Chapter 16 Moderator Presenter

Screen Sharing

Presenters can share their screen, an application window, or a browser tab with all participants. Screen sharing works most reliably on desktop devices using a current Chromium-based browser.

Starting Screen Sharing

Click the screen sharing button in the toolbar (monitor icon). The button appears grayed out when inactive and turns blue when active.

Your browser will open a sharing dialog where you choose what to share.

Select one of the sharing options (see below) and confirm.

Sharing Options

Option Description
Entire screen Shares everything visible on your screen. If you have multiple monitors, you can select which one to share.
Application window Shares only a specific application window. The application must already be open.
Browser tab Shares only a specific browser tab. Available in Chromium-based browsers.

Sharing Computer Audio

When starting screen sharing, you can optionally enable audio sharing to transmit your computer's system sound to all participants. This is useful when showing videos or audio demonstrations.

Look for the Share audio checkbox in the browser's screen sharing dialog to enable system audio transmission.

Stopping Screen Sharing

There are two ways to stop sharing your screen:

  • Click Stop sharing on the floating toolbar that appears after you start sharing.
  • Click the blue screen sharing button in the BigBlueButton toolbar again.

While screen sharing is active, the shared content replaces the presentation in the main display area for all participants. A button to enlarge the shared content is available at the top right.

Screen sharing on smartphones and tablets may be unavailable or limited depending on the browser and operating system. Safari support varies by version and platform. For the best experience, use a desktop computer with a Chromium-based browser.

Before sharing your screen, close unnecessary tabs and windows to avoid accidentally revealing private information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Screen sharing works best with Chromium-based browsers (Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave). Firefox is also supported. Safari support varies by version and may have limitations.

Yes. When the browser sharing dialog appears, enable the "Share audio" option to transmit your system sound. This is especially useful for playing videos or audio content.

Screen sharing on mobile devices is limited and depends on the browser and operating system. For reliable screen sharing, use a desktop computer.

Your shared content replaces the presentation in the main display area. All participants see your screen, window, or tab in real time.

In the browser sharing dialog, select "Application window" instead of "Entire screen". Then choose the specific window you want to share. The application must already be open.