Screen share doesn't work with Chrome on Mac

Question

Several of my students have been unable to share their screen with me using Chrome on Mac. I tell them to use Firefox but not all of them have it, takes time to download and install. Is there a setting in Chrome for Mac that enables screen share?

Answer 1

The Problem:

Screen share not working with Chrome browser on a Mac

The Solution for The Student:

It is best to use Firefox browser on your Apple Mac desktop or laptop. One of my students, named Ariel, was using Chrome on her Mac to share her screen with me and was unsuccessful on several attempts.

1. Firefox should be downloaded and installed on the Mac
2. Launch browser
3. Sign into Wyzant using the Firefox browser
4. Go to Screen Sharing icon (button)
5. Select share entire screen
6. Click Ok

Answer 2

There are two things specific to Chrome that you need to know to ensure that screen sharing will work reliably:

First, you have to allow Wyzant to access the camera and microphone. Permission should have been give for both in response to "Allow Wyzant to use your camera and microphone?" However, you can verify this (or manually set permissions) through Settings > Privacy & Security > Site Settings > Camera/Microphone.

You should see both www.wyzant.com:443 and online.wyzant.com:443, where "443" is the standard port number for HTTPS. Note also that clicking on the address brings up a list of all options that can be set for the site.

Second, there is a Wyzant screen sharing extension available through the Chrome store. Not a lot of information about what it does and it hasn't been updated recently, but it does seem to improve reliability. On the other hand it can't be an essential component because very few students would have this installed. At the very least, it doesn't make things worse, so if the problem still persists after checking your Chrome settings, the risk of trying the extension is very low.

Finally, I use a Mac, but I think the above applies to PCs as well.

Hope this helps,

–Rick