FIX: Teams screen sharing not working on Windows 10/11

Microsoft Teams is a communication platform that allows people to stay connected all the time and become more organized.

In some instances, Windows 10 users have encountered the annoying Microsoft Teams desktop sharing not working error.

This means that when you use the app, you will not be able to share the desktop screen. Your audience will only see a black screen, which is far from the intended Microsoft Teams screen sharing the result.

This proves to be very annoying if you are a teacher who wants to share information with students if you work in the corporate industry, or even from home.

Several users have complained about the screen sharing issue on the Microsoft forum:

My TEAMS screen share stopped working a few weeks ago. When the desktop resolution is 3440×1440, my screen cannot be viewed. If I lower the resolution, then my screen can be viewed.

Help me, the TEAMS screen share is not working.

What can I do if Microsoft Teams screen sharing isn’t working?

1. Clear the Microsoft Teams cache

1. Right-click on your Taskbar and choose Task Manager.
2. Right-click on Microsoft Teams and select End Task.
3. Click on the Start tab, then select Open the File Explorer.
4. Copy and paste the location address in the search bar.
5. Press Enter.
6. Use the Ctrl + A command to select all files, right-click and choose Delete.
7. Repeat previous steps for each of all folder locations shown below: %appdata%Microsoftteamstmp
%appdata%Microsoftteamsdatabases
%appdata%MicrosoftteamsGPUCache
%appdata%MicrosoftteamsIndexedDB
%appdata%MicrosoftteamsLocal Storage

8. Launch Microsoft Teams and create or join a meeting.
9. Share your screen with your chosen audience.

When your cache memory stores a lot of information, this decreases your computer speed. A corrupted Microsoft Teams cache occupies a lot of space, so it will be hard for your device to process screen-sharing data.

If you delete the cache data, then you will be able to perform troubleshooting when necessary. This operation increases the computer’s performance and decreases the web page loading time. 

2. Check for Microsoft Teams updates

1. Click Start and open Microsoft Teams.
2. Click on your Avatar tab, and then choose Check for updates.
3. Launch Microsoft Teams and create or join a meeting.
4. Perform the screen sharing procedure.

Is Microsoft Teams unable to see the shared screen? Well, the second step of this solution will perform a connection to Microsoft servers and search for any available patch updates.

If found, they are downloaded and then installed on your PC. Wait until the update procedure has been completed successfully.

You must install software updates, as they will include critical patches for security issues, improve software stability, and remove outdated features. Their purpose is to improve your user experience.

Also, an outdated MS Teams app will cause the Microsoft Teams screen sharing not working error to occur.

3. Customize Microsoft Teams Meeting Policies

1. Open Microsoft Teams Admin Center.
   
2. Type in your credentials in the login section.
3. Navigate to Meetings.
4. Select New Policies and then Add New Policy.
5. Compose a new title and a concise description.
6. Click on Next and navigate to Content sharing settings.
7. Choose Entire screen for screen sharing mode and customize your settings.
8. Select the Finish option.

This solution allows you to set rules for your MS Teams sessions and prevents the Microsoft Teams screen sharing issues that you’re worried about.

When you are the host that creates a meeting, this enables you to adjust the requirements for who and how can perform screen sharing. Usually, the issue appears when you try to share the desktop through the application.

For this reason, you must contact the admin to verify if the settings from MS Teams Admin Center permit you to share or not the entire desktop.

You can ask the host to create a new policy that allows you to share the entire desktop screen.

There is always a better approach to managing screen sharing, through a browser with Mikogo. There is no need to download the software; simply create an account and share your screen straight away.

Having a backup in case a program fails is always a good idea, therefore we created a guide for you with best telework software to help you further with your activities. 

The Microsoft Teams screen sharing not working issue is also reported on other operating systems. If you have this issue on Mac too, check out our dedicated guide right away.

If you clear your Microsoft Teams cache, update the app, or customize one of their Meeting Policies, this should ensure you have a pleasant and undisturbed working or teaching session.

Try out our solutions and leave us a message in the comments section to let us if they were useful to you as well.