If you want to share multiple Screens in Teams, I have bad news, and good news for you.
The bad news is that despite requests from users, Microsoft hasn’t added a multi-screen sharing feature to Teams (not even in Teams 2.0). While multiple people can share screens at the same time, you don’t have the option to share various screens at once as an individual user.
The good news is there are work arounds you can use to make multiple screen sharing an option.
Here, I’ll walk you through all the strategies you can use to share multiple screens on Teams, giving you more ways to bring valuable visual resources into your presentations and meetings.
Can You Share Multiple Screens on Teams?
Microsoft Teams doesn’t support multi-screen sharing natively. It does offer screen sharing, and allows multiple people to share screens at the same time, but if you want to share screens showing different apps and information simultaneously, you’ll need a workaround.
Microsoft Teams’ screen sharing feature enables users to share any open app window or full screen in a meeting. There’s even a remote control feature that allows participants to request access and take control of a system sharing its screen.
Plus, you can choose to show your screen alone in content-only mode, or show your screen alongside your video feed, which is handy for training, onboarding, and other tasks.
The lack of a multiple-screen sharing feature might seem like an oversight on Microsoft’s part, but there are ways you can still surface lots of different apps and types of data in a meeting.
How to Share Multiple Screens in Teams Natively
If you want to avoid using external apps to enable multiple screen sharing in Teams (more on that in a moment), there are built-in features you can use in specific ways to achieve the right results.
One of the easiest options is simply switching between screens manually during your presentation. This might be a bit of a headache when trying to keep a team meeting or customer conversation running smoothly, but it works just fine.
To share multiple screens one at a time in Teams:
- Open the Teams app click on Meet, then Start Meeting
- After the meeting begins click the Share button in the top right of the screen
- Select Window and choose the app or browser window you want to share
- Once you’re done sharing the first screen, click Stop Sharing
- Go back to the Share button and select the next window you want to share
Using Virtual Desktops
Another, slightly more convenient way to share multiple screens in Teams, without stopping and starting the sharing feed, is with virtual desktops. Again, you can’t share various screens simultaneously this way, but it’s a little easier than sharing screens one by one.
To create a virtual desktop:
- Hit the Windows Key and the Tab key on your desktop.
- Select New Desktop on the panel that appears, and create as many desktops as you like, featuring different apps, files, and content.
- Open Microsoft Teams launch your meeting, and click on the Share button
- Share your full screen, then use the Windows button, CTRL, and the left or right arrow buttons simultaneously to move back and forth between desktops.
Using a Split Screen
Another convenient option, if you don’t need to share too much content at once, is to use the split screen function on your desktop. This could be handy if you want to show multiple documents or presentations side-by-side.
Keep in mind though, the split screen function breaks your desktop into multiple segments, which may make some pieces of content harder to view (such as documents with small text). I’d probably recommend avoiding combining too many screens at once. Plus, it’s a good idea to avoid sharing your camera when using this method, so your team members don’t have too much to focus on.
To use split screen:
- Open the files and apps you want to share in your Teams meeting
- Select one of your apps, then press the Windows key, plus a right or left arrow key to snap your app into a small section on your screen.
- Repeat the process with your other apps, moving them to different positions on your screen.
- Launch your Microsoft Teams app, click Meet then start your meeting and click Share
Using a Second Monitor for your PC
If you’re lucky enough to have multiple monitors in your office or remote work setup, you can take advantage of those to share multiple screens in Teams too. Ultimately, this just means you get two screens in front of you that you can access and control while communicating on Teams.
You’ll need to connect your monitors with a HDMI cable, and switch back and forth between your screens when you’re in your meeting.
After you connect your monitors via a HDMI capable, your PC will automatically duplicate the main screen you’re working on for the secondary monitor. You can use the Windows Key and the P button to open the Project menu, and click Extend to create a separate desktop.
