Screen Sharing

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Overview

Zed’s screen sharing feature allows participants in a call to share their entire screen or specific windows with others. Built on LiveKit’s video infrastructure, screen sharing provides high-quality, low-latency screen transmission for effective collaboration.

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Starting Screen Share

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Sharing Your Screen

To share your screen during an active call:

1. Join a channel or call
2. Use one of these methods:
   • Click the “Share Screen” button in the call interface
   • Use the “Screen Share” action from the command palette
   • Use the keyboard shortcut (if configured)
3. Select what to share:
   • Entire screen: Share everything visible on your display
   • Application window: Share a specific application
   • Zed window: Share just your Zed editor
4. Confirm your selection
5. Your screen appears in the collaboration panel for all participants

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Screen Share States

The screen share button indicates current status:

• Ready to share: Button is clickable, no screen currently shared
• Sharing: Button shows “Stop Sharing” with an active indicator
• Another user sharing: See their screen feed in the panel

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Viewing Shared Screens

When another participant shares their screen:

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In the Collaboration Panel

1. A “Screen” item appears under the sharing participant’s name
2. An icon indicates active screen share
3. Click the screen item to open the shared screen view

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Opening the Screen Share View

Clicking a shared screen:

1. Opens a new editor pane with the video feed
2. The screen share scales to fit the available space
3. Video quality adjusts automatically based on connection

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Multiple Shared Screens

If multiple participants share screens:

• Each appears separately in the collaboration panel
• Open multiple screen shares simultaneously in different panes
• Switch between them like regular editor tabs

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Stopping Screen Share

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Stopping Your Share

To stop sharing your screen:

1. Click the “Stop Sharing” button in the call interface
2. Or use the “Screen Share” action again (toggles)
3. Or leave the call (automatically stops sharing)

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When Others Stop Sharing

When a participant stops sharing:

• The screen share view automatically closes
• A notification may appear if you were actively viewing
• The screen item disappears from the collaboration panel

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Screen Share Features

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Presentation Mode

When sharing your screen, consider:

• Hide sensitive information: Close unrelated windows or tabs
• Increase font size: Make code more readable for viewers
• Use focused editor: Share just Zed window instead of entire screen
• Disable notifications: Prevent interruptions during presentation

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Video Quality

Screen share quality adapts automatically:

• High bandwidth: Full resolution, smooth frame rate
• Lower bandwidth: Reduced resolution to maintain stability
• Network changes: Quality adjusts dynamically during the share

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Audio During Screen Share

Screen sharing works alongside voice communication:

• Continue talking while sharing
• Mute/unmute without affecting screen share
• Audio and video are independent streams

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Use Cases

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Code Review

Share your screen to walk through code:

1. Open the files you want to review
2. Share your Zed window
3. Navigate through the code while discussing
4. Viewers follow along in real-time

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Debugging Sessions

Collaborate on fixing issues:

1. Share your screen showing the bug
2. Run the application and demonstrate the problem
3. Teammates can suggest fixes while watching
4. Switch who’s sharing to try different approaches

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Pair Programming

Share your screen while coding together:

1. One person shares their screen
2. Both participants discuss the code
3. The sharer makes edits while the other observes
4. Switch roles by stopping one share and starting another

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Teaching and Onboarding

Use screen sharing for education:

1. Instructor shares their screen
2. Demonstrates features or workflows
3. Students observe and ask questions
4. Students can share their screens to show their work

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Design Review

Review designs and mockups:

1. Share your screen with design tools open
2. Walk through designs with the team
3. Get immediate feedback
4. Switch to code view to discuss implementation

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Screen Share Controls

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For the Sharer

When sharing your screen, you have these controls:

• Stop Sharing: Immediately ends the screen share
• Mute Audio: Mutes microphone (independent from screen share)
• Leave Call: Stops sharing and exits the call

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For Viewers

When viewing a shared screen:

• Close View: Closes the screen share pane
• Resize Pane: Adjust the video feed size
• Full Screen: Maximize the screen share (depends on implementation)

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Permission and Privacy

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System Permissions

Screen sharing requires system-level permissions: macOS:

1. System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording
2. Enable screen recording for Zed
3. Restart Zed if permission was just granted

Linux:

• Permissions depend on your desktop environment
• XDG Desktop Portal typically handles permissions
• Grant access when prompted

Windows:

• Usually no additional permissions needed
• Some corporate environments may restrict screen capture

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What Gets Shared

Be aware of what’s visible when sharing:

• Entire Screen: Everything, including taskbar, notifications, other apps
• Application Window: Only the selected application’s content
• Notifications: May appear in screen share (disable beforehand)
• Background Apps: Can be seen if they overlap or you switch windows

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Privacy Best Practices

1. Review screen before sharing: Check for sensitive information
2. Use window sharing: More privacy than full screen
3. Close unnecessary tabs: Reduce accidental exposure
4. Disable notifications: Prevent pop-ups during share
5. Use a clean workspace: Close personal or confidential materials

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Role-Based Access

Screen sharing permissions depend on your role in the channel:

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Admin and Member Roles

• Can share screens freely
• Can view others’ shared screens
• No restrictions on screen sharing

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Talker Role

• Can view shared screens
• May have restrictions on sharing own screen
• Permissions configurable by channel admins

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Guest Role

• Can view shared screens (if granted)
• Cannot share own screen
• Most restricted access level

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Technical Details

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Video Streaming

Screen shares use LiveKit’s video infrastructure:

• Codec: VP8 or H.264 (automatic selection)
• Resolution: Up to 1080p (network dependent)
• Frame Rate: 15-30 fps (adjusts dynamically)
• Bitrate: Adaptive based on connection quality

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Network Requirements

For optimal screen sharing:

• Upload speed: 2-5 Mbps minimum (for sharer)
• Download speed: 2-5 Mbps minimum (for viewer)
• Latency: Lower is better (< 100ms ideal)
• Stable connection: Reduces quality fluctuations

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Reconnection Behavior

If disconnected during screen share:

1. Screen share automatically stops
2. Connection attempts to re-establish
3. Resume sharing manually after reconnection
4. Viewers are notified of the interruption

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Troubleshooting

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Cannot Start Screen Share

Check permissions:

• Verify screen recording permission on your OS
• Restart Zed after granting permissions

Check role:

• Ensure you’re not in Guest role
• Contact channel admin if needed

Check connection:

• Verify you’re in an active call
• Ensure stable internet connection

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Poor Screen Share Quality

Optimize settings:

• Close bandwidth-intensive applications
• Share a single window instead of full screen
• Check your upload speed

Network troubleshooting:

• Test your internet connection speed
• Use wired connection instead of Wi-Fi if possible
• Reduce other network activity

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Screen Share Not Visible

For viewers:

• Click the “Screen” item in the collaboration panel
• Check if the sharer is still in the call
• Verify your download bandwidth

For sharers:

• Confirm sharing started successfully
• Check that participants can see your video
• Try stopping and restarting the share

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Screen Share Freezes

Connection issues:

• Check network stability
• Reduce screen share resolution (stop and restart)
• Ask other participants if they see the same issue

Performance issues:

• Close unnecessary applications
• Share a smaller window
• Restart Zed

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Screen Share Automatically Stopped

Common causes:

• Network disconnection
• System went to sleep
• Application lost screen capture permission
• Call disconnection

Resolution:

• Verify connection status
• Restart screen share manually
• Check system permissions

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Advanced Tips

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Efficient Screen Sharing

1. Share Zed window only: More focused, better performance
2. Increase UI size: Use Cmd/Ctrl + Plus for better visibility
3. Use split panes: Show multiple files side-by-side
4. Enable line numbers: Easier to reference specific lines
5. Consistent theme: Use high-contrast themes for clarity

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Collaboration Workflows

Round-robin sharing:

• Each team member shares for a time slot
• Rotate through different parts of the codebase
• Good for distributed teams

Expert consultation:

• Junior developer shares screen
• Senior developer provides guidance
• Learn by watching and explaining

Mob programming:

• One person shares and codes
• Entire team contributes ideas
• Rotate the driver periodically

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Keyboard Shortcuts

Common shortcuts while screen sharing:

• Toggle screen share: Custom bindable action workspace::ScreenShare
• Close shared screen view: Standard close pane shortcuts
• Switch between panes: Navigate like normal editor panes

Configure custom shortcuts in your keymap for quick access.

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Next Steps

• Collaboration Overview - Learn about all collaboration features
• Channels Guide - Create and manage collaboration channels