Slack launches interactive screen sharing, will sunset Screenhero app

Workplace collaboration platform Slack is adding a new feature to its platform that lets users interact with a team member's shared screen.

For Slack -- which now has six million daily active users overall and two million users that are paying for the service -- the interactive screen sharing feature rounds out the company's portfolio of call services, following the launch of screen sharing for video calls earlier this year.

Slack has been incorporating call services into the product since its acquisition of Screenhero in 2014. With this latest addition, users will now have all of Screenhero's functionality in Slack, without having to jump between the two tools.

Slack said it will sunset Screenhero as a standalone app on Dec. 1 to ensure streamlined workflows within Slack calls. Some active Screenhero users not already on a paid Slack team will have access to a 60-day trial.

To activate interactive screen sharing, users share their screen from a Slack call, and hit the "share control of your screen" button. Each participant receives their own cursor, along with the ability to type, edit, scroll, and click through the contents of the shared screen. When not in control, viewing participants can temporarily draw over the shared screen to direct attention to a particular spot on the screen.

Slack says beta testers have outlined a bevy of use cases for screen sharing tools as they pertain to specific workflows, including collaborative editing, designing, and programming, as well as customer service response and troubleshooting.

Slack has steadily rolled out new platform features over the last year. Last month, Slack rolled out a feature called shared channels that makes it easier to connect collaborators from external groups. In April, Slack added clickable drop-down menus that let people complete more complex workflows inside the app. The company also recently rolled out refined admin controls for guest access and profiles, as well as its first AI search feature.

The launches come as a bevy of team management software vendors are updating their products to gain a competitive edge. For instance, Microsoft Teams added guest access support to its software, while Atlassian recently rolled out team management tool called Stride, which rethinks workflow and off ramps when employees need to focus. For vendors, the focus on team management and collaboration is a key effort to claim a bigger part of the smart office market.

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