10 Effective Solutions to Fix Discord Screen Share Not Working on Windows 11

While Discord offers the convenient feature of screen sharing, many Windows users encounter issues when trying to start a screen-sharing session. These problems can range from missing privileges to corrupt cache and DRM-protected content. However, there are several effective methods you can try to resolve these issues and get Discord screen share working again.

1. Avoid DRM-Protected Content and Reduce Participants

To begin with, it's important to note that Discord does not allow screen sharing of DRM-protected content from platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. So, make sure to avoid sharing content from these apps. Additionally, Discord currently limits screen sharing to a maximum of 50 participants and one host. If you are trying to screen share with more than 50 users, reducing the number of participants may resolve the issue.

2. Run Discord With Admin Privileges

Running Discord with administrator privileges can often solve screen sharing problems. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Press the Windows key + I to open the File Explorer.
  2. Paste the following path in the address bar and press Enter: C:UsersAsusAppDataRoamingMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuProgramsDiscord Inc
  3. Click on the Discord shortcut and press Ctrl + Enter to open the Properties option.
  4. Click on the Advanced button.
  5. Select the Run as administrator check box and click OK.
  6. Finally, click Apply and then OK to exit.

3. Manually Add the App to Discord

Discord may have difficulty identifying the app you want to screen share, especially in Discord servers. To resolve this, manually add the app to Discord by following these steps:

  1. Launch the app or game you want to screen share using Discord.
  2. Click on the Settings icon in Discord.
  3. Scroll down to the Activity Settings section and click on the Registered Games option.
  4. Click on the Add it button and type the name of the app. Click on the search result.
  5. Finally, click on the Add Game button.

4. Switch to Windowed Mode

Discord may face difficulties capturing games or apps running in full-screen mode. If you are screen-sharing an app like Chrome, it will run in windowed mode. However, games often run in full-screen mode, making it difficult to switch to windowed mode. To resolve this, access the game settings and switch to windowed mode.

5. Disable Hardware Acceleration

Hardware acceleration, which utilizes your GPU to improve visual performance, can sometimes cause issues with Discord screen sharing on Windows. To disable hardware acceleration, follow these steps:

  1. Open Discord settings and locate the App Settings section. Click on the Advanced option.
  2. Click on the toggle next to the Hardware Acceleration option to disable it.
  3. Re-launch Discord to apply the changes.

6. Disable Advanced Technology Video Setting

Disabling the default video settings for screen sharing in Discord has been effective for many users. Follow these steps:

  1. Open Discord settings and locate the App Settings section. Click on the Voice & Video option.
  2. Scroll down to the Screen Share section and click on the toggle next to the Use our advanced technology to capture your screen option to disable it.
  3. Restart Discord.

7. Turn Off the Experimental Method Setting

Enabling the experimental method to capture audio can also cause issues with screen sharing on Discord. To disable this feature, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Voice & Video section in Discord settings.
  2. Scroll down to the Screen Share option.
  3. Click on the toggle next to the Use an experimental method to capture audio from applications option to disable it.

8. Disable the Cisco Video Codec

If disabling the advanced technology and experimental method settings did not solve the problem, you can try disabling the Cisco Video Codec in Discord. Keep in mind that this will also disable Hardware Acceleration and the AV1 video codec. Here's how:

  1. Open Discord settings and locate the App Settings section. Click on the Voice & Video option.
  2. Scroll down to the Advanced section.
  3. Click on the toggle next to the OpenH264 Video Codec provided by Cisco Systems, Inc to disable it.

9. Empty Discord Cache

Flushing the Discord app cache can help resolve inherent issues with the app and its features. Follow these steps to empty the Discord cache:

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type %appdata% and press Enter.
  2. Navigate to Discord > Cache folder.
  3. Press Ctrl + A to select everything inside the Cache folder, then press Shift + Delete to remove everything permanently. Click Yes to confirm.
  4. Close the file explorer and relaunch Discord.

10. Reinstall Discord

If the Discord app installation is buggy or corrupt, removing and reinstalling the app from the Microsoft Store can solve the problem. Follow these steps:

  1. Right-click on the Start button to launch the Power User menu. Click on the Installed apps option.
  2. Find the Discord app in the list, click on the meatballs (…) button, and select the Uninstall option.
  3. Click Uninstall again to confirm.
  4. Launch Microsoft Store, search for Discord, and download and install the app. Sign in to your account.

By following these methods, you should be able to resolve the Discord screen share not working issue on Windows 11. Screen sharing can be a useful feature for sharing content with friends and other servers, so it's worth troubleshooting these problems to make it usable again.