You no longer need Developer Mode, server IDs or a hand-built Discord URL to share your screen. In 2026, Discord screen sharing is built directly into voice channels and calls.
On desktop, join a voice channel, click the Screen streaming icon, choose an app window or your entire display, then click Go Live.
| Where | How to start sharing |
|---|---|
| Server voice channel | Join channel → Screen icon → choose app/screen → Go Live |
| DM/group call | Start/join call → Screen Share → choose app/screen |
| Mobile | Join a call/channel → open call controls → Share Your Screen |
How to screen share in a Discord server
- Open Discord and join a voice channel where you have permission to stream.
- In the voice status panel near the bottom-left of the desktop app, click the Screen streaming icon.
- Choose the individual application window you want to share, or choose an entire screen.
- Select your stream quality options.
- Click Go Live.
Discord’s current support documentation says up to 50 people can share video or screens at the same time in a voice chat.
See Discord’s current Go Live and Screen Share guide.
How to share your screen in a Discord DM
You do not need a server at all.
- Open the DM or group DM.
- Start or join a voice/video call.
- Click Share Your Screen.
- Choose the app or display you want to show.
- Start the stream.
This is usually the simplest method when you are helping one friend troubleshoot something or showing a small group a game.
Share one app or your entire screen?
Share an application window when privacy matters. Viewers only see that app, so notifications or another browser window are less likely to appear accidentally.
Share the entire screen when you need to switch between several apps during a presentation or troubleshooting session.
Before sharing an entire display, close anything sensitive and consider enabling Do Not Disturb.
Can Discord share game audio?
Yes, on supported clients. Discord currently says audio can be captured by the Windows desktop app, macOS desktop app, Chrome browser and mobile clients. Audio sharing is not currently available on Linux.
If viewers can see your game but cannot hear it, first check that you are sharing the application rather than an unsupported source and that the correct output/input devices are selected in User Settings → Voice & Video.
Do you need Developer Mode?
No. The old version of this article told readers to enable Developer Mode, copy server/channel IDs and manually construct a URL. That was an old workaround and is completely unnecessary for normal screen sharing now.
Developer Mode is for things such as copying Discord IDs for development/moderation purposes. It is not a prerequisite for Go Live.
Why can’t I see the Screen Share button?
Common causes include:
- you have not joined a voice call/channel;
- the server role does not have permission to stream in that channel;
- Discord does not have screen-recording permission on your operating system;
- you are using a client/platform with limited capture support; or
- Discord needs to be restarted after an OS permission change.
Mac: allow Discord to record the screen
macOS requires explicit screen-recording permission. If Discord shows a black screen or cannot capture an app, open macOS privacy settings and confirm Discord is allowed to record the screen/system audio as required, then restart Discord.
Black screen while sharing a game
If one game produces a black screen while other apps share normally:
- try sharing the individual game window and then the entire display;
- switch the game between fullscreen, borderless and windowed modes;
- restart Discord and the game;
- update the graphics driver if capture problems affect multiple applications; and
- turn off overlays or capture tools temporarily to test for conflicts.
Do not enable random Discord developer settings simply because an old guide tells you to.
How to stop screen sharing
Click the screen-share/stream controls and choose Stop Streaming. Leaving the call or voice channel also ends the stream.
Quick answer
Join a Discord voice channel, click the Screen streaming icon, choose an application or entire display, then click Go Live. No Developer Mode, copied IDs or custom Discord links are required.
