You share your screen in a Teams meeting and everyone else sees only a black screen? Or you see black when a colleague shares? It almost always comes down to one of a handful of causes: a missing permission on the Mac, protected video (DRM), the graphics card, a very high resolution or an outdated app. This article lists the fixes, from quickest to most thorough.
Quick fixes to try first
- Share a window instead of your whole screen. Click Share and pick the app you want to show under Window. That often fixes it right away, especially with multiple monitors.
- Stop sharing and start again.
- Update Teams: click ... next to your profile picture > Settings > About Teams to check for updates. Still on classic Teams? Move to the new Teams app.
- Quit Teams completely (including in the system tray next to the clock) and start it again.
On a Mac: allow Teams to record the screen
This is the most common cause on a Mac. Without permission, the rest of the meeting only sees your desktop background or a black area.
- Open System Settings > Privacy & Security.
- Click Screen & System Audio Recording (in older macOS versions: Screen Recording).
- Turn on Microsoft Teams. If Teams isn't listed, add it with the plus button.
- Quit Teams completely (
Cmd + Q) and open it again.
Video or streaming service: protected content
Netflix, Disney+, some e-learning platforms and copy-protected (DRM) video are deliberately shown as black when you share them. That isn't a Teams bug. Share another source, or let attendees open the video themselves. Some secure apps, such as banking apps or password managers, also block screen capture.
Graphics card and multiple monitors
- Update your graphics driver through Windows Update (Advanced options > Optional updates) or the manufacturer's website (Intel, AMD, NVIDIA).
- Laptop with two graphics chips: in Settings > System > Display > Graphics, set Microsoft Teams to Power saving or High performance and test again. Teams and the screen need to run on the same graphics chip.
- External monitor on a dock: share the laptop screen or a window, or connect the monitor directly.
Very high resolution or ultrawide monitor
On ultrawide monitors, such as 3440 × 1440 or 5120 × 1440, sharing the full screen can stay black or stutter. Share a window, or lower the resolution temporarily:
- Right-click the desktop > Display settings.
- Pick the monitor and set Display resolution to, for example, 2560 × 1440.
- Share again and restore the resolution after the meeting.
In the browser
Using Teams in Edge or Chrome? Check that the browser is allowed to record the screen (on a Mac: same steps as above, but for the browser). If it still fails, try the Teams app, or open the meeting in another browser.
On Linux
On Linux with Wayland, screen sharing only works if the browser may capture through PipeWire. If it doesn't, sign in with an X11 session or share a window.
You see black when someone else shares?
- Ask the presenter to follow the steps above; the cause is usually on their side.
- Check your own network: on a weak connection the shared screen sometimes doesn't load. Turn off your own camera to save bandwidth.
- Leave the meeting and join again.
Read also
How to set out of office and a status message in Microsoft Teams
How to restore deleted files in Microsoft Teams and SharePoint
How to put windows side by side in Windows 11 with Snap
Nederlandstalige versie: Zwart scherm bij het delen van je scherm in Microsoft Teams: oorzaken en oplossingen