How to Screen Share on PC

Screen sharing allows you to share a website or your own application with your client(s)- e.g. online games or Power Point, etc . Our screen sharing software allows your client/s to manipulate the mouse ( e.g. click, drag and drop, etc. ) and you can either share your desktop or selected window.

In order to screen share, you need to install our additional screen sharing software. We recommend that you install our screen sharing software prior to seeing clients online. This article explains how to download screen sharing software before the meeting.

Your client does NOT need to download this software. You need to download our additional software once. However if we do have an update you should uninstall the old version and then install a new version.

Screen sharing software can be installed on Mac and PC but NOT on mobile devices or Google Chrome Books (clinician's end). Your clients can use any machine when you screen share (PC, MAC, mobile device and Google Chrome book). Your clients will be able to manipulate shared screen on PC, Mac, Google Chrome book but not on mobile devices. 

Important: Please review our built- into the platform video tutorials under the orange button watch tutorials ( Video "How to install screen sharing on PC" and Video "How to screen share on PC). If you have Mac please refer to our article on how to screen share on Mac and watch video tutorials. 

Sharing window vs desktop 

Window sharing option allows one to only share what is presented in the window vs desktop sharing allows one to share the entire desktop. With window sharing option your client will only see and have access to whatever stimuli you present in the window (e.g. online game, word doc, etc.). With desktop sharing option, your client will see your desktop and whatever is showing on the desktop (entire screen).

Here are instructions on how to use our screen sharing (once downloaded) during live online session with Window Sharing option:

1. Start meeting with your client.
2. Click on "Tools"
3. Click on "Screen Share".
4. Click on the green button "Start Screen Share". (Please, note that you need to be connected with your client in order for you to see this button).
5. When screen sharing software starts you will be prompted to open the TheraPlatform app. At this point, we recommend checking "Remember my choice for TheraPlatform". 
6. Another pop up box with Google Chrome message will show- it will disappear after a second- you don't need to close it.
7. You will see a message "Screen Sharing Started" and a small pop up box at the bottom of the page saying "connected and screen sharing".
8. Another pop up box will pull in the middle of the screen and you can either click on Open browser (to screen share window) or on Share desktop to share your desktop -
9. To share an application/website in a window (clients will NOT have access to your desktop)- click on Open browser and this will pull a website (Google) to this pop up box. If you don't see the website in the pop up box, click on Refresh.
10. Select the website in the pop up box, by clicking on it.
11. The window with the website will open and it will be highlighted and this means that you are screen sharing this website. 
12. The client will see the website you share on his or her end and the client will be able to manipulate the website you are sharing. ( Please note that when your client has slower connection or slower machine - it may take a few extra seconds, 10 or more sec, for your client to see the window you share)
13. If you want to take control away from your client , click on the green box with your client's name. The green box will turn red and red means that the client does not have access control and cannot manipulate the website. 
14. Navigating away from the website you are screen sharing such as clicking on another button -e.g. to take access away, etc - will drop the website you're sharing to the bottom of your desktop under the Google Chrome icon. To pull this website up again so both you and your client can see it, RIGHT click on the Google Chrome icon and click on the website you were sharing. 
15. When you're done screen sharing and want to stop screen sharing either close the website you were sharing or click on the red "Stop Screen Sharing".

If you wish to screen share your own application (e.g. Power Point, etc.) with Desktop sharing option follow the above steps but after selecting Desktop sharing- pull the application up on your screen so screen sharing software picks it up for screen sharing.

Here are instructions on how to use our screen sharing (once downloaded) during live online session with Desktop Sharing option:

1. Start meeting with your client.
2. Click on "Tools"
3. Click on "Screen Share".
4. Click on the green button "Start Screen Share". (Please, note that you need to be connected with your client in order for you to see this button).
5. When screen sharing software starts you will be prompted to open the TheraPlatform app. At this point, we recommend checking "Always Remember my choice for TheraPlatform". 
6. Another pop up box with Google Chrome message will show- it will disappear after a second- you don't need to close it.
7. You will see a message "Screen Sharing Started" and a small pop up box at the bottom of the page saying "connected and screen sharing".
8. Another pop up box will pull in the middle of the screen and you can either click on Open browser (to screen share window) or on Share desktop to share your desktop.
9. To share your entire screen/desktop click on Share desktop.
10. Next find the Google chrome icon at the bottom of your screen,  right click on it and select New window. This will open the website in a new window and you can adjust the size of it so you can still see your client when you screen share.
11. The client will see the website you share on his or her end and the client will be able to manipulate the website you are sharing. ( Please note that when your client has slower connection or slower machine - it may take a few extra seconds, 10 or more sec, for your client to see the window you share)
12. If you want to take control away from your client , click on the green box with your client's name. The green box will turn red and red means that the client does not have access control and cannot manipulate the website. 
13. Navigating away from the website you are screen sharing such as clicking on another button -e.g. to take access away, etc. - will drop the website you're sharing to the bottom of your desktop under the Google Chrome icon. To pull this website up again so both you and your client can see it, RIGHT click on the Google Chrome icon and click on the website you were sharing. 
14. When you're done screen sharing and want to stop screen sharing  close the website you were sharing and click on the red "Stop Screen Sharing"

Annotation Tool

Our screen sharing software comes with an annotation tool that shows on the right side next to the application/website you screen share. This tool shows only on your end. However if you want your client to draw on top of the website/application you're screen sharing, click on the "pencil icon" and the client will be able to draw on his/her end.  To erase part of the drawing click on the "eraser icon" and to delete drawing- click on the the "trash can icon". To return to mouse manipulation (so the client can continue online game, etc.)  click on the "cursor" icon.

Tips when screen sharing: 

Tip 1: Avoid opening too many browsers as this will slow down your Internet connection. If you plan on sharing multiple websites or multiple online games, create a Word document with links of these websites and copy and paste one link to one browser (tab) at a time. If you need to present the second website copy and paste it to the same browser vs opening a new one.

Tip 2: If you plan on screen sharing a website - open it according to the above directions. Don't open the website at the top of your screen. 

Tip 3: When there is short interruption to the Internet connection on your client's end- the client will not be able to manipulate the website (e.g. click and move items on the website). If interruption was short enough, you can reset ability of your client to manipulate the website by clicking on the client's name so it becomes red and then clicking on it again so it becomes green.

Tip 4:  If the internet connection was interrupted for over 20 or more seconds on your or client's end, the client and you will see a message in red that the was internet connection issue ( this message may be behind the website you're sharing). The attendee may be disconnected and the system will try to re-connect the client or you to session. If the client or clinician at some point were disconnected but automatically connected again by our system, the screen sharing will not work as there was internet interruption and one will have to stop screen sharing and start again. Refreshing the page may help with unstable internet connection as well as connecting and disconnecting the internet. 

Tip 5: If you plan to only screen share website/s during your online session - use the window sharing option vs desktop sharing option as the client will have a better view- will not see video screen x2. Desktop sharing picks the entire screen and therefore the client will see video x2 as video of you and your client is showing on the desktop. If you decide to use desktop sharing option you can make the website you're sharing full screen so the client will not see double videos.

Tip 6: Consider adding yourself as a test client (using a different email address then the one you use to log in as a clinician) so you can practice using screen sharing. If you don't have 2 computers at home you can join session via mobile phone as a test client just so you can practice using screen sharing.