Before creating a room, decide who should be able to discover it. A gathering for four friends has different needs from an open community game night. SHare offers public room discovery and unlisted rooms reached through a direct invitation.
The key distinction is visibility. An unlisted room stays out of public room lists; its link or six-character code still provides a route to it. Do not treat “unlisted” as a password, a verified guest list, or a guarantee that an invite cannot be forwarded.
Compare the two choices
| Question | Public room | Unlisted room |
|---|---|---|
| How do people find it? | Through public room discovery, as well as its link or code. | Through the direct link or code someone shares. |
| Who is it useful for? | Hosts who want new participants to discover an open activity. | Friends or an existing group arranging a direct invitation. |
| What should the host prepare? | A clear title, description, and welcoming explanation for newcomers. | The invitation, timing, and a clear request about forwarding it. |
| Does the mode verify someone's identity? | No identity verification should be inferred from public visibility. | Being unlisted is not identity verification or password protection. |
| Who changes room visibility? | The room owner uses the room settings. | The room owner uses the room settings. |
Choose the audience first, then the activity. Watching, talking, and playing in a room does not by itself require making that room publicly discoverable.
Choose an unlisted room for a planned friend group
For a movie night, family catch-up, or game with people you already know, start from watch together. That flow creates an unlisted room. Send the link or six-character code directly to the intended participants.
A useful invitation includes the start time and time zone, the activity, a display-name suggestion, and whether cameras are optional. Add one simple sentence: “Please keep this room link in our group.” This is a social request, not a technical restriction.
If someone forwards an invite, changing the room from public to unlisted does not make the already shared link secret again. For a later gathering that needs a fresh invitation, create a new room and share its new details with the intended group.
Choose a public room for an open activity
A public room can make sense when you actively want people outside the existing group to discover a casual hangout. Browse public SHare rooms to understand that discovery context before hosting one.
Use a title that describes the actual activity, such as “Casual puzzle and conversation.” In the description, state the language and whether the activity has started. Avoid a title that promises a film, special guest, or event you are not actually providing.
Prepare a short welcome for newcomers:
- Explain what the room is doing.
- Say how someone can join the activity.
- Mention any conversational expectations.
- Make it comfortable to listen first or use text.
A public room may attract participants who have not read your original invitation. Repeat essential context inside the conversation instead of expecting everyone to know the plan.
Check visibility before sharing
The room owner can open room settings, review the public visibility control, and save the desired state. A guest should ask the owner if visibility needs changing; guests should not assume they can manage the room's discovery settings.
Before sending the invitation:
- confirm whether the room is meant for an existing group or open discovery;
- check the saved visibility state;
- review the title and description if the room is public;
- send the correct room link or code;
- tell invitees whether you want the link kept within the group.
If you created a room from a public-room flow, review its setting instead of assuming that every room starts unlisted.
Visibility does not hide what you share
An unlisted room can still contain people who see and hear the material you choose to share. Keep private messages, account pages, and notifications off the shared surface. A single content tab usually exposes less than your entire desktop.
Ask before showing someone else's photos or messages. Keep personal information out of a public room title or description. Camera and microphone participation should be a deliberate choice, especially when people do not know every participant.
SHare watching uses a live screen share; room visibility does not change a source service's capture restrictions or grant permission to share protected content.
Common questions
Is an unlisted room a private room?
People often use “private” informally to mean “only invited friends.” In SHare, the precise promise here is that the room is unlisted. Anyone receiving its working link or code may be able to reach it, so choose where you share those details.
Can a guest make the room public?
Visibility management belongs to the room owner. Discuss a change with the owner before distributing the invitation outside the intended group.
Which mode is best for a small game night?
Use an unlisted room if the players already know each other and you plan to invite them directly. Use public visibility when welcoming discovered participants is part of the plan.
For a practical activity, use the no-download games guide. For invitations and preparation, follow the movie night checklist, or choose a format from remote friend hangout ideas.