How To Share Your Screen In FaceTime On Mac?

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You can share your screen with the person you’re texting during a chat via Messages, or they can share theirs with you. You can also give someone control over your screen or take control of theirs. It’s a terrific method to collaborate on a project or assist a friend with a computer task.

Note: Another option is to use SharePlay, which allows you to share your screen during a FaceTime chat. You can share images, plan your next vacation, and more. See In FaceTime, use SharePlay to share screens.

Also Read: How to Convert Live Photos into GIFs on iPhone

Sharing a screen

1. Choose who you wish to share screens within the Messages app on your Mac by doing one of the following:
   • Choose a topic of conversation for the individual.
   • Send out a message to the individual.
2. Click the Share icon after clicking the Details button, and then perform one of the following:

• • Share your screen: Select Invite to Share My Screen.
  • View your friend’s screen: Select Ask Share Screen.

When you accept a screen-sharing request, the Screen Sharing app opens, and an audio call starts (so you may communicate as you work).

3. Do one of the following to stop screen sharing:
   • If you’re sharing your screen: Select End Screen Sharing from the menu bar’s sharing button. (Choose Pause Screen Sharing if you’re not ready to end yet; choose it again to resume sharing.)
   • If you’re viewing your friend’s screen: Select Screen Sharing > Disconnect from Screen Sharing.

Tip: You don’t want screen-sharing invitations sent to you? Hold the pointer over the Decline button, click the down arrow, and then click Block User when you receive an invitation from them.

Read: FaceTime Not Working On iPhone Or iPad? Try These Fixes

If you are unable to share a screen,

If the Share button in the Messages program on your Mac is dimmed, try the following:

• Check to see if the person you’re sharing with is logged in to iCloud with the same Apple ID they used to sign in to Messages.
• If they can’t log in to iCloud and Messages with the same Apple ID, open your Contacts app and double-check that the person’s contact card contains both Apple IDs — the one they use to sign in to iCloud and the one they use in Messages. Then try sharing once more. (For further information, see Create and manage contacts.)

Tip: You can also use macOS screen sharing to share screens without utilizing the Messages app. Turn on or off Mac screen sharing.

Allow another person to operate your screen.

When you share your screen with someone, you have the option of allowing them to control it, giving them entire access to your computer.

Alert: Only provide control of your screen to individuals you trust. They have access to anything you can do on your computer, including opening apps, creating and deleting documents, and copying files from your computer to theirs.

Do one of the following on your Mac:

• If you received an invitation to share your screen: Accept the invitation by clicking the Accept button. A message appears, asking if you want the other person to manage your screen or just watch it. Then click Accept after selecting “Control my screen.”
• If you want to initiate screen sharing: Invite a friend to share their computer screen with you. After they accept, go to the menu bar and select “Allow [name] to control my screen,” ticking the box next to it.

To regain control of your screen while still allowing the other person to see it, go to the menu bar and untick “Allow [name] to control my screen.”

Even if you don’t give someone screen control, they can still click on your screen to highlight certain places.

Also Read: How To Fix FaceTime App Waiting For Activation?

Is it possible to use FaceTime to share your screen with an Android or Windows user? 

In a FaceTime call, there is no way to share your screen with Android or Windows users. It’s either Apple’s tried-and-true method of keeping key features restricted to Apple Device users or a strategy to persuade non-Apple device customers to convert. Despite the fact that Apple FaceTime is now available on Android and Windows smartphones, you must accept this harsh truth – for better or worse.

On Android and Windows smartphones, Facetime functionality is somewhat limited. Non-Apple device users can only join a FaceTime call (audio/video) via a link, to be more specific. Don’t bother with creating a FaceTime call link. They are also unable to participate in any screen-sharing or SharePlay-enabled phone calls. What if the non-Apple device user is a family member or a close friend? Wouldn’t they be left out of your movie night or SharePlay’s exciting virtual watch party? They certainly would.

A simple FaceTime web app with all of the essential functionality might have been a better choice. It would have been a fantastic experience for both the end-user and Apple’s effort to build its video-calling software as a viable alternative to Zoom or Google Meet. While the rest of the globe focuses on bringing people together during the pandemic, FaceTime appears to be more separated than ever. Apple, hopefully, will pay attention to user criticism and address the issue as soon as possible.

Final comments

So that wraps up our tutorial on how to use FaceTime’s screen share functionality on macOS 12 Monterey. While FaceTime has always been feature-rich and simple to use, the addition of a native screen-sharing function has enhanced Apple’s video calling app’s capabilities. My main concern is that Apple will restrict access to this wonderful new function to Apple device owners, leaving Android and Windows users out in the cold.