How to check if your browser supports screen sharing

You click Share screen in a meeting, but the option is missing or nothing happens. The cause could be your browser, the page, a device restriction, or a setting that blocks screen capture.

Check the browser’s supported features first, then try a screen share directly. Browser Info can show which features your browser supports. On a computer, Screen Recorder gives you a practical way to see whether the browser can open a screen picker.

Check screen sharing in your browser

1. Open Browser Info in the browser you want to check. Look through its supported features for an entry related to screen capture or screen sharing, if one is listed.
2. For a direct test, open Screen Recorder in the same browser on a computer. Screen Recorder does not work on phones.
3. Use the screen recording control shown on the page to start a capture. The browser should open its screen picker, where you can choose a screen, window, or tab.
4. Choose a safe window or tab, then confirm sharing in the browser’s picker. Check that the selected content appears in the recorder.
5. Stop the capture using the control shown on the page. You do not need to keep or share a recording to check whether the picker works.

The picker may look different in each browser and operating system. Choose a blank tab or a window without private information. Screen sharing starts only after you select what to share and confirm the choice.

What the result means

The screen picker opens and the selected content appears

Your current browser can request screen sharing on this page. That is a good sign, but it does not guarantee every meeting app or website will work. An app can have its own compatibility limits, and a work or school administrator can block sharing.

Browser Info lists screen capture support

The browser reports that it has the relevant feature. Try the direct test as well: support in the browser does not prove that a particular website has permission to use it, or that its screen sharing code is working.

No screen capture feature is listed, or the browser reports it is unsupported

The feature report may not name every browser capability. Update the browser and try the direct test before deciding that sharing is unavailable. If the picker still does not open in an up-to-date browser, try another current desktop browser.

The picker opens, but you cannot choose a screen or window

The browser can start a screen share request, but the operating system, browser policy, or device may limit the choices. On a managed computer, an administrator may disable screen capture. On macOS, the browser may also need operating system permission to record the screen.

You are checking on a phone

Screen Recorder does not work on phones, so it cannot provide this direct test there. A phone’s browser and a meeting app may have different screen sharing support. Check the sharing controls inside the app you plan to use, and test there if available.

Fix screen sharing that does not start

1. Reload the page and try again. A screen sharing request needs to be started by an action on the page. Close any old picker, reload, and start the request again.
2. Check the page address. Screen capture features generally require a secure page. Use the site’s HTTPS address, not an old bookmark or an insecure copy of the page.
3. Choose a source in the browser picker. Opening the picker alone does not begin sharing. Select a screen, window, or tab and confirm. If you cancel the picker, the page receives no shared content.
4. Check whether the browser or computer is managed. Work and school devices can have policies that block screen capture. Ask the administrator whether screen sharing is disabled before changing other settings.
5. Allow screen recording on a Mac. Open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen & System Audio Recording. If your macOS version shows Screen Recording instead, check that setting. Allow your browser if it appears in the list, then quit and reopen the browser.
6. Update and restart the browser. Install the latest version available for your computer, close all browser windows, reopen it, and run the test again. Browser Info can show the browser version and engine if you need to identify what you are using.
7. Try another desktop browser. If the picker still fails, repeat the test in a different current browser. If it works there, the issue is likely specific to the original browser or its settings.

On Windows 11, screen selection is normally handled through the browser’s picker rather than a single system-wide screen sharing switch. If a managed computer blocks the picker, contact its administrator instead of looking for a setting that may not exist on your device.

Screen sharing is different from camera permission

Sharing a screen is not the same as giving a website access to your camera or microphone. The browser normally asks you to choose what to share for each request, and you can stop sharing when you are done. A site may separately ask for camera or microphone permission if you turn those features on.

Screen Recorder runs in your browser. Recordings stay on your device, and nothing you record is uploaded.