Discord introduced screen sharing in 2017. The feature launched alongside video chat during Discord’s expansion beyond basic text and voice communication, giving users a way to show a game, application, or desktop to friends in a call.
Discord announced screen sharing and video chat during 2017, with the rollout becoming available to all users in October. The launch was closely tied to gaming: friends could watch one another play while talking, and Discord positioned the feature as a simpler alternative to combining a voice app with separate streaming software. Early screen sharing supported resolutions such as 720p at 30 frames per second.
A frequent mix-up is the distinction between the original screen-sharing feature and Go Live. Discord’s Go Live streaming system for server voice channels was introduced later, in 2019. Mobile screen sharing arrived later still, rolling out for iOS and Android in 2020. Thus, 2017 is the correct year for Discord’s initial screen-sharing capability, even though related forms of streaming appeared afterward.