Frequently Asked Questions

Product

Getting Started

Features

Accounts

Audio Conferencing

Security

Performance

Troubleshooting

Product

What is Screenleap?

Screenleap is a screen sharing tool that allows you to quickly share your screen in seconds. Your friends and colleagues can view your screen from any device with a web browser without having to install any software. Screenleap is the easiest way to share your screen with anyone.

What software do I need to install in order to share my screen?

You need to install either the Screenleap for Mac or Screenleap for Windows app in order to share your screen. If you are using the Chrome browser, you can also share your screen by installing the Screenleap Chrome extension.

What software do I need to install in order to view someone else's screen?

Almost any modern web browser will work. The more recent your web browser is, the better the performance. To get the best performance on the desktop, we recommend using Chrome or Firefox. We formally support the following browser versions:

Browser	Supported Versions	Recommended Version
Chrome	All	Latest
Firefox	3.6 and later	14 and later
Internet Explorer	8 and later	10 and later
Safari (Mac and iOS only)	5.1 and later	6.0 and later

Can I view from my tablet and smartphone? Can I share from my tablet or smartphone?

We support viewing from any device with a web browser (including tablets and smartphones). While we currently only support sharing from a desktop or laptop computer, we hope to add support for sharing from tablets and smartphones in the future.

What technologies are used to create Screenleap?

Our Chrome extension and viewer is built using the latest HTML5 technologies. We also have native apps for Windows and Mac.

Can I install Screenleap locally?

We realize that there are a lot of advantages to being able to install Screenleap locally. We currently do not support local installs of Screenleap but we are considering offering it in the future. Please let us know if you would be interested in such a product.

Getting Started

What is a share code?

A unique share code is created each time you start sharing your screen. A user with the share code will be able to view your screen by either a) going to the Screenleap site and entering the share code or b) by clicking on a link containing the share code.

How do I share my screen?

Go to http://www.screenleap.com.
Click "Share your screen now!" button.
The first time you share your screen, you will need to download and install the Screenleap app, and then accept any prompts allowing Screenleap to run.
As soon as you start a screen share, you will see a page that offers you many easy ways to give your friends and colleagues access to your screen:
1. Copy and send them a link via email or chat. If you use Gmail, install our browser extension to enable starting a screen share and inserting the share link directly into your Gmail message.
2. Tell them to go to http://www.screenleap.com and enter the 9-digit share code
3. Click the "More sharing options", then enter the viewer's email address and we'll send him/her the link for you.
4. Click the "More sharing options", then enter the viewer's mobile number and we'll text him/her the link for you.
As soon as your friends or colleagues click the Screenleap link or enter the share code on the Screenleap home page, they will see your computer screen in their web browser.

How do I stop sharing my screen?

You can stop sharing your screen by clicking on the "Stop" button on the Screenleap console. You will be asked to confirm that you want to end your screen share. If you say yes, your screen share will end and your screen will no longer be viewable by others.

You can also stop sharing your screen by simply closing the browser window or tab that you used to start the Screenleap screen share.

How do I view a screen share?

If someone sent you a link, just click on it! It will open a web page that mirrors the shared screen. If you were given a 9-digit code, just go to http://www.screenleap.com, enter it into the share code box, and click the "View screen share" link.

Features

How can I share only a particular application or portion of my screen?

Select the "Share inside rectangle" option on the presenter console to pop up a green rectangle. Your viewers will only see what's inside the rectangle. Resize the rectangle by dragging the left, bottom, or right side of the rectangle. Move the rectangle by dragging the top side.

To share a particular application, click on the application to bring it to the front. Then click on the rectangle to bring it to the front and resize it so that it encompasses the visible area of the application. The rectangle feature is not available on some platforms due to limitations in the graphics support (such as some versions of Linux).

How do I switch the presenter?

If you start a screen share after signing in, you will have the ability to view one of your viewers' screens. Your viewer will see a "Become presenter" button at the top of their screen. When your viewer clicks the button, you will be prompted for permission for the viewer to become the presenter. If you click "Yes", you and all the other viewers on the screen share will be able to see his/her screen. Presenter swap is disabled if you are recording your screen share.

How do I give control to a viewer?

Currently, viewers of your screen cannot take control of your computer.

How many people can I share my screen with at one time?

It depends on a lot of factors, including the size of the screen being shared, the speed of the presenter's Internet connection, the speed of the viewers' Internet connections, and how quickly you need the screen to update. For the best performance, we recommend having fewer than 25 people viewing a single screen share. You will have decent performance with up to 150 viewers but it will start degrading if you have more than that. The amount it will degrade will depend upon the factors previously mentioned.

What is a Screenleap handle? Why do I want one? How do I get it?

A Screenleap handle allows you to broadcast your screen and then allow people to view it by simply going to your handle page (i.e., http://www.screenleap.com/johndoe). You will be able to claim your Screenleap handle when you sign up for an account.

What is broadcasting?

You can only "broadcast" your screen if you have a valid handle. When you broadcast, any viewer can join your screen share by appending your handle to the Screenleap address. For example, if your handle is "steve", you can invite people to view your broadcasted screen by sending them to http://www.screenleap.com/steve.

Can I broadcast with my personal handle, but still control who gets to see my screen?

With a Pro Account, you have two options for restricting access to your broadcasts:

Before you start a broadcast, you can optionally enter an access code of up to 10 characters. When a viewer goes to your personal broadcast page, they will be required to enter the access code before being allowed to view your screen.
If the broadcast is already in progress and you have not locked the broadcast with an access code, you will see a "Lock broadcast" button in the sharing instructions. Click this button to prevent any additional viewers from joining. To open it back up again, just click the "Unlock broadcast" button.

What are the benefits of creating a Screenleap account?

While we do not require that you create a account before you can start screen sharing, there are a lot of benefits to be gained from creating an account.

Users with accounts can claim a permanent handle, which enables them to use a permanent URL to invite viewers to their screen broadcasts.
Sharing without an account is limited to 30 minutes daily with up to 2 viewers. Create an account to share for longer or with more people.
When you do a private share from a Screenleap account, your viewers will see a "Become presenter" button which they can click to share their screen with you. This can be an easy way for you to invite someone else to share a screen with you.

I want to integrate Screenleap into my product? Do you have an API?

Yes! Please see our API Overview for more information.

Is there a way I can initiate screen shares from Gmail?

Yes, our browser extension allows you to start screen shares directly from Gmail. Install the Screenleap extension to be able to start a screen share without leaving Gmail.

Does Screenleap work with multiple monitors?

Yes, Screenleap works with computers with multiple monitors. We only support sharing one screen at a time. The monitor that is share depends on the sharing mode: in full screen mode, the screen that contains the Screenleap console will be shared. In rectangle mode, the portion of the screen inside the green rectangle will be shared.

Can I control someone else's screen or allow someone else to control my shared screen?

No, we currently do not support remote control for shared screens.

Can I record my screen shares?

Yes, recording is supported for users on our Premium Account. Recordings currently do not include any audio. To enable recording, click on the "Recordings" link after signing in and then on the "Enable recording" button.

When recording is enabled, your screen is automatically recorded when you are sharing your screen. Once you end your screen share, the recording will be converted into a MP4 video file that you can view and download from the "Recordings" page. Each recording is limited to three hours in duration. The Premium Account comes with 50GB of storage space for your recordings.

Accounts

How much does Screenleap cost?

You can share your screen using Screenleap for up to 30 minutes per day without signing in. If you create a Free Account and sign in, you can share your screen for up to one hour per day. Users with a confirmed education email address will be able to share for up to two hours per day. If you need more time or access to additional features, you can sign up for a Basic Account for up to eight hours of screen sharing per day, or sign up for Pro account for unlimited screen sharing.

Do you offer a discount for education or non-profits?

We don't currently offer discount prices for education or non-profits. Education is a cause that we do want to support so we are offering users with a confirmed education email address two hours of free sharing a day instead of one hour. If you are in education and you don't have an education email address, please contact us for assistance.

How many screen shares can I run at the same time with a paid account?

You can only run one screen share at a time with each paid account. If you try to start up a second screen share while another screen share is already running, the screen share that got started first will automatically be stopped. If you need to support running multiple screen shares at the same time, please sign up for a company account.

How can I get a copy of my subscription payment receipt?

You can view your previous payment receipts by going to the "Account" drop-down menu at the top-right hand corner of the page after logging in and selecting "Subscription". Click on the link titled "Payment History" and then click on the "view" link for the receipt you want to view.

Audio Conferencing

Does Screenleap support audio or voice conferencing?

Yes, audio conferencing is available on all paid plans. To use it, simply click on the "Show instructions" link under "Audio Conferencing" when running a screen share.

How do I start an audio conference call?

You can start an audio conference call by first starting a screen share. You will see a section named "Audio conferencing" below the sharing instructions. Click the "Show instructions" to see the dial-in number and access code that you will need to enter when prompted. We currently have dial-in numbers for 55 countries.

How much does audio conferencing cost?

Audio conferencing is included in all paid plans. Please beware that the dial-in numbers are not toll-free so there may be long distance charges associated with calling the number that will be reflected in your telephone bill.

Can I reserve my own conference ID?

Yes, if you plan to use the audio conferencing feature regularly, you can make getting started easier by reserving a conference ID that you will use for every call. We will show you and your viewers the same conference ID for every screen share.

How secure are my audio conference calls?

We assign you a 7-digit conference ID that can be used to connect to a conference bridge. Conference calls are currently not secured by any additional PIN codes. While it may be possible for someone to join your conference call if they guess your conference ID, we don't think it is very likely in practice since there are more than 10 million possible conference ID combinations. As a secondary safeguard, we will also notify you when someone joins your call so you will be able to verify the new caller if you were not expecting anyone else to join.

Are there additional features that I can use during as the call host?

Yes, if you are the presenter, you can gain access additional commands during your call by entering * 3 followed by your host PIN. A host PIN is a 4-digit code that you can select when editing your preference. The available commands are:

* 2	Lock/unlock - prevent additional callers from entering call
* 4 1	Listen-only mode - only the call host can be heard
* 4 2	Conversation mode - all callers can be heard
* 6	Mute/unmute your line

* 7 1	Play entry chime on caller arrival
* 7 2	Announce name on caller arrival
* 7 3	No notification on caller arrival

* 8 1	Play exit chime on caller exit
* 8 2	Announce name on caller exit
* 8 3	No notification on caller exit

Do you have a list of conference call dial-in numbers for different countries?

Yes, please see the list of conference call numbers.

Security

Are my screen shares secure? What's to prevent unauthorized users from viewing my screen?

Any user with access to the share code for your screen share will be able to view your screen. We use a long share code to make it difficult for unauthorized users to stumble upon your screen share but it will not completely remove the chance of it occurring. If you need additional security, we offer the ability to require an access code to view a broadcast for users with a Pro Account.

How can I ensure that my screen shares always use an encrypted connection?

You need to have signed up for a Pro Account and be signed in for your screen shares to be encrypted.

Is my screen data going through Screenleap's servers? Is it stored there?

Screenleap sends your screen data to our servers so that it can be sent to your viewers. All data is kept in memory and is never stored to disk. Your data is cleared from memory when you end your screen share or after two minutes if your screen share is not ended cleanly.

I ended my screen share by closing my browser instead of using the "Stop" button. When I click on the screen share link I see the last image of my screen. How can I remove it?

If you end your screen share by closing your browser, we will retain the last screen image for about two minutes. This is because we do not get notified that your screen share has ended if you just close your browser so we are unable to determine if you intended to end your screen share or if it's just a temporary connection problem. To prevent accidentally clearing out images for temporary connection problems (and incorrectly showing your viewers that the screen share has ended), we do not remove the last screen image from our servers until after two minutes. For this reason, it is recommended that you end your screen share by pressing the "Stop" button.

Are the connections for my screen shares encrypted?

By default, screen shares are not encrypted. However, we offer a Pro Account and Premium Account that provides end-to-end encryption of screen share connections for users needing additional security. SSL is the same encryption technology that banks use to protect your sensitive information.

If I have a Pro account, will the screen shares I view be encrypted too? What about when I switch presenters?

Only the screen shares that you start will be encrypted. If you started the screen share, the screen share will remain encrypted even if you switch presenters.

If I host or view a Screenleap screen share, can the presenter or viewer control, install, or download things from my computer?

No, screen shares are one-way broadcasts. Viewers cannot control, install, or download anything on the host's computer and vice versa: hosts cannot control, install, or download anything on the viewer's computer.

Are my screen shares ever shared with a third party?

No, your screen share will never be shared with a third party.

Performance

How does Screenleap compare with other screen sharing tools like WebEx for performance?

Screenleap is designed as the easiest way to share your screen. In order to achieve this, we had to push a lot of processing to our servers so it won't perform as well for instances where you need a video-like experience. There may be other screen sharing tools that work better for these instances. Screenleap works really well however for things like sharing a PowerPoint presentation, getting feedback on a design, reviewing an Excel spreadsheet, or giving a sales demo of a web application.

Can I use Screenleap to share a video in real-time?

Screenleap is designed as the easiest way to share your screen. Our technology choices are focused on this aspect. You may be able to get somewhat acceptable video performance if you and your viewers have a fast computer and a fast connection but it's not what it's designed for.

How can I improve the performance of my screen share?

Screen sharing is bandwidth-intensive so if you are on an Internet connection with better bandwidth, you will experience better performance. In addition, we recommend that you use a land-line or cell phone to speak with your viewers when possible during a screen share because audio is also bandwidth-intensive and running both through your Internet connection at the same time will reduce quality and performance of both.

Another thing you can do to improve performance is to use the "Share inside rectangle" feature when sharing to reduce the portion the screen that is being shared to the region that you are interested in. The smaller the area being shared, the faster the performance and the lower the latency.

Finally, you can improve the performance of your screen share by making sure that your viewers are using the latest version of their browsers. Screenleap's viewer is built using HTML5 and we take advantage of many advanced HTML5 features to improve performance. By keeping your browsers updated to the latest version, you can ensure that you are getting the best performance.

Is there a maximum screen size that's allowed to be shared with Screenleap?

Yes, in order to ensure adequate performance, we currently restrict the maximum size of the screen being shared to 2560 pixels wide x 1600 pixels high. If your screen is larger than this, you will not be able to use the full-screen mode and the screen share will automatically default to the rectangle mode. The rectangle will also be restricted to a maximum size of 2560 x 1600.

We recommend making the shared area as small as possible to ensure the best possible performance.

Which browser has the best performance?

Screenleap currently works best with Google Chrome, followed by Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer. If you are not already on Google Chrome, we recommend installing Google Chrome to achieve the best screen sharing performance.

I'm a non-U.S. user, why is Screenleap so slow?

Currently, our servers are hosted in only the United States, Ireland, and the Netherlands. If you are outside the United States or Western Europe, you may experience increased latency. We will be adding servers to other regions in the future.

Troubleshooting

The Screenleap for Windows app is crashing for me. How can I help track down the problem?

If the Screenleap for Windows is crashing for you, you can help us to track down the source of the crash by enabling the generation of crash report whenever a crash occurs. To enable the crash report, download and install the Screenleap crash report installer and run it as an administrator on your computer.

Perform the following to run the installer as an administrator:

Click on the Windows Start button and type command in the Search programs and files box.
Locate the Command Prompt shortcut and right-click on it.
Click on Run as administrator.
Navigate to the directory where you saved the downloaded crash report installer file and run it.

If the Screenleap for Windows crashes again, a crash dump report will be generated in the C:\Users\[your username]\AppData\Local\CrashDumps directory. The crash dump file will be named screenleap.exe.dmp. Please email us the file so we can track down the cause of the crash.

I'm trying to share my screen from a VirtualBox instance but my viewers only see a black screen. How do I fix it?

Please try disabling 3D acceleration for your VirtualBox instance.

I accidentally checked "Remember my choice" and then clicked "Do Nothing" when asked to launch the application. How can I get the dialog to appear again?

We require the custom protocol handler to be enabled for screen sharing to work. If you accidentally checked "Remember my choice" and clicked "Do Nothing", you will need to reset the setting in order to share your screen:

Quit Chrome completely. If there's any Chrome instances running, the reset steps will not work.
Delete the "Local State" file in ~/.config/google-chrome.
Launch Chrome and try sharing your screen again.