For years now, Apple’s native video calling app, FaceTime, has been a default choice for many iPhone and iPad users, owing to its seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem and ease of use.

However, since the pandemic hit the world, everything shifted to online means of communication on video conferencing apps like office meetings, college lectures, and more on apps like Zoom and Google Meet.

facetime screen share
IMAGE: Onur Binay (Unsplash)

The Cupertino tech giant noticed this and soon added a plethora of new features to FaceTime on iOS 15, including support for Android devices and a brand new FaceTime screen share feature.

With the help of the FaceTime screen share feature, iPhone/iPad users can use it to easily share their screen with other members in a FaceTime call and discuss with them accordingly.

So what are you waiting for? First, let us have a detailed look at FaceTime screen share and how you use it effortlessly.

What is FaceTime Screen Share?

If you are accustomed to the screen share feature on apps like Zoom or Microsoft teams, then the FaceTime screen share feature will feel like home.

What do I mean? Well, the FaceTime screen share feature is nothing unique or something we have not seen earlier. Just like the apps we mentioned earlier, you can easily share your iPhone screen with other members in a FaceTime call.

There are a lot of benefits attached to screen sharing. Firstly, using screen share, you can easily share presentations with your office colleagues, helping them understand things better. Secondly, the tech giant has also introduced a new SharePlay feature that is quite interesting. Let us have a look.

Basically, SharePlay allows all iPhone/iPad users to share their favorite music videos with friends and whoop it up.

How to use FaceTime Screen Share on iPhone/iPad?

  1. Launch the FaceTime app on your iPhone/iPad running iOS 15.
  2. Now, create a meeting with your friends, colleagues, siblings, etc.
  3. After the meeting has commenced, click on the Screen Share option(double screen icon) in the upper-right corner of the FaceTime menu bar.
    share screen in facetime
  4. Once done, it will start a quick time down (3,2,1) and start sharing your entire screen using FaceTime.
  5. You can now easily navigate to any app and share some experiences with friends. Also, while you are sharing your screen, you can still continue interacting with friends on the call.iphone screen in facetime

How to use FaceTime Screen Share on Mac?

While the FaceTime screen share function works pretty well on iPhones, it is most effective on a Mac, thanks to the large display and the overall flexibility of macOS.

Moreover, using the FaceTime screen share feature on a Mac is not a fuss either; let us have a look.

  1. Launch the FaceTime application on your Mac.
  2. Now, create a meeting by clicking on the new facetime option. Alternatively, you can also create a FaceTime link and share it with your friends or colleagues.
  3. Once everyone has joined the meeting, click on the Screen Share Option (double screen icon) in the bottom left corner of your screen, next to the video icon.
    facetime screen share on mac
  4. Unlike iPhone, on a Mac, you can decide if you only want to share your currently active window or your entire screen based on your preferences.
    mac screen share
  5. After you click on either of these options, it will start sharing your Mac screen on the FaceTime call flawlessly.

Related Read: 10 Best Screen Sharing Tools for Windows

Does FaceTime screen share work on Android/Windows devices?

In the traditional caged iOS fashion, you sadly cannot share your screen with Android/Windows users, and that is undoubtedly a bummer.

Only users with an iPhone, iPad or MacBook can share or view the user’s screen, and if you guessed it right, even the SharePlay functionality is limited only to Apple users and not Android/Windows users.

Whoop it up with friends using FaceTime Screen Share

The FaceTime screen-sharing feature is a welcome addition from Apple, and while it works only on iOS devices, it is still pretty good. So the next time, you and your friends do not need to host a meeting on Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft teams if you wish to share screen and binge-watch movies or TV shows.

Let us know in the comments below if you found the article helpful and had a successful screen-sharing session with your friends, colleagues, or loved ones.

FAQs on FaceTime Screen Share

With the help of the new SharePlay feature, you not only can share your entire screen but also share your favorite music with friends or loved ones with ease. Once you and your friends have hopped into a video call, open the Apple Music app and play your favorite song, and it will automatically start sharing with your friends on the facetime call.

There are a couple of reasons why the new FaceTime Screen Share feature might not be working on your iPhone. First and foremost, you need to make sure you are running the latest version of iOS 15 (iOS 15.3 at the time of writing this article), or the feature will not work.

Moreover, do note the FaceTime screen share feature is not available on Android/Windows devices.

With iOS 15, Apple finally added the option to add Android users onto a FaceTime call, but it is not as simple. iOS users will first need to create a FaceTime call link and share it with Android users to join in the call. Sounds confusing? If yes, you do not need to worry as we have already covered a detailed guide on how to add Android users to Facetime.

You can share your screen with others on FaceTime while on a call. All participants must have iOS or iPadOS 15.1 or MacOS 12.1 or later to share the screen. In order to share screen on FaceTime Mac, you need to follow these steps:

  • Make a FaceTime call on your Mac.
  • You can share an app during the call by opening it.
  • Click the FaceTime button in the menu bar and then click the Screen Share button.

facetime-screen-share-mac

Depending on which Apple device you are using, Sharing screen on Facetime should be a breeze. If you are using an iPhone or an iPad, you should be running iOS 15 or iPadOS 15. Once the meeting has started, look for the screen share option on the top right corner of the screen. Tap on it and it will start screen sharing. It's even easier on Mac. The screen share option will be on the bottom left corner though.

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