Skype brings new screen sharing feature to Android and iOS

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Skype screen sharing
Screen sharing can be useful for all kinds of things.
Photo: Microsoft

Skype’s new screen sharing feature is now officially available on Android and iOS.

The update makes it possible to share a view of your device’s screen over a Skype video call — and to see someone else’s. It’s great for collaborating with colleagues or helping friends troubleshoot a problem.

If you know how to reboot a router without burning the house down, you’ve probably become the free tech support assistant in your family. And you’ll know how frustrating it is to try helping someone with a technical problem over the phone.

But not anymore. Thanks to Skype, it’s easy to see exactly what friends and family are doing (and doing wrong) on their Android and iOS devices in real time.

Skype screen sharing is easy

Screen sharing in Skype starts with a video call. You can then tap the options menu inside the call menu to find the screen sharing function.

Once activated, it’ll let the person you’re communicating with see everything that’s on screen on your device. You’ll know it’s working because of the red banner that appears at the top of your screen.

No one can see your screen without your permission, and you can disable the feature at any time during a video call. Screen sharing does not provide remote access, so no one can control your device but you.

Start screen sharing today

It’s free to screen share with other Skype users — and this is one of the simplest ways to do it on Android and iOS. To get started, download the latest version of the Skype app from the App Store or Google Play.

It’s not yet clear which version of Android is supported by screen sharing, but on iPhone and iPad, you’ll need iOS 12 or later.

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