How to Share Screen on Google Meet: Every Device, Every Issue

This is an independent guide. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Google LLC.

Picture this: you're leading a client presentation on Google Meet. You've rehearsed your slides, your talking points are tight, and 14 people are waiting. You click the button to share your screen and... nothing happens. The toolbar flashes, the meeting stares back at you, and someone types "we can't see anything" in the chat.

Google Meet screen sharing works well once you know where everything is. The problem is that the steps differ between desktop and phone, Mac users need to grant extra permissions, and there's a specific trick to sharing audio along with your screen.

This guide walks you through how to share your screen on Google Meet on every device. You'll get the exact steps for Chrome, the mobile app, and Mac, plus fixes for the most common screen sharing issues.

How to Share Screen on Google Meet (Desktop)

Sharing your screen on Google Meet from a desktop browser takes four clicks. The feature works in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox on both Windows and Mac.

Quick tip: If you're presenting slides, share a specific Chrome tab rather than your entire screen. Tab sharing keeps your notifications, desktop icons, and other windows hidden from the audience. It also lets you include the tab's audio if you're playing a video.

Want a polished Google Meet background for your next call? A clean background keeps the focus on your presentation.

How to Share Screen on Google Meet on Phone

The Google Meet mobile app on Android and iOS supports screen sharing, but the process is slightly different from desktop. Instead of choosing a window or tab, you share your entire phone screen.

Android:

1. Open the Google Meet app and join a meeting
2. Tap the three-dot menu at the bottom right
3. Tap "Share screen"
4. Tap "Start sharing" on the confirmation dialog
5. Everything on your phone screen is now visible to the meeting, including notifications

iPhone and iPad:

1. Open the Google Meet app and join a meeting
2. Tap the three-dot menu at the bottom right
3. Tap "Share screen"
4. Tap "Start Broadcast" in the iOS screen recording dialog
5. A red status bar at the top of your screen confirms the broadcast is active

Before you share from your phone, turn on Do Not Disturb. Every notification that pops up will be visible to the entire meeting. Alex from the product team learned this the hard way when a group chat notification about the surprise birthday party scrolled across the screen during a company all-hands.

To stop sharing, return to the Google Meet app and tap "Stop presenting," or tap the red status bar (iOS) and confirm.

Phone screen sharing works best for showing mobile apps, prototypes, or quick demos. For slide presentations, a laptop gives you more control over what people see.

How to Share Screen on Google Meet on Mac

Mac users face an extra step that trips up most people: macOS requires you to explicitly grant screen recording permission to your browser before Google Meet can share anything.

If you click "Present now" and the screen share dialog shows a blank or black preview, your browser doesn't have permission yet.

How to fix screen sharing permissions on Mac:

1. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
2. Go to Privacy & Security > Screen Recording
3. Find your browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari) in the list
4. Toggle the switch on to allow screen recording
5. Restart your browser completely (quit and reopen, not just close the tab)
6. Rejoin the Google Meet call and try sharing again

If your browser isn't in the Screen Recording list at all, try sharing your screen once from Google Meet. macOS usually adds the app to the list after the first attempt, even if the attempt fails. Then go back to System Settings and enable it.

macOS Sequoia and later: Apple tightened screen recording permissions starting with macOS Sequoia. You may see a system prompt asking you to grant permission each time, or on a monthly basis. This is a macOS-level security feature and can't be bypassed.

Once permissions are set, screen sharing on Mac works exactly like Windows. Click "Present now," pick your screen, window, or tab, and you're live.

How to Share Screen with Audio on Google Meet

By default, Google Meet screen sharing doesn't include your computer's audio. If you share a screen showing a YouTube video, participants see the video but hear silence. Here's how to fix that.

Chrome tab sharing (recommended): When you choose "A tab" as your sharing option, Google Meet shows a checkbox labeled "Share tab audio" at the bottom of the tab picker. Make sure it's checked before you click "Share." This method gives the cleanest audio because it captures the tab's sound directly.

Entire screen or window sharing: On Windows, Google Meet includes a "Share system audio" checkbox when you select "Your entire screen." Check it to capture all sound from your computer.

On Mac (macOS 14.2 Sonoma or later), Google Meet now supports system audio sharing natively for entire screen and window shares in Chrome. On older macOS versions, you'd need a third-party audio routing tool like BlackHole (free, open source).

Mobile: Android screen sharing includes device audio by default. On iOS, screen broadcast audio behavior depends on the app being shared. Some apps allow audio passthrough; others don't.

If you regularly present videos or multimedia during meetings, tab sharing in Chrome is the most reliable option. It avoids permission issues and consistently passes audio through.

How to Avoid the Infinity Mirror on Google Meet

The "infinity mirror" effect happens when you share your entire screen while Google Meet is visible on that same screen. Google Meet shows the meeting, which includes your shared screen, which shows the meeting, which shows the shared screen, and so on. It creates a recursive tunnel that's disorienting and makes your content impossible to read.

Three ways to prevent it:

1. Share a specific window instead of your entire screen. Choose "A window" from the Present Now menu and select the application you want to show (your slides app, a document, a browser window). This is the simplest fix.

2. Share a Chrome tab. If your content is in a browser, "A tab" shares only that tab. The Google Meet tab stays separate.

3. Use a second monitor. If you have two screens, put Google Meet on one and the content you're presenting on the other. Share only the second screen. No recursion.

The infinity mirror is one of the most common screen sharing mistakes in video calls. It happens in every platform, not just Google Meet. The fix is always the same: don't share the screen that contains the video call itself.

For a deeper look at meeting best practices, check out our video conferencing etiquette guide.

Google Meet Screen Share Not Working? Here's How to Fix It

Screen sharing failures on Google Meet usually trace back to one of six causes. Work through this list top to bottom.

1. Browser permissions are blocking screen capture. Chrome, Edge, and Firefox all require screen capture permission. On Mac, check System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen Recording (see the Mac section above). On Windows, make sure no security software is blocking screen access.

2. You're using an unsupported browser. Google Meet screen sharing works best on Chrome. It also works on Edge and Firefox, but some features (like tab audio sharing) are Chrome-only. Safari has limited screen sharing support. If sharing fails, try switching to Chrome.

3. Another app is using screen capture. Some screen recording tools, remote desktop apps, and virtual camera software can conflict with Google Meet's screen sharing. Close other capture tools and try again.

4. Your Google Workspace admin disabled presenting. Workspace admins can restrict who can present in meetings through the Google Admin console. If you're on a managed account (work or school) and can't see the "Present now" button, ask your IT admin.

5. Bandwidth is too low. Screen sharing adds video data to your connection. On slow networks, Google Meet may disable or degrade screen sharing. Close other bandwidth-heavy apps, switch to a wired connection if possible, or reduce your camera quality.

6. The browser needs an update. Outdated browsers sometimes have screen sharing bugs. Update Chrome (three-dot menu > Help > About Google Chrome) and rejoin the meeting.

If you've tried everything above and sharing still doesn't work, leave the meeting and rejoin. This resets the WebRTC connection that handles screen capture. As a last resort, try sharing from a different device.

Running into camera issues on Google Meet? Our troubleshooting guide covers fixes for that too.

Google, Google Meet, Google Workspace, Google Calendar, Chrome, Chromebook, Android, and YouTube are trademarks of Google LLC. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Google LLC.