This month, we would like to go into more detail about our new browser sharing extension and how it can make it easier for you to share.

When we launched Screenleap a year ago, our goal was to make screen sharing a hassle-free experience. We started off by removing the need for viewers to install additional software in order to view your screen: all they have to do is click a link that you send them and they will be able to view your screen immediately from their web browser. They do not have to download, install, or set up any additional software.

We also wanted make sharing a hassle-free experience. This is more difficult because sharing a screen requires access to low-level functionalities that are usually only available to installed software. We worked around this by building our sharing app on top of Java, which is installed by default on most computers. Unfortunately, the landscape has changed in the last year: due to numerous security issues discovered over the last year, Java is no longer installed by default on Mac OS X and many web browsers are blocking all but the latest versions. As a result, sharing your screen using Java has now become a hassle.

Browser Sharing

We have been working on a number of solutions to make sharing hassle-free again. Our browser sharing extension, which allows you to easily share your browser window with other people without needing to have Java or any other third-party software installed, is the first of the solutions that we will be launching over the next several months.

Browser sharing is like screen sharing except only the contents of your web browser is shared. Installation is a snap: it only takes two clicks and two seconds to install the browser extension. You can do so by going to the browser sharing installation page. If you have a website or web-based application that you need to demo, sell, or support, you will find that our browser extension is both the easiest way to share your browser window with others and the easiest way for other people to share their browser window with you.

Browser sharing is especially useful for customer support as it does not require installing Java or any other third-party software. In addition, unlike co-browsing products, you do not have to embed any additional JavaScript code into your site for browser sharing to work. Your users simply need to install the Screenleap extension from a link on your site and they will be able to share their screen with you immediately. Best of all, they don’t even need to restart their browser, so they won’t lose their place on your site.

Chromebook-Ready

Our browser sharing extension works on Chromebook, so Chromebook users now have a third option for sharing their screens. The two existing options both have limitations: the Chrome Remote Desktop browser extension only allows for sharing between Chrome browsers and both users need to have the extension installed; and Google Hangouts requires that everyone have a Google Plus account. Screenleap’s browser sharing extension allows you to share your browser window with other people without requiring them to use a specific browser, install a plugin, or sign up for any account.

Native PC and Mac Sharing

For those of you who need to share more than your browser window, you will be happy to hear that we are also working on native versions that do not require Java. Stay tuned for those announcements right here on our blog.

Thanks again and happy sharing!
The Screenleap Team

We are excited to finally launch our all-in-one utility for:
a) sharing your browser window with other people (Java not required!) and
b) taking screenshots of your browser window and sharing them with others.

The utility is available as a single extension that takes seconds to install.

Browser Sharing

Browser sharing is like screen sharing except only the contents of your web browser are shared. If you have a website or web-based application that you need to demo, sell, or support, you will find that our browser sharing feature is both the easiest way to share your browser windows with others and the easiest way for other people to share their browser windows with you.

Browser sharing is especially useful for customer support as it does not require installing Java or any other third-party software. In addition, unlike co-browsing products, you do not have to embed any additional JavaScript code into your site for browser sharing to work. Your users simply need to install the Screenleap extension from a link on your site and they will be able to share their screen with you immediately. Best of all, they don’t even need to restart their browser, so they won’t lose their place on your site.

Our browser sharing extension works on Chromebook, so Chromebook users now have a third option for sharing their screens. Unlike the two existing options, Screenleap’s browser sharing feature does not require your viewers to use a specific browser (Chrome Remote Desktop), install a plugin (Chrome Remote Desktop), or sign up for any account (Google Hangouts).

Screen Capture

Screenshots is the easiest way to take screenshots of web pages, mark them up, and share them with others. Even though we are big fans of screen sharing, we realize that it might not always be the best way to share the contents of your screen. For interactions where immediate feedback is not necessary, you can now use Screenshots to easily take screenshots and share them with others.

A feature of Screenshots that distinguishes it from other screen capture tools is our support for public and group sharing. When you take screenshots, they are automatically saved to your personal feed, which only you can access.

You can publish the screenshots that you want to share to a public feed that anyone can access or to a group feed that only people you invite can access. You can use group feeds to share information with your team, perform group research, get design feedback, and report bugs.

Supported Browsers

Our browser extension is currently available on Chrome and Firefox. You can install the Screenleap browser extension by going to the Screenleap browser extension installation page. We will be releasing a Safari version as soon as a Safari bug is fixed by Apple.

Sharing Your Way

With the release of our all-in-one browser extension, you now have the ability to share the contents of your browser window in the way that makes the most sense for the type of content you are trying to share and how quickly you need the feedback. We would love to hear how you are making use of the browser extension and how we can make it work better for you so please share your feedback with us.

Happy Screenleaping!
The Screenleap Team