Are you experiencing a black screen when sharing your screen on Discord? Does Discord screen share show a blank or completely black window instead of the game, app, or desktop you are trying to stream?

This is a common type of Discord screen sharing problem that can make it impossible for other people to see your stream. Fortunately, there are several things you can try to fix the problem.

In this guide, we’ll show you 6 ways to fix Discord screen share black screen issues on Windows and other supported devices. The methods include changing Discord’s screen capture settings, running Discord as an administrator, switching from fullscreen to borderless mode, disabling Hardware Acceleration, enabling Reduced Motion, and trying Discord in a web browser.

Why Is Discord Screen Share Showing a Black Screen?

A black or blank screen during Discord screen sharing can happen for several reasons. Some of the most common causes include:

1. Discord’s Screen Capture Technology

Discord uses different technologies to capture applications and screens. In some cases, a particular screen capture method may not work correctly with a specific game, application, graphics configuration, or system.

This can result in Discord successfully starting the stream while viewers only see a black screen.

2. Permission Conflicts

Permission problems are another possible cause of Discord screen sharing issues.

For example, Discord may not have the same permission level as the application or game you are trying to capture. Running Discord and the application with different privilege levels can sometimes prevent Discord from properly capturing the window.

Discord’s current troubleshooting documentation also recommends checking the necessary screen permissions and trying to run Discord as an administrator on Windows.

3. Fullscreen or Exclusive Fullscreen Mode

Some games can behave differently when running in exclusive fullscreen mode.

Discord’s own documentation recommends using Borderless mode for better screen-sharing performance in certain Windows games because exclusive fullscreen can interfere with the way Discord captures the application.

4. Hardware Acceleration

Hardware Acceleration allows Discord to use your GPU to improve graphics performance and animations. However, it can sometimes contribute to streaming or video-related problems.

Discord currently recommends disabling Hardware Acceleration as one of the troubleshooting steps for video and screen-sharing issues.

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6 Ways to Fix Discord Screen Share Black Screen

Try the following methods one by one. After each method, start another screen share and check whether the problem has been resolved.

Method 1: Disable “Use Our Latest Technology to Capture Your Screen”

One of the first things you can try is disabling Discord’s newer screen-capture technology.

This option may not cause problems for everyone, but changing the capture method can help when Discord is unable to properly capture a particular game or application.

How to disable it:

1. Open the Discord desktop app.
2. Log in to your account.
3. Click the Settings gear icon in the bottom-left corner.
4. Open Voice & Video.
5. Scroll through the available settings and look for the screen-sharing or screen-capture options.
6. Find “Use our latest technology to capture your screen.”
7. Disable the option if it is available.
8. Restart Discord.
9. Try sharing your screen again.

The original version of this guide used this setting as the first troubleshooting method.

Note: Discord’s settings can change between versions, so the exact location or availability of this option may differ.

Method 2: Run Discord as Administrator

If Discord does not have sufficient permissions to capture another application, running it as an administrator may solve the problem.

This method is especially worth trying when you are sharing a game or another program that is itself running with administrator privileges.

How to run Discord as administrator on Windows:

1. Close Discord completely.
2. Press the Windows key and search for Discord.
3. Right-click the Discord app.
4. Select Run as administrator.
5. Open Discord.
6. Launch the game or application you want to share.
7. Start your screen share again.

You can also try running the application or game with the same permission level as Discord. Discord currently lists running the desktop app as administrator as a recommended Windows troubleshooting step.

Method 3: Switch From Fullscreen to Borderless or Windowed Mode

Are you trying to stream a game in fullscreen mode and getting a black screen?

Try switching the game to Borderless Fullscreen or Windowed Mode.

Discord’s documentation specifically notes that some games using exclusive fullscreen can interfere with its screen-capture method, and recommends Borderless mode for better screen-share performance in affected cases.

Try these settings:

• Borderless Fullscreen
• Windowed
• Avoid Exclusive Fullscreen when troubleshooting

After changing the display mode, restart the game and start your Discord screen share again.

This is particularly useful when Discord can share your desktop normally but shows a black screen when you share a specific game.

Method 4: Disable Hardware Acceleration

Hardware Acceleration is another setting worth checking when Discord screen sharing is not working correctly.

Discord currently recommends disabling Hardware Acceleration when troubleshooting certain video and screen-sharing problems.

How to disable Hardware Acceleration:

1. Open Discord.
2. Click the Settings gear icon.
3. Select Voice & Video.
4. Open the Video section.
5. Look for Hardware Acceleration.
6. Turn the feature off.
7. Restart Discord.
8. Try screen sharing again.

Depending on your Discord version, the location of Hardware Acceleration may differ. Discord’s current documentation places the setting under User Settings > Voice & Video > Video.

Method 5: Enable Reduced Motion

Discord’s Reduced Motion setting reduces animations and moving effects throughout the application.

While it is not a guaranteed fix for a black screen, enabling it can be worth trying if Discord is experiencing graphical or rendering-related problems.

How to enable Reduced Motion:

1. Open Discord.
2. Click the Settings gear icon.
3. Select Accessibility.
4. Find Reduced Motion.
5. Disable Sync with computer if necessary.
6. Enable Reduced Motion.
7. Restart Discord using Ctrl + R.
8. Start screen sharing again.

The original guide uses this method as the final troubleshooting step.

Method 6: Use Discord in a Web Browser

If the Discord desktop application continues to show a black screen, try using Discord in your web browser.

Open Discord in a supported browser such as Google Chrome and test screen sharing there.

This can help determine whether the problem is related specifically to the Discord desktop application.

Discord officially supports screen sharing through desktop browsers, although some features and stream-quality controls can differ from the desktop app.

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Additional Things to Try

If none of the methods above work, there are a few additional troubleshooting steps worth trying.

Update Discord

Make sure Discord is running the latest version. An outdated application may contain bugs that have already been fixed in a newer release.

Update Your Graphics Drivers

Discord recommends keeping your graphics, audio, and other relevant device drivers up to date when troubleshooting voice, video, and screen-sharing problems.

Restart Your Computer

A simple restart can clear temporary application or graphics-related problems.

Close Discord, restart your computer, reopen Discord, and test screen sharing again.

Lower Screen Share Quality

If your screen share is not completely black but is freezing, lagging, or failing to load properly, try reducing the stream’s resolution and frame rate.

Discord currently recommends lowering screen-share quality and frame rate when troubleshooting streaming problems.

Check Your Internet Connection

Screen sharing requires a stable internet connection. A weak or unstable connection can cause streaming problems, including interruptions and poor-quality streams.

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Which Method Should You Try First?

For most users, it is best to start with the easiest solutions:

1. Restart Discord and your computer
2. Run Discord as administrator
3. Switch the game to Borderless or Windowed mode
4. Disable Hardware Acceleration
5. Change Discord’s screen-capture setting
6. Try Discord in a web browser

If the black screen only happens with a particular game, switching that game from exclusive fullscreen to Borderless mode is especially worth trying.

Final Thoughts

A Discord screen share black screen problem can be frustrating, especially when the stream starts normally but your friends or viewers see nothing.

The problem can be related to screen-capture settings, application permissions, fullscreen modes, graphics acceleration, or the Discord client itself. Fortunately, most of these issues can be tested without reinstalling Discord.

Start with the simplest solutions, such as restarting Discord, running it as administrator, switching to Borderless mode, or disabling Hardware Acceleration. If the desktop application still does not work, try Discord in your web browser.

Hopefully, one of these methods will help you get your Discord screen share working normally again.