Ever been on a video call with a friend or family member, trying to talk them through how to do something on their device? It’s frustrating not being able to see their screen, isn’t it? Facebook knows it, and has introduced a screen sharing feature like that available on Skype and Zoom, allowing iPhone, iPad, Android and even web users to share their displays with friends and family.
There are some limitations to the tech – it’s only available in chats of up to 8 people, or up to 16 if you’ve got a Messenger Room set up, but Facebook has said that it’s looking to expand the support to up to 50 people in Rooms in the near future. So, how do you use the new feature on your iPhone or iPad? Carry on reading to find out.
How to screen share via Messenger on iPhone and iPad
Okay so maybe our example of helping a friend or family member with a tech problem was a bit niche, but it’d certainly be handy to be able to quickly show your best mates all the photos from your holiday on your iPhone without having to send them individually. Whatever your reason for wanting to share your screen via Facebook Messenger, here’s how to do it:
- Make sure you’ve got the latest version of Facebook Messenger installed on your iPhone or iPad.
- Open the Messenger app and start a video call with the person or group you want to share your screen with. Remember, there’s a limit of 8 people in a chat, and 16 in a Messenger Room.
- Tap the video call icon to start a video call.
- Swipe up on the control bar at the bottom of your chat to view more options.
- Tap the Share Your Screen button.
- Tap Start Sharing.
- Tap Start Broadcast.
Once you’ve tapped Start Broadcast, everyone else in the call should be able to see your iPhone or iPad display. It’s worth noting that it’ll also share any notification banners that appear on-screen, so we’d advise turning on Do Not Disturb whenever you’re sharing your display. You can close the Messenger app and do whatever you want on your iPhone or iPad, and others in the call will still be able to see your display.
When you’re ready to stop sharing, simply re-open the Messenger app and either tap the Stop button to end the screen sharing, or simply end the Messenger call altogether.
For more Messenger help, take a look at the best Facebook Messenger tips and tricks and how to use Messenger without an active Facebook account too.
Author: Lewis Painter, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Lewis Painter was once a Tech Advisor Senior Staff Writer. He covers everything from iPhone to AirPods, plus a range of smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming hardware.