How to hide apps and your clipboard when screen sharing on a Mac
Sharing your whole screen shares everything that appears on it: a notification preview, a chat window, the clipboard history you open to paste a link. Most leaks on calls aren't the window you meant to show but something that popped up over it.
Updated
Share one window, not the whole screen
This is the most effective fix. Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams all let you pick a single window or browser tab instead of the entire screen. Other apps, including panels that pop up over it, aren't sent.
| App | Where to choose a window |
|---|---|
| Zoom | Share Screen, then pick the window instead of the whole screen |
| Google Meet | Share screen, then A window or a browser tab |
| Microsoft Teams | Share, then pick a window |
Keep notifications out
In System Settings → Notifications, leave Allow notifications when mirroring or sharing the display off. Turning on a Focus mode before a call keeps them quiet as well.
Keep your clipboard history out
A clipboard manager is the other common leak: you open it to paste one link and everyone sees your last fifty clips. In Maclip, turn on Hide Maclip from screen sharing in Settings → Privacy & Security. Maclip's windows, including the ⇧⌘V popup, then stay out of what Zoom, Meet and Teams send, even when you share the whole screen.
Two more Maclip settings help on calls: Pause capture stops saving anything you copy for 15 minutes, and sensitive clips such as passwords and 2FA codes stay hidden in every list until you click them. See hiding Maclip from screen sharing.
Questions
Can people see my clipboard when I share my screen?
Not the clipboard itself, but they can see any window that shows it, such as a clipboard manager you open to paste. Share a single window instead of the whole screen, or use a clipboard manager that keeps its windows out of screen sharing, like Maclip with Hide Maclip from screen sharing turned on.
Do notifications show when screen sharing on a Mac?
Not by default. System Settings → Notifications has a setting, Allow notifications when mirroring or sharing the display, which is off unless you turn it on.
Why can't I take a screenshot of an app?
Some apps ask macOS to leave their windows out of screen capture, which also keeps them out of screenshots. In Maclip this is the Hide Maclip from screen sharing setting; turn it off in Settings → Privacy & Security to take screenshots of it.