To share your screen on Slack, start or join a huddle by clicking the headphones icon at the top of a channel or direct message, then click the share screen icon and choose a screen, window or app. Up to two people can share at once, and others can draw on your screen from the Mac or Windows desktop app.
In Slack, screen sharing happens inside a huddle, Slack's quick audio and video call. There's no separate 'share screen' button in a normal chat. Start a huddle, then share. Slack lets two people share at the same time, and anyone watching can draw on a shared screen to point things out. Here's how it works, the limits on the free plan, and how to fix it when sharing won't start.
Share your screen in a huddle
- Open the channel or direct message where you want to talk.
- Click the headphones icon at the top of the conversation to start a huddle. Anyone in that conversation can join.
- Click the share screen icon in the huddle window.
- Choose a screen, window or application to share.
- Tick Share system audio if you want people to hear sound from your computer, such as a video you're playing.
To turn your camera on as well, click the camera icon at the bottom of the huddle window. You can share your screen with the camera off, which many people prefer for quick working sessions.
What the others see
Shared screens appear in the huddle window. Anyone in the huddle can click a shared screen to make it bigger, or click the pencil icon to draw on it, which is brilliant for 'no, the button on the left' moments. Slack says drawing currently works in the Slack desktop app for Mac and Windows, so people joining from a phone or browser can watch but not draw.
Huddle limits worth knowing
| Limit | Free plan | Other plans |
|---|---|---|
| People in a huddle | 2 at most | Up to 50 |
| People with video on | Within that limit of two | 25 at a time |
| People sharing a screen at once | Up to two | Still two at once |
That free-plan cap of two people is the big one. On a free workspace, a huddle is effectively a one-to-one call. If you need a group screen share for a team of three or more, you'll need one of Slack's other plans, or a separate meeting tool.
Where you can huddle and share
Slack says huddles work in its desktop and mobile apps, and in Google Chrome on Mac, Windows and Linux and Firefox on Mac and Windows. If you're on another browser and screen sharing won't start, switch to one of those or to the desktop app, which gives you drawing too.
Bringing in someone outside the channel
You can invite anyone in your workspace to a huddle, even if they're not in the channel or direct message where it started. Use the invite people option in the huddle window, pick their names and send the invitation. Slack points out that people you invite who aren't members of that conversation can't see its messages or the huddle thread, so you can bring in an expert for five minutes without opening up the whole channel.
Every huddle also has a link people can use to join from elsewhere, such as from a calendar invitation or a message, which is handy when you want to schedule a quick screen-share session.
If screen sharing won't start
- Check you're in a huddle: screen sharing isn't available in a plain chat.
- Check two people aren't already sharing, as that's the limit.
- On a Mac, check Slack has permission to record your screen in your Mac's privacy settings. Slack also has a help article on a known huddle screen-sharing bug in its Mac desktop app.
- Try the desktop app or a supported browser (Chrome or Firefox).
- Restart the huddle if the share button seems stuck.
Share a window, not your whole screen
When Slack asks what to share, pick the single window or app you need rather than your whole screen. It stops notifications, email previews and other tabs popping up in front of colleagues or clients, and it keeps the picture cleaner for everyone watching. Close anything private before you start anyway, because it's easy to switch windows without thinking.
Huddle or meeting?
Huddles are designed for quick, informal conversations, the 'can you look at this?' moment. For anything formal, with an agenda, external guests or a recording, a scheduled video meeting usually fits better. If you need a recording of your screen to share later rather than a live call, my guide to screen recording on Windows covers the built-in options.
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Getting more from Slack
Huddles are best kept short and focused. Post any decisions in the huddle thread or the channel afterwards, so people who weren't there know what happened. If your channels are getting crowded, my guides on archiving a Slack channel and leaving one will help.
My verdict
Start a huddle with the headphones icon, then click share screen and pick a window. Remember the free-plan huddle limit of two people, the two-sharers rule, and that drawing on screens needs the Mac or Windows desktop app.
Frequently asked questions
How do I share my screen on Slack?
Start or join a huddle with the headphones icon in a channel or DM, click the share screen icon, and choose a screen, window or app.
Can I share my screen in Slack without a huddle?
No. Screen sharing in Slack happens in huddles, so start one first.
How many people can share screens in a Slack huddle?
Slack says up to two people in a huddle can share their screen at a time.
Can you share your screen on free Slack?
Yes, but Slack says huddles on the free plan can have a maximum of two participants.
Can others draw on my screen in Slack?
Yes. Anyone in the huddle can click the pencil icon to draw on a shared screen, using the Slack desktop app for Mac or Windows.
