Screensharing

Screensharing is a feature that allows a user to transmit the visual output of their computer screen to other participants in a video conference or collaboration session. It may include the entire desktop, a single application window, or a chosen browser tab, depending on the tool and user permissions. Screensharing is commonly used to present information, demonstrate software, or guide others through tasks.

How it works: During initiation, the sender grants permission to capture the screen. The capture is processed by the operating system or a browser's screen-capture API, encoded, and transmitted to receivers over the network, typically using WebRTC or a proprietary protocol. The display on recipients' devices is synchronized, with options for image quality, frame rate, and the scope of content.

Technology and standards: WebRTC is a common foundation for real-time screen sharing in browser-based tools. Desktop capture APIs provided by operating systems or browsers enable the actual content capture. Some enterprise solutions use additional signaling, access controls, and encryption to protect data.

Use cases: Screensharing supports remote work meetings, IT support, product demonstrations, education, and collaborative design or debugging.

Security and privacy: Screensharing requires explicit user consent and can be stopped at any time. Tools provide controls to stop sharing, restrict sharing to specific windows, and blur sensitive content in some cases. In transit, data is typically encrypted; access controls and authentication limit who can view the shared content.

Limitations: Performance depends on bandwidth and CPU usage. Latency, compression artifacts, and cross-platform differences can affect usability. Privacy risks arise from inadvertent exposure of sensitive information.