[Fixed] “Discord Screen Sharing Not Working” Error

Discord screen-sharing is a feature that allows users to share their screen or specific windows with other users in a voice or video call on the Discord platform. Some common uses of Discord screen share include:

• Remote collaboration: users can share their screens to work on a project together or to troubleshoot technical issues.
• Online tutoring and teaching: teachers and tutors can use screen share to give lectures or provide visual aids for students.
• Gaming: players can use screen share to show their gameplay to others and provide commentary or tips.
• Presentations: users can use screen share to give presentations or demonstrations to a group.
• Showcasing work or projects: users can use screen share to showcase their work or projects to a group or potential employer.

12 Ways to Fix Discord Screen Sharing Error

Discord screen-sharing error can be frustrating, as it can prevent you from effectively communicating and collaborating with others. But there are various, quick-to-follow ways to fix this issue.

Below, we will be discussing 12 different methods that can help you resolve the Discord screen share error and get back to using the platform as intended. These solutions will cover a wide range of potential causes for the error.

Disable full-screen mode in your game

One potential issue with Discord screen sharing is that the platform does not support sharing full-screen applications. To work around this, users can check if the game or application they are trying to share is currently in full-screen mode. If it is, switching to a windowed mode and then sharing the screen again on Discord may resolve the error.

Close all Third-party background processes

Another potential cause of Discord screen share errors is having too many applications running at once. This can lead to performance issues, which can affect the ability to screen share on Discord. To resolve this issue, users can follow these steps:

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete to open the task manager
2. In the task manager, close all non-essential applications and background processes.
3. Try restarting the Discord screen share to see if the issue is resolved.

By doing this, you are freeing up some resources on your computer that may be causing the Discord screen share to not work properly.

See if you’ve added the game to Discord App

Sometimes, the cause of the Discord screen share error is that the game or application being shared has not been added to the user’s Discord account. To resolve this issue, users can add the game to Discord by following these steps:

1. Make sure to keep open the Discord client and the game.
2. Select and press the gear icon in Discord >> Game Activity
3. Select the game that you’re playing and click on Add Game.
4. After adding the game to Discord, restart the screen share to ensure that it is working properly. Users can also manually add the game by clicking on Add it! and type in the name of the game, then click ‘Add Game’.

Another step that can be done to enable the game overlay,

1. Click on Game Overlay on the left side of your screen
2. Enable the in-game overlay

Note: You can customize the in-game overlay options such as the Avatar size, Display names, Display users, and Notification position.

By adding the game to Discord and enabling the in-game overlay, users can ensure that they are able to share their screen properly on the platform.

Delete the Discord cache folder

Caching issues can often cause problems with Discord screen sharing. Clearing the Discord cache folder can help resolve this issue. To start implementing, here are your steps:

1. Close the Discord app

2. Right-click on Start and select Run, or use the short-cuts Windows key + R or Windows key + S and type in Run.

3. Type %appdata% in the ‘Open:’ field and click on OK

4. Windows will take you to a folder called Roaming.

5. Within this folder, delete the subfolder named ‘discord’

6. Restart Discord and check if the screen share is working properly now.

By clearing the cache folder, users can remove any temporary files or data that may be causing issues with Discord screen sharing. This can help improve the performance of the platform and resolve any error messages related to Discord screen share.

Run Discord App as Administrator

Another potential cause of Discord screen sharing error is not running the Discord client and the game with the necessary administrator permissions. To resolve this issue, users can follow these steps:

1. Open the folder where the Discord.exe file is located, or wherever you’ve saved the shortcut. You can also search for Discord in the start menu by hitting Windows key + Son the keyboard.
2. Hover your mouse over the Discord app, right-click and select Run as administrator
3. Similarly, right-click on the .exe file of the game you are trying to share and select Run as administrator

By running both Discord and the game as an administrator, users can ensure that they have the necessary permissions to share their screen on the platform. By doing this, you will be able to share the screen on Discord and check if the issue has been resolved.

Disable the ‘Use our latest technology to capture your screen’ option in Discord

Sometimes, the latest technology settings on Discord can lead to issues with screen sharing. To resolve this, users can toggle off this option on Discord by following these steps:

1. Open Discord, and click on Settings
2. Navigate to Voice & Video
3. Scroll down to Use our latest technology to capture your screen option >> toggle off
4. Try to restart the screen share and check if it’s working correctly

By disabling the latest technology settings, users can ensure that their screen-sharing experience is stable and that any potential issues caused by these settings are resolved. This can help improve the performance of the platform and resolve any error messages related to screen-sharing.

Disable ‘Hardware Acceleration’ in Discord

Older devices with lower-end specifications may experience issues with Discord’s features, such as frame drops when using the screen sharing feature. To resolve this, users can try turning off the ‘Hardware Acceleration’ setting on Discord. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open Discord >> Settings >> Advanced
2. Disable the Hardware Acceleration setting by toggling it off and selecting Okay in the confirmation pop-up dialog box.
3. Automatically, Discord will be closed and then relaunched once you confirm. Restart screen share as this happens to check if the issue has been successfully resolved.

By disabling the Hardware Acceleration setting, users can ensure that their device’s resources are not being overworked, which can improve the performance of the platform and resolve any error messages related to screen-sharing.

Add Applications to Your Discord Profile

To share your Discord screen while playing a game or running software on the desktop app, you need to add it to your Discord profile. Here are the step-by-step instructions:

1. Open the Discord desktop app on your PC or Mac while the game you’re looking to share is open and running in the background.

2. Select the settings cog icon (gear) beside your username.

3. Select and press the Game Activity option found under the Gaming Settings.

4. The message no game detected will be shown on the screen if Discord doesn’t identify a running game or open application. To add the game or app, select Add it! option underneath. To do this;

5. Look through the list of open apps in the drop-down menu. Once you identified the game you want to add, press “Add it!”

6. After step 5, Discord should identify the game or software you added and run + list it appropriately. When you start screen share, Discord can now identify the game or software and list it as one of your open applications.

Check Permissions

To ensure that Discord has the required permissions for screen sharing, it is necessary to check and update the permissions. This is to prevent any privacy concerns and to make sure that Discord is able to record and stream your screen on any platform. Here are the step-by-step instructions for Windows and web users:

For Windows:

1. Open the Start menu and find the Discord app listed.
2. Right-click on Discord >> select More >> Run as Administrator

For Web Browser (Google Chrome):

1. When prompted for permission to share your screen, make sure to select the correct screen, application window, or Chrome tab to share.

2. Select the Share button to begin.

Disable Hardware Acceleration for Older Computers

Hardware acceleration is a feature that utilizes the power of your graphics card to help handle the load of certain CPU-intensive applications. Discord uses it to help balance system resources for tasks such as screen sharing. To fix this screen share issue, here are the steps:

1. Navigate to the Discord desktop app >> select settings (next to your username)

2. Choose and press Voice & Video in the Discord Settings.

3. From there, locate the H.264 Hardware Acceleration slider and switch it to the Off position.

Close Third-Party Background Processes

Running multiple programs at the same time can cause performance issues, including issues with Discord screen sharing. To resolve this, it’s important to close any unnecessary background processes. Here’s how to do it:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.

2. In the Task Manager, select the applications and background processes that you don’t want running and click on End task for each one.

3. Restart Discord and try to initiate screen share.

Uninstall and Re-install Discord App

If all other options have failed to resolve the Discord screen-sharing issue, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling the Discord app as a last resort. To implement, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to This PC >> Computer >> Uninstall or change a program

Alternatively, you can use the shortcut Windows key + R to bring up Run, and input appwiz.cpl in the ‘Open:’ field to bring up the Windows uninstaller.

2. On the Apps and Features, type Discord in the search box
3. Select ‘Discord’ and click Uninstall
4. After the uninstallation, open Run >> type in %appdata >> Click OK
5. Select the ‘Discord’ folder and delete it
6. Reopen Run >> type %localappdata >> Click OK
7. In the Local folder, select the Discord subfolder then delete it
8. Restart Windows
9. Go to the Discord website, download the latest version of Discord, and install the app by following the instructions

Conclusion

In conclusion, resolving the “Discord Screen Sharing Not Working” error can be a bit of a challenge as it may be caused by multiple factors. However, by trying the various solutions mentioned above, you can effectively troubleshoot and fix the issue. It is important to understand that each situation is unique and the cause of the error may be different. It is recommended to try the solutions one by one, starting with the easiest and simplest ones before moving on to more complex solutions. It may take some time and effort, but in the end, it will be worth it when you can successfully share your screen on Discord.

Frequently Asked Questions