to show a slideshow of your vacation photos to your grandparents, but don't want to send a load of files to download or extract? Do you need technical support from your grandchildren? Then screen sharing is a quick and easy answer. Screen sharing is free for all Skype users, but if you want to do this on a video call or with multiple people at the same time, you'll need a Skype Premium Upgrade. Follow this guide to learn how to share your screen with other Skype users on both Windows and Mac.

To step

1. Start Skype and log in to your account. Log in with your Skype name and password that you have already created and click on “Log in”. After logging in, you will be presented with a list of Skype contacts on the left side of your screen.
2. Start a regular conversation or a video call with a contact. You can share your screen via a regular conversation or a video call. Screen sharing via video call requires Skype Premium. If you don't have this and you still try to use screen sharing, you will receive the message that you have to switch to free calling (without video).
   • You can only share your screen with one other person, unless you have Skype Premium. With Premium it is possible to share your screen with 10 other Skype users.
   • Both Skype callers must have the most recent version of Skype to use screen sharing.
   • You must have a broadband internet connection to share your screen. Dial-up connections do not support screen sharing.
3. Click on the blue “+” button while calling. This button can be found next to the red “Hang up” button. This will open a small menu. Select “Share Screen” to access the corresponding options.
   • On the Mac, the “+” sign in the speech bubble is not blue.
4. Check the preview of your screen. Before you start sharing your screen, it is possible to preview what you want to show. Make sure nothing is displayed that you would rather hide.
   • You can also show a specific window instead of the whole screen by clicking the downward pointing arrow in the corner of the window. Select “Share Window” and then choose the window you want to share. For the Mac, click on the dropdown menu at the top to select window division.
5. Click Start to start sharing your screen. Your contact will now be able to see the window of your choice and everything you do with it. When you have finished sharing your screen, click on the “Stop Screen Sharing” button.
   • Only one person at a time can share their screen.

Tips

• Only use screen sharing if you have a connection fast enough to support video calling.
• If you are the person being called, select the “Answer with video” button when you see the window associated with an incoming call.
• Make sure you are aware of the bandwidth limitation of your internet connection because screen sharing and video calling require a lot of capacity.
• When you select an area for screen sharing, your contact will see only that part of your screen, indicated by the selection box.

Warnings

• If you use screen sharing, the other person can no longer see you!
• Select only those things for screen sharing that you are sure you want to show to someone else.
• The quality of your connection can cause your video playback to be poor or even temporarily stopped.