How to Screen Share in Google Meet for MacOS (Step-by-Step)

Sharing not working when you try to present from Google Meet in Chrome on macOS? There is an easy solution and Andy Wolber will show you how.

On macOS, enable the screen recording setting for Google Chrome and then you can present your screen from Google Meet.
Image: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic

I was in one Google Meet session with clients. “OK, go ahead and present your screen,” I said. I waited. Nothing. No screen sharing happened. They saw a prompt (Image A) to change permissions, but we weren’t sure what to do. So we moved on to other problems with no screen sharing.

A week or so later it happened again. I was in another Google Meet session with several people and they also struggled to present.

In both cases, the person who wanted to present from Google Meet on a Mac had to change one macOS security setting. However, the setting was not easy for the person to find and change quickly, especially in the middle of a meeting.

Enable screen recording permission for Chrome on macOS
How to enable camera and microphone permissions for Chrome on macOS
What is your experience?

Image A

Screen shot with — The first time you try to share your Google Meet screen, window, or tab, you may be prevented by asking to change your preferences.

So if you ever plan to present or share your screen while in Google Meet in Chrome on a Mac, follow the steps below. For these steps to work, make sure you:

To have Chrome installed on your macOS system,
Are logged in to Meet with your Google account in Chrome, and
Know your macOS administrator password.

The changes below will make Google Meet the macOS security permissions necessary to allow you to present your screen.

(Note: If you forget your macOS administrator password, there are several ways to reset it. Try it first reset password from recovery mode. Alternatively, you can try it in some cases other methodssuch as resetting with your Apple ID.)

TO SEE: Get this portable 4K monitor for over $400 off (TechRepublic Academy)

Enable screen recording permission for Chrome on macOS

1. Select the Apple menu (located in the top left corner of the screen).

2. Choose System Preferences (Figure B).

Figure B

Screenshot, with arrows pointing to the Apple menu (top left) and the System Preferences menu item. — Select the Apple menu, then System Preferences.

3. Select Security & Privacy (Figure C).

Figure C

Screenshot, with the Security & Privacy icon circled. — Select Security & Privacy.

4. You may need to unlock before changing settings. Select the lock (Figure D, in the lower-left corner), a message and prompt appear. Log in with TouchID or with your system administrator’s name and password.

Figure D

Screenshot of the Security & Privacy screen, with an arrow pointing to the lock icon at the bottom left. — Select the lock to allow changes, then authenticate with TouchID or with an administrator account and password.

5. Make sure the Privacy button is selected (from the tab at the top of the options), scroll down and select Screen Recording (in the left menu).

6. In the box on the right, scroll until Chrome appears, then select the box to allow screen sharing (Figures E).

Figures E

Screenshot, with arrows pointing to Screen Recording (menu on the left) and also to Google Chrome in the list of apps on the right. — Scroll down to Screen Recording, select it and check the box next to Google Chrome (on the right).

7. If Chrome is open, you may see a message that the setting will not be applied until Chrome is closed (Figure F). Choose Later or Close and Reopen. I recommend Exit and Reopen.

Figure F

If Google Chrome is running, please close and restart it before presenting. (Restarting Chrome will also force you to rejoin your Google Meet session if you were in the middle of a meeting when you made this change.)

8. Select the lock (in the lower left corner) to secure your settings.

After making the changes above, you can presenting Google Meet in Chrome on your Mac. During a meeting, select the Present Now icon (appears as a box with an arrow pointing up) at the bottom of your screen, then choose one of three options: Your full screen, a window, or a tab.

TO SEE: 9 tips for audio conferencing with Google Meet (TechRepublic)

Enable camera and microphone permissions for Chrome on macOS

In addition, Chrome needs camera and microphone permissions to share video and audio with Google Meet. In most cases, you’ve already granted this access when you started a Google Meet session. If you ever want to check or change the settings, the process is similar to the steps above.

TO SEE: How to use the Google Meet quality tool to solve conference problems (TechRepublic)

Figure G

You can also check if Chrome has permission to access the camera.

Figure H

Allow Google Chrome to access the microphone.

What is your experience?

If you use a Mac, or use Google Meet with people using it macOS— have you noticed that people run into problems when they try to present? How do you help people get past the above one-time changes to screen recording, camera, or microphone security settings? What other methods have you used to share your Mac’s screen during a web meeting? If you use Google Meet on macOS, let me know what your experience was, in the comments below or on Twitter (@awolber).

If you use Google Docs during your next Google Meet, you can learn expert tips by downloading them Google Docs tips from TechRepublic Premium for advanced users.

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