Microsoft Teams: Presenter Modes

Overview

Presenter Modes (Currently for MS Teams Desktop)

Wouldn't it be nice if when presenting your screen your video can remain active on the screen for your viewers rather than become just one of the many smaller video feeds that get lost to the side? Microsoft has solved that issue with Presenter Mode options which allow you to change the view depending on your purpose and content. The following article will walk you through the steps for using Presenter Mode in your Teams meeting.

Microsoft Teams Presenter mode selection bar displayed during screen sharing, showing four presenter mode options labeled 1–4—Content only, Standout, Side‑by‑side, and Reporter—which presenters choose to control how their video appears alongside shared content.

Microsoft Teams provides unique options when it comes to Presenter Modes for Teams meetings including: (1) Content Only, (2) Standout, (3) Side-by-Side, and (4) Reporter. Teams offers additional options for each of these modes including placement of your video feed on the right or left of the screen, a sliding scale to increase or decrease your video feed size, and the option to change backgrounds.

Standout Mode Example

Microsoft Teams Standout presenter mode example showing a shared web page in the background, with the presenter’s video image cut out from the background and overlaid in the foreground on the right side of the screen

Side-by-Side Mode Example

Microsoft Teams Side‑by‑Side presenter mode example showing shared content (a university website) displayed on the left half of the screen, with the presenter’s video shown in a separate vertical panel on the right

Reporter Mode Example

Microsoft Teams Reporter presenter mode example showing shared content (a university website) filling the background, with the presenter’s video overlaid in the lower‑right corner

Instructions

  1. Within a Teams meeting, select the Share icon in the toolbar.

  2. Select the preferred presenter mode. (1)

  3. Add a background if desired. (2)

  4. Select the screen or window to share. (3)

Microsoft Teams Share content panel open during a meeting, showing three numbered sections: (1) Presenter mode with four layout icons to choose how the presenter appears on screen, (2) Add background button to apply a background behind the presenter video, and (3) Screen and Window options displaying thumbnails of available screens and open windows to select what content to share.

  1. Once the share begins, a video feed will appear that provides the perspective of the student.

  2. If you close this window, you will need to re-share your selected window.

  3. Reposition your video feed to the left or right, if needed.

  4. Scale your video feed up or down as desired.

  5. To stop sharing, select the Stop sharing icon in the main toolbar or in the smaller presenter window.

Microsoft Teams meeting toolbar showing the Stop sharing button highlighted between the Mic icon and the red Leave button, which the presenter selects to end screen sharing during a meeting.

Print Article