How to Use Partial Screen Sharing on Android to Share a Single App Without Leaking Notifications

Sharing your smartphone display during video meetings, collaborative troubleshooting sessions, or live presentations has become standard practice. However, traditional full-screen mirroring on mobile devices introduces serious privacy risks: private WhatsApp messages, authentication codes, banking notifications, and personal calendar reminders can suddenly appear as banner alerts on screen for all participants to see. To eliminate this vulnerability, modern Android versions introduce Partial Screen Sharing. This feature allows users to broadcast or record a single selected application, completely shielding the rest of the operating system, home screen, and incoming alerts from viewers.

What Is Partial Screen Sharing and How Does It Work?

Prior to this update, Android’s MediaProjection API captured the entire composite surface of the device display. Whatever appeared on the user’s physical panel was mirrored directly to the video stream. With partial screen sharing, Android restricts capture to the window surface of a designated application.

When you enable single-app sharing:

• Only the chosen app interface is transmitted to meeting participants or screen recorders.
• If you swipe away to the home screen or open another app, viewers see a neutral blank screen instead of your private navigation.
• System notification banners, incoming phone call overlays, and quick settings toggles are completely omitted from the broadcast stream.

Compatibility and System Requirements

Partial screen sharing is supported on devices running Android 14 and Android 15, including Google Pixel handsets, Samsung Galaxy phones running One UI 6+, and compatible OEM hardware. The feature functions natively across major communication platforms that integrate updated Android system APIs, such as Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Discord, and the native Android Screen Recorder.

How to Share a Single App During Video Calls (Google Meet & Zoom)

Initiating a partial screen share during an active call is straightforward:

1. Open your meeting application (e.g. Google Meet) and join your conference call.
2. Tap the call screen to reveal controls and tap More options (three dots) or the dedicated Share screen button.
3. When prompted by the system security dialogue, Android presents two options:
   • A single app: Transmits only one chosen application window.
   • Entire screen: Mirrors all on-screen content and notifications.
4. Select A single app and tap Share.
5. A carousel of currently running background apps will appear. Scroll and tap the target application you wish to present (such as Google Slides, Docs, or a web browser).

Android immediately begins streaming that specific app. A persistent indicator in your status bar confirms that screen capture is active.

Using Partial Screen Capture for Screen Recording

You can also leverage partial screen sharing when creating educational tutorials or recording bug demonstrations using Android’s native screen recorder:

1. Swipe down twice from the top of your display to open the Quick Settings panel.
2. Tap the Screen Record tile.
3. In the configuration modal, tap the dropdown arrow next to What to record.
4. Select A single app.
5. Choose the target application from your recent apps carousel.
6. Tap Start. The recording will capture solely within the boundaries of that app, omitting background multitasking and notifications.

What Meeting Participants See When You Multitask

The greatest advantage of partial screen sharing is uninterrupted privacy during presentations:

• Answering an Urgent Message: If an urgent message arrives while presenting slides, you can pull down the notification shade and reply. Meeting attendees will only see the presentation slides frozen or a placeholder graphic; your notification tray remains entirely invisible.
• Switching Apps: If you navigate back to the home screen to copy data, the video stream pauses broadcasting until you return to the shared application window.

Stopping the Screen Share

When your demonstration is complete, end the broadcast using either of these quick controls:

• Swipe down the notification shade and tap the red Stop sharing button on the system casting banner.
• Return to your conference app and tap Stop sharing inside the in-call toolbar.