Discord’s screen sharing feature allows users to broadcast their screen to other users in a voice call. This is useful for activities like gaming, watching videos, collaborating on projects, and more. However, sometimes the screen sharing feature stops working properly. Here are the most common fixes and troubleshooting tips for when screen sharing is not working in Discord voice calls.
Table of Contents
Check Discord Server Permissions
The first thing to check is whether you have permission to share your screen in the Discord server. Server admins can set permissions to allow or restrict screen sharing.
To check if you have permission:
- Go to the server settings and open the Roles tab
- Check if the “Video” permission under Screen Share is enabled for your role
If screen share permission is disabled, you’ll need to contact a server admin to enable it for your role.
Run Discord as Administrator
Discord may fail to capture screen data if it doesn’t have admin access. Running Discord as an admin often fixes screen sharing issues.
On Windows:
- Right click the Discord desktop app icon
- Select “Run as administrator”
- Try sharing your screen again
On Mac:
- Click the Discord icon in the dock while pressing the Control key
- Select “Run as administrator”
- Try sharing your screen again
Check App Permissions
The app you’re trying to share also needs access to capture screen data.
On Windows 10:
- Go to Settings > Privacy > Camera
- Enable camera access for Discord
On Mac:
- Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy
- In the Screen Recording section, make sure Discord has permission
Update Graphics Drivers
Outdated graphics drivers can prevent Discord from capturing screen data properly. Keep your drivers updated:
On Windows:
- Open Device Manager > Display adapters
- Right click your graphics card > Select Update driver
- Restart your PC
On Mac:
- Open System Preferences > Software Update
- Install any updates available for your Mac
Disable Hardware Acceleration
Hardware acceleration uses GPU resources to improve app performance. Try disabling this feature in Discord to fix screen sharing issues:
- Open User Settings > Advanced
- Turn off the “Hardware Acceleration” option
Switch Display Modes
Fullscreen apps and games can block Discord from accessing screen data. Switch to windowed or borderless mode:
- Open video settings of the app you want to share
- Select Windowed or Borderless display mode
- Share your screen again in Discord
Clear Discord Cache
Corrupted cache files may sometimes break features like screen sharing. Clearing the cache often helps resolve such issues.
On Windows:
- Close Discord
- Press Windows + R to open Run dialog > Type
%appdata%> Press OK - Delete the Discord folder
- Restart Discord
On Mac:
- Quit Discord
- Press Command + Shift + G to open the Go to folder dialog > Type
~/library/application support/> Press Go - Move the Discord folder to Trash
- Restart Discord
Reinstall Discord
If none of the above fixes work, reinstalling Discord may help.
- Uninstall Discord completely
- Download the latest installer from the official website
- Reinstall Discord and try screen sharing again
Reinstalling will reset all app data and configurations which often resolves stubborn technical issues.
Contact Discord Support
If you still can’t get screen sharing to work after trying all troubleshooting methods, get in touch with Discord’s customer support team:
- Open a support ticket at support.discord.com
- Explain the issue in detail and what fixes you have attempted
- Include screenshots and error messages if any
Discord support can investigate issues further and may be able to identify any problems from their end.
Conclusion
Discord screen sharing is easy to set up but can break down sometimes. Issues like black screens, freezing, lagging streams, or errors can occur due to software bugs, permission problems, hardware conflicts and more.
By methodically applying the right troubleshooting tips, you should be able to get screen sharing working again properly in Discord voice calls. Checking app settings, updating drivers, reinstalling Discord and contacting support are some common solutions for a screen share not working problem.
