How to draw on a Discord screen share
Quick answer
Discord has no drawing tool for screen share, so you draw with a Windows overlay and share your whole screen. SHARA is a free overlay with a pen, laser and arrow that everyone in the call sees. Share the screen, not one window, or your ink is left out.
This guide covers what Discord does and does not offer, how to share a screen on Discord, how to draw over it, and what to check when viewers can’t see your ink. Discord’s pages were checked on November 1, 2026.
Can you draw on a Discord screen share?
Not inside Discord. Tutors, coaches and gamers have asked for a drawing tool on a shared screen in several threads on Discord’s support forum (Drawing on Shared Screen, Ability to write/draw on Share Screens, Drawing overlay while Screensharing and Ability to Draw on Screen Similarly to Slack). None of the pages we read shows Discord shipping one.
What does work is drawing on your own screen with an app that sits on top of everything, then sharing that screen. Discord sends whatever is on the display you choose, ink included.
- Who draws
- You, the person sharing
- Needs
- A Windows overlay app and a whole-screen share
- Cost
- Free with SHARA; Discord screen share is included
How to share your screen on Discord (the part that matters for drawing)
The choice that decides whether viewers see your ink is made in the share picker. Discord lets you pick one application window or an entire screen, and an overlay lives on the screen, not inside a window.
- Join a voice channel, or start a call in a direct message.
- Select the Share Your Screen icon in the voice panel near the bottom left. A picker window opens.
- Choose your entire screen, not an application window. If you have two monitors, pick the one you will draw on.
- Set the stream quality and frame rate if Discord asks, then select Go Live.
Note: Sharing needs the Video permission on your role, and server admins can switch it off per role or channel, so the option can be missing in some channels. Steps follow Discord’s Go Live and Screen Share page; button wording may differ slightly by version.
How to draw on a Discord screen share with SHARA
Install SHARA once, share your screen as above, and draw. It waits in the background until you press its hotkey.
- No permission to ask for. You draw on your own screen, so a server role or channel setting does not block it.
- Works in any call. The same Pen, Laser and Arrow work over Discord, Zoom, Teams and Google Meet.
- A laser that cleans up after itself. SHARA’s Laser trail fades after 2.6 seconds, so there is nothing to erase.
- A cursor viewers can follow. Pen, Laser, Arrow, Text and Eraser are free, with a halo around the cursor and a flash on every click.
Set up SHARA for a Discord call
- Install SHARA free from the Microsoft Store. There is no account.
- In Discord, share your entire screen and select Go Live, as in the steps above.
- Hold Ctrl+Space to open the Wheel at your cursor, then choose Draw and pick Laser or Pen.
- Draw. Press Ctrl+Z to undo a stroke and Ctrl+Win+B to clear all ink.
Check what viewers receive once with the screen share test card, or ask a friend to join a voice channel. Setup notes for the app are on the SHARA with Discord page.
Why viewers can’t see your drawing on Discord
| What happens | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Viewers see the app but no ink | You shared one application window | Stop the share and pick your entire screen |
| Viewers see a different display | You drew on monitor 2 and shared monitor 1 | Share the display you draw on |
| No share option in the channel | The Video permission is off for your role | Ask a server admin, or use a call in a direct message |
| You can’t draw at all | SHARA is not running or the hotkey is taken | Start SHARA from the Start menu and try Ctrl+Space again |
Draw on Discord: which way should you use?
| Discord on its own | SHARA overlay | |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing on a share | Not offered | Pen, Laser, Arrow, Text |
| Cost | Screen share is included | Free tools; Pro optional (Store) |
| Who draws | Nobody | You, the presenter |
| Needs a server setting | Video permission to share | No extra setting |
| Best for | Showing your screen as it is | Pointing, circling and teaching on a share |
| Platform | Windows, Mac, Linux, mobile | Windows only |
When SHARA isn’t the right fit
Viewers cannot draw on your screen with SHARA: the ink is yours. If several people need to mark the same board, use a shared whiteboard instead. SHARA is Windows only, so it does not help on a Mac, Linux or a phone, and a managed PC that blocks Store apps will not run it.
Drawing on a Discord screen share: FAQ
Can you draw on Discord screen share?
Not with Discord alone. Users have asked for it on Discord’s support forum for years. You can draw with a Windows overlay such as SHARA while you share your entire screen.
Why can’t my viewers see my drawing on Discord?
Usually you shared one application window. An overlay sits on the screen, so share your entire screen instead. Also check you drew on the display you shared.
How do I share my whole screen on Discord?
Join a voice channel, select Share Your Screen, choose your entire screen in the picker and select Go Live.
Does drawing on a Discord stream work on a phone or Mac?
SHARA runs on Windows only. Discord on a phone shares your device’s entire screen, but SHARA does not run there, so you need another way to mark it.
Is SHARA free for drawing on Discord?
Yes. Pen, Laser, Arrow, Text, Eraser and the cursor halo are free forever. Pro tools such as the Highlighter are free for 14 days, then a one-time upgrade. Get SHARA from the Microsoft Store.
None of these worked: what now?
Test with a friend in a voice channel, make sure the share is your entire screen, and run the screen share test. Teaching on Zoom instead? See how to annotate in Zoom.
Point and draw in your next Discord call
Share your entire screen, hold Ctrl+Space and pick the Laser. The same pen works in Zoom, Teams and Google Meet.
Sources
Mashyo makes SHARA. Discord, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and Windows belong to their owners; none is affiliated with SHARA. Microsoft and competitor facts on this page were checked on November 1, 2026 on their official pages.
