How to Screen Share on MAC

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

To screen share, you need to install our additional screen sharing software. We recommend that you install our screen-sharing software before 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 have an update, you should uninstall the old version and then install a new one.

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 screens on PC, Mac, Google Chrome book but not on mobile devices. 

Sharing window vs. desktop 

The window sharing option allows one to share what is presented in the window, whereas desktop sharing allows one to share the entire desktop. With the 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 the desktop sharing option, your client will see whatever is showing on the desktop (entire screen).

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

Here are instructions on how to use our screen sharing (once downloaded) during a live online session with the Window sharing option ( Don't use full-screen mode on your MAC) :

Step 1: Start meeting with your client.

Step 2: Click on Tools

Step 3: Click on Screen Share

Step 4: Click on the green button Start Screen Share (Please, note that you need to be connected with your client for you to see this button).

Step 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 

Step 6: Another pop-up box with a Google Chrome message will show- it will disappear after a second; you don't need to close it.

Step 7: You will see a message Screen Sharing Started and a small pop-up box at the top of the page saying connected. To close this, click on the grey icon of the TheraPlatform. Please don't click on Quit, as it will stop screen sharing. 

Step 8: Another pop-up box will pull in the middle of the screen - click on Open browser, which 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.

Step 9: Select the website in the pop-up box by clicking on it.

Step 10: The window with the website will open, and it will be highlighted, and this means that you are screen sharing this website. You can move the highlighted window with a website and make it a bit smaller by holding the mouse over the edges of the window and resizing it according to your preference so you can still see the client while you screen share the website.

Step 11: The client will see the website you share on their end, and the client will manipulate the website you are sharing. ( Please note that when your client has a 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)

Step 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, meaning the client does not have access control and cannot manipulate the website. 

Step 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. RIGHT-click on the Google Chrome icon and click on the website you were sharing to pull this website up again so both you and your client can see it. 

Step 14: 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.

Step 15: If you wish to screen share your own application (e.g., PowerPoint, etc.), follow the above steps, but before clicking on the green button, Start Screen Sharing- Pull the application up on your screen, so screen sharing software picks it up for screen sharing. You may need to move your application (e.g., PowerPoint) a bit to see our green Start Screen Sharing.

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

Step 1: Start meeting with your client.

Step 2: Click on Tools

Step 3: Click on Screen Share

Step 4: Click on the green button Start Screen Share (Please, note that you need to be connected with your client for you to see this button).

Step 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 

Step 6: Another pop-up box with a Google Chrome message will show- it will disappear after a second; you don't need to close it.

Step 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

Step 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.

Step 9: To share your entire screen/desktop, click on Share desktop.

Step 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 its size so you can still see your client when you screen share.

Step 11: The client will see the website you share on their end, and the client will manipulate the website you are sharing. ( Please note that when your client has a 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)

Step 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, meaning the client does not have access control and cannot manipulate the website. 

Step 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. RIGHT-click on the Google Chrome icon and click on the website you were sharing to pull this website up again so both you and your client can see it. 

Step 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 their end.  To delete the drawing- click on the trash can icon. To return to mouse manipulation (so the client can continue the online game, etc.), click on the home 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 to 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 a short interruption to the Internet connection on your client's end, the client will not manipulate the website (e.g., click and move items on the website). If interruption was short enough, you could reset the 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 connections were were interrupted for over 20 or more seconds on your or your client's end, you and the client would see a message in red that there was an 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 the session. If the client or clinician 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 a video of you and your client is showing on the desktop. If you decide to use the 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 than 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 sessions via mobile phone as a test client to practice using screen sharing.