Full Device Screen Sharing

How It Works

Full device screen sharing uses the MediaProjection API to capture the entire screen. When an agent requests full device mode, the SDK shows the system screen capture permission dialog. The user taps "Start now" to begin sharing, and a persistent notification indicates that screen capture is active.

A foreground service keeps the capture alive even when your app is in the background, so agents continue to see the screen.

Setup

Full device screen sharing requires both:

1. Enabling it in the Co-Browsing API dashboard (admin interface)
2. Adding the required permissions to your app's AndroidManifest.xml:

The SDK already declares the necessary service and activity components. It detects these permissions at runtime — if they are missing, full device screen sharing is disabled regardless of the dashboard setting, and any agent requests for it are automatically declined.

How agents trigger full device mode

Once connected, agents can switch to full device mode from the Co-Browsing API dashboard during an active session. When they do:

1. The system screen capture permission dialog appears
2. The user taps Start now
3. A notification appears indicating screen sharing is active
4. The agent sees the full device screen
5. The user can stop sharing at any time by dismissing the notification

If the user denies the permission or stops the capture, the SDK notifies the server automatically. The agent can also switch back to app-only mode at any time.

Limitations

• Element masking is not available in full device mode (the SDK cannot inspect views outside your app). If disableFullScreenWhenMasked is enabled and masked views are present, the SDK will automatically decline full device mode.
• Remote control (tap/scroll) only works within your app, not on the home screen or other apps
• Drawing annotations are not displayed in full device mode
• The user must explicitly grant the system screen capture permission — it cannot be started programmatically