The best ways to see someone's phone screen, with their permission

Start here: every option needs their permission

Every legitimate way to see someone's phone screen requires that person to choose to share it. iPhones show a screen sharing or broadcast indicator while sharing is on, Android asks for permission with a system prompt before sharing starts, and the person can stop whenever they like. That design is deliberate. If your mom wants help with a setting on her phone, she starts the share, you watch, and you talk her through each tap. Secretly viewing someone's screen without their knowledge is a different thing entirely: apps sold for that purpose are spyware, and this guide does not cover them. If you want to help a parent, child, partner or friend, ask first, pick one of the options below, and let them end the session at any time. That keeps trust intact and keeps their passwords, messages and accounts under their own control.

How we ranked the options

• Free first. If a free app you both have will do the job, use it.
• What both people need: the same kind of phone, an app, an account or a meeting link.
• Staying on the call: whether you can keep talking on a normal phone call or have to switch to a video call.
• Privacy while sharing: what the helper can see, and how the person hides passwords and messages.

The options at a glance

1. iPhone Phone app: best when you are both on iPhones

Best for: two iPhones already on a call. Since iOS 26, you can share screens without leaving the Phone app.

1. Call each other

   Start a regular call with just the two of you in the Phone app.

2. Ask to see their screen

   Tap More, then Screen Sharing, then Ask to Share Screen. They can also choose Share My Screen, which starts after a 3 to 1 countdown.

3. Take control if needed

   If you are saved in their contacts, you can request remote control, and they tap Allow. Apple disables Face ID and Touch ID during control and may block payments and Apple Account changes.

4. Stop

   Tap More, then Stop next to Screen Sharing, or hang up.

Watch-outs: both iPhones need iOS 26 or later, and Apple says remote control is not currently available in the European Union.

2. FaceTime: best for Apple families

Best for: iPhone, iPad and Mac users who do not mind switching to a FaceTime call. During the call, tap the share button, then Screen Sharing, then Share My Screen, or tap Ask to Share Screen to request theirs (iOS 15.1 or later). Since iOS 18 the viewer can request control of a shared iPhone screen in a one-to-one call. Apple says the viewer cannot see your notifications or the keypad when you enter your passcode.

Watch-outs: Android and Windows users can join FaceTime only from a web link, and Apple says screen sharing is not available there. See GuidedView vs FaceTime.

3. WhatsApp: best for mixed iPhone and Android families

Best for: families who already use WhatsApp across iPhone and Android. During a WhatsApp video call, tap the options icon in the video controls, then Share screen, then confirm with Start Broadcast on iPhone or Android's own prompt. On Android you can share one app instead of the whole screen. WhatsApp says screen sharing is never recorded by WhatsApp.

Watch-outs: sharing works only in video calls, not audio calls, and both people need a WhatsApp account registered to a phone number. WhatsApp warns that usernames and passwords on the shared screen are visible to the viewer.

4. Google Meet: best free option without WhatsApp

Best for: mixed families who do not use WhatsApp. With a personal Google account, one-to-one Meet calls can last up to 24 hours at no cost. The person sharing installs the Meet app (iOS 17 or later, Android 5.0 or later), joins your meeting link, then taps More, Share screen and Start Sharing.

Watch-outs: someone without a Google account must tap Ask to join and wait for you to let them in, and Google documents no pause for a phone share, only Stop sharing. Zoom is similar (install the app, join a meeting), with free meetings capped at 40 minutes.

5. GuidedView: best for staying on a normal phone call

Best for: helpers who want to keep talking on an ordinary phone call while seeing an iPhone, Android or computer screen, without asking the other person to make an account or join a meeting. You text them a one-time link. They open it, confirm they are on a call with you, and approve sharing. On iPhone and Android it opens the free GuidedView app; on a computer it works in the browser. Before typing a password or code, they tap Pause, and only they can resume.

Watch-outs: GuidedView costs the helper $29.99 a month, billed monthly, so it makes most sense for caregivers who help often, or for businesses. It is view-only and works in the United States. For occasional family help, a free option above may be all you need. Read more about GuidedView for families and caregivers.

How do you keep private things private while sharing?

• Turn on Do Not Disturb first. Zoom and Microsoft both recommend it so messages do not pop up on the shared screen.
• Share one app, not the whole screen, when the option exists, as it does in WhatsApp on Android.
• Stop or pause before passwords. On Android 15 and later, the system itself hides notification content and password fields from viewers; earlier versions may not.
• End the share when you are done, and never share with a caller you were not expecting.

For more help with older relatives, see how to help elderly parents with technology remotely.