Want to know how to share screen on FaceTime? Well, this is the guide for you.
FaceTime is the app of choice for Apple users when a quick video call is in need. FaceTime app offers all the features most video conferencing apps offer, at a better quality, and is user-friendly. But the one downside to the app was its lack of a screen sharing option, which was not available until recently.
As the saying goes, “necessity is the mother of invention”. Covid 19 pandemic has vamped up the need for sharing screens in both professional and personal environments. During work-from-home sessions and online classes, Apple users had to rely on third-party apps for screen sharing.
To meet the above needs of the customers, in 2021, Apple updated FaceTime to feature screen sharing option in iOS 15.1 and iPadOS 15.1. Furthermore, in the same year, Apple introduced a new feature- ‘SharePlay’. Using SharePlay, you can spend quality movie time with your friends and family when being physically apart.
So, today let us learn how to share a screen on FaceTime. But before that, let us see why scaring screen is need of the hour.
Uses of Screen Sharing in new FaceTime:
Work:
The in-built screen sharing option lets us view someone else’s screen while not being in the same place of work. Any queries concerning work can be consulted and clarified with your co-workers in a screen sharing session. You can also get tech support from IT professionals via FaceTime screen sharing.
By enabling screen sharing, you can pitch your ideas more efficiently by visual means, facilitating the audience to understand your concepts better. This makes even the work-from-home presentations a hit.
Class:
Online classes have ensured that the education of young minds goes on unhampered during the difficult situations. To make these live classes interesting and interactive, the screen share option has become necessary.
With Apple’s new update, you no longer need to use other apps to share your screen. From sharing slides, presentations, textbook documents to submitting assignments online, screen sharing options are helpful everywhere.
Home:
With the quarantine and isolation protocols, we miss sharing sweet little moments of our life with our family members and friends. By sharing your screen, you can engage your crowd by looking through your photos, videos, playlists, grocery lists, take-away menus, etc., together.
You can also be the much-needed tech support for your grandparents and other elders by showing them how to use different gadgets.
Now that we know the uses of these new FaceTime features let’s learn how to use them.
How to Share Screen on FaceTime: On iPhone or iPad
System requirements: iOS or iPadOS 15.1 or above.
Start Screen Sharing:
Follow the steps given below to share your screen on FaceTime call:
1) Start a FaceTime call:
To start a FaceTime call, click on the FaceTime app on your iPhone or iPad to open it, as shown below.
Once the app is opened, press the ‘New FaceTime’ option and choose the contacts you want to add to your call. For a group, FaceTime calls can add up to 32 people. You can also choose to call a person from your recent contact.
Once you have added everyone, you have to hit the ‘FaceTime‘ button to begin your call.
You can also start a FaceTime call from the Messages app, by pressing the ‘FaceTime‘ button on the top right corner.
2. Start FaceTime Screen sharing:
Once the call gets started, tap anywhere on the screen to make the FaceTime control panel pop up. In the panel, you will find the ‘Share Content’ button on the right corner. Press the button and then tap the ‘Share My Screen’ option.
It starts off with a three-second countdown, after which you can open the app you want to share. Remember, the whole screen of your iPhone or iPad will be visible to the people you share your screen with. They can only view your screen and cannot control anything on your screen.
Any new notifications you receive will not be visible to others during that time. If you want to check your notifications, you can view them by dragging them down your notification bar. But if you click to open the notifications, it will be visible to others.
The purple status icon in the status bar at the top of your screen is an indication that your screen sharing is active.
You can press this purple status icon to open the FaceTime control panel, which has the following options in it:
- Messages
- Speaker
- Mute/Unmute
- Video on/off
- Screen share
To see the active caller’s video, you can pull the arrow button as shown below. You can swipe it away to view your whole screen.
While sharing your screen, FaceTime might temporarily stop your video streaming to handle network issues. In that case, you might have to re-enable your video by pressing the camera icon. Your video may not be resumed once you end screen sharing.
3. End Screen Sharing:
If you wish to stop sharing your screen, you can open the FaceTime app and click the ‘Share Content’ button you used to start your screen share. The screen sharing stops instantaneously by pressing the ‘Share Content’ button.
Instead of navigating to FaceTime, you can just click the purple status icon to open the FaceTime controls and press the ‘Share Content’ button in the right-most corner to end screen sharing.
4. Join Screen Sharing:
Click on the ‘Open’ option found near ‘Join Screen Sharing’ to join a screen sharing session on FaceTime. Once you have entered, you can see the shared screen in a Picture-in-Picture window. To view the share screen clearly, you have to tap on the PiP window to expand it.
Even if you open other apps, the PiP window will continue to follow you, and if you find that annoying, you can always swipe it to the right or left. Click on the tab on the side to bring back the PiP window.
To get back to FaceTime call, you just have to tap on the sharer’s PiP window.
5. Take over Screen Sharing:
If you want to share your screen during an ongoing screen sharing session, you have to press the ‘Share Content’ button. Then, tap ‘Share My Screen‘ and tap ‘Replace Existing’ to take over the feature from someone else.
How to Share Screen on FaceTime: On a Mac
System requirements: macOS 12.1
To share your screen on Facetime calls, ensure that all FaceTime participants meet the system requirements: macOS 12.1, iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, and later versions. This is mandatory, and the feature will not work even if one of the other participants has an older version.
Follow the steps given below:
- Launch FaceTime.
- Tap ‘New FaceTime‘ and choose your call participants. You can also call a recent contact.
- Once the call is made, press the ‘SharePlay’ icon to start sharing your screen.
- You can choose to share a ‘Window’ or a ‘Screen‘. The difference is when you share a ‘Window’, only the specific app you choose to share will be visible, whereas the entire screen will be visible when you share a ‘Screen‘.
- To end the screen share, choose the same from the ‘SharePlay’ menu bar.
What is SharePlay
With the new Shareplay feature of FaceTime in iOS 15.1 and iPadOS15.1, you can watch movies or TV shows, listen to music, or even share your work routine on a FaceTime call. Unlike screen share, the participants also have playback controls on SharePlay. This means that anyone in the call can play, pause or fast forward the shared content.
When you need to voice your opinion regarding the shared content, SharePlay automatically reduces the volume of the streaming content, making your voice audible to other users. Also, closed captioning (CC) and each viewer can individually customize volume.
Apps that Support SharePlay:
Some apps that allow the SharePlay feature are listed below.
TV and Music Apps:
- Apple TV+
- Apple Music
- Disney +
- HBO Max
- SoundCloud
- ESPN+
- Hulu
- Paramount+
- Tik Tok
Other Apps:
- Apple Fitness+
- SmartGym: Gym & Home Workouts
- Kahoot! Play & Create Quizzes
- BetterMe: Health Coaching
- Apollo for Reddit
- Doneit: Planner & Reminders
How to Use SharePlay to Watch Movies:
- Launch FaceTime.
- Choose one of the above video streaming apps.
- Pick your favourite movie or a TV show.
- Hit the play button and when the ‘Play for Everyone’ option appears, click it. Other participants would have to tap the ‘Join SharePlay’ icon to enjoy the live streaming with you.
- Ensure all the other participants have a subscription (or at least a free trial) to the same streaming app. If not, they won’t be able to see the content shared.
- The PiP window allows you to use any other app while watching the video.
How to Use SharePlay to Listen to Music:
- Launch FaceTime.
- Choose one of the above music apps that support SharePlay.
- Put your favourite album or go-to playlist on and vibe with your friends. Make sure the other users hit ‘Join SharePlay’ to enjoy listening to the songs with you.
- The same rules of subscription and playback control (as that of the movies) apply here.
SharePlay on Apple TV:
If you want to switch over to a bigger screen, you can share the video to Apple TV. To do that, you must open the streaming app or the control centre, tap on the screen mirroring icon, and choose Apple Tv as the playback destination.
Screen sharing saves the time spent sending documents and files individually and enables interactive group sessions. With SharePlay, you can enjoy movies with your loved ones even during your quarantine.
Thus, these new features of Apple let you stay connected anywhere, anytime. And that is all you need to know on how to Share Screen on FaceTime.
You may find this article helpful: https://icytechworld.com/how-to-cancel-apple-music-subscription/
Do give this a read as well.
Last Updated on January 28, 2022 by Ms.Hazarika
