How to Share Your Screen on Google Meet (Computer and Phone)

There's a moment on almost every client call where words stop working and you need to show them the thing. A proposal, a spreadsheet, a website draft, a slide. In Google Meet, that moment is one click away, though Google calls it presenting rather than sharing, which is why people hunt for the wrong button.

I'll take you through the computer route, the phone route, the audio trick that catches out anyone sharing a video, and the reasons the button can be greyed out. Everything here follows Google's own help page, so if your screen looks a little different, it's likely down to a newer version.

Presenting your screen in Google Meet on a computer

According to Google's help article, the route on a computer is short:

1. Join your Google Meet video meeting.
2. At the bottom, click Present now.
3. Choose A tab, A window or Your entire screen.
4. Click Share.

To stop, click Stop Presenting in the Meet window, or click You are presenting and then Stop presenting at the bottom right. If you only want to show something different, Google says you can pick another tab and click Share this tab instead on the banner.

Which Google Meet screen option to pick

The three choices are easy to mix up. My rule of thumb for client calls:

Choice in Meet	When I'd use it
A tab	Showing one web page, such as a Google Doc or a site draft, with nothing else visible
A window	Showing one app, like a spreadsheet, while hiding the rest of your desktop
Your entire screen	Switching between several apps, when you're comfortable with everything visible

Sharing a single tab or window is the safer default. With your entire screen, everything on it can be seen, including notifications that pop up from messages and email. Close the apps you don't need first, or pause your notifications.

Sharing sound when you present in Google Meet

This one catches everybody who has tried to play a video on a call. Google's help says that if you present a Chrome tab, that tab's audio is shared by default. If you present a window or your entire screen, you have to switch on Also share system audio in the selection dialog. Without it, your audience sees the video but hears nothing.

Google also gives a tip to avoid echoes when you share system audio: make sure the system default audio output device is enabled. If system audio sharing isn't available on your device, you can still share audio from a tab.

Presenting in Google Meet from an iPhone, iPad or Android phone

A summary of Google's help article for phones gives this order: tap the screen, tap More, tap Share screen, then tap Start Sharing. The fetched desktop view of the article didn't show those steps, so treat them as a guide and check the live page for your device. Menus vary by app version, and sound sharing may not be available on every phone.

Phones are great in a pinch, but I'd use a laptop for anything important. It's easier to keep notes private and to see the chat while you present.

If someone else is already presenting in Google Meet

Google's help says that if you start presenting while another person is presenting, their presentation pauses. You'll see a Present instead option, so you can take over without anyone having to stop first. A meeting can have up to 10 simultaneous presentations, so a busy call can still handle more than one share.

In a meeting with several people, be polite. Ask in the chat before you take over, particularly if it's a client presenting to their own colleagues.

Why Present now is greyed out in Google Meet

If you can't present, there are a few usual suspects:

• Google's help says screen sharing may be disabled by your Workspace admin settings or by meeting host controls. Ask the host to allow it.
• On a Mac, you may need to give Chrome permission to record your screen in system settings. Google mentions this for macOS, including allowing screen and system audio recording access if you missed the prompt.
• You joined from the greenroom using Present. Google says that puts you in Companion mode, where your mic and speaker are unavailable.
• Your browser or app is out of date. Update and try again.

Google also has a dedicated page for troubleshooting screen-sharing issues in Google Meet if none of these helps.

Google Meet screen sharing tips for client calls

Once you know where the button is, a bit of preparation makes you look polished:

• Open the file or page you want to show before the call, and close everything else.
• Turn off notifications so a private message doesn't flash across a client's screen.
• Zoom in on your document. Google lets presenters zoom while presenting, which helps when your audience is on small screens.
• Say what you're about to show before you share, so people know where to look.

If you'd like a record of the session as well, my post on the AI notetaker problem is worth reading before you add a bot to the call, and where to find a recording after a call is handy for finding the file later.

Presenting Google Slides, Docs and Sheets in Google Meet

Google says you can present from Docs, Sheets or Slides on a computer using Chrome, and that sharing suggestions appear when you choose to present a tab. Co-presenting Slides is available on eligible work or school accounts. If you just need to talk someone through a deck, presenting a tab is usually the cleanest choice because only the slides show.

The same help page covers annotations for presenters and appointed co-annotators. If you're running a workshop, that's a handy way to circle something on screen while you talk.

Frequently asked questions

How do I share my screen on Google Meet?

On a computer, join the meeting, click Present now at the bottom, choose A tab, A window or Your entire screen, then click Share.

How do I share sound when presenting in Google Meet?

Google says a Chrome tab shares its audio by default. For a window or your entire screen, switch on Also share system audio in the selection dialog.

Why can't I present in Google Meet?

Google says screen sharing may be disabled by your Workspace admin settings or by the meeting host. On a Mac, Chrome may also need screen recording permission.

What happens if two people present at once?

Google says starting a presentation while someone else is presenting pauses theirs, and you can choose Present instead. A meeting can have up to 10 simultaneous presentations.

How do I stop sharing my screen in Google Meet?

Click Stop Presenting in the Meet window, or click You are presenting and then Stop presenting at the bottom right.