Here, we’ll look at how to use your laptop as a second screen. The advantages of using a laptop are obvious: they’re portable and they enable you to work on the go. When you’re using your laptop at home, however, and there’s no other display device at hand, you can always use your laptop as a second monitor.
The easiest way to do this is to extend your laptop’s screen over multiple monitors. This is an effective way to enhance productivity. You can easily cross-reference documents or view multiple websites without constantly flicking from one tab to another. Rather than mirroring your laptop’s screen, you can extend it so that both screens can display different content and apps.
Another option is to have your laptop act as an extra monitor or extend the display of your desktop monitor. The process is more involved, as your laptop only outputs its display, and isn’t built to output another device’s display, such as a TV. That doesn’t mean that it’s impossible, however. Here, we’ll go through just what to do using Windows 10.
The Steps
- Open Settings on your second screen laptop
- Click on System
- Click on Projecting to this PC
- Choose whichever settings you want
- Go to your main desktop or laptop
- Press Win-P and click on Connect to a wireless display
- Wait while your second screen laptop is detected
- Select it and choose whether to extend or duplicate
Achieve the Best Results
While there are multiple reasons why you would want to make use of a dual monitor setup, it isn’t useful for every scenario. For example, gamers will find that a second screen is helpful for real-time chat or viewing walkthrough documents. Just bear in mind that it isn’t suitable for graphics-intensive or online gaming.
When data is being transferred to the second screen, there can be a huge lag, so you should only use your primary monitor for gaming graphics. You should also make sure to get the best monitor to cater for all your needs. If portable monitors are your thing, for example, you can browse the best portable monitors for gaming and use it as your second screen. That would be a great option if you like to take a break from work and play your favourite games on a new screen every now and then.
Windows 7 and 8
If you’re using an older version of Windows, you might still have the option to use your laptop as a second screen with the Extend feature. You could also buy a Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter to use a TV or modern monitor as your second screen. You simply plug the adapter into your screen’s HDMI and USB ports to connect your screen to your main device or desktop computer. If you choose this method, you can pull it off without needing the Internet for your second screen display.
Collaboration Tools
You can also choose “Allow Input” to provide you with even more multi-tasking functionality when you’re establishing a connection between your laptop and main desktop. When you check this option, you’re allowing your second screen to use a keyboard, pen, touch screen, and more. It allows two users to collaborate on a single device, such as when collaborating on design work or programming projects.
Increase Productivity
If you’ve often been curious as to how you can use your laptop as a second monitor, these simple steps should see you increase your efficiency in no time at all. There are plenty of computing gadgets for increasing productivity, but using multiple monitors is clearly one of the best ways to do so. With many modern laptops providing enhance resolution, bolder graphics, and larger screen sizes, it only makes sense to use their impressive displays as a part of your workflow.
