It’s a well-known fact that two monitors are always better than one. But there’s no need to buy another display to boost your productivity—you can use a spare Windows laptop or tablet as a second (or third) monitor for your primary setup. Windows 11 has built-in tools that allow another Windows device to be used as a wireless display with additional features and no third-party apps, so here’s how to use a Windows laptop or tablet as a second monitor. How to use
Tip: You can still use your laptop or tablet like a normal computer, even with a broken display. Here’s a guide that shows you how to do just that.
Can I use my Windows laptop or tablet as a second monitor?
If you want to use a Windows laptop or tablet as a second monitor, make sure they support Miracast, a wireless display technology. Here’s how to check if your computer supports Miracast:
- press Win + R And type. dxdiag.
- Click Yes when indicated.
- press Save all information. and specify where Windows should save the text file with your system data.
- Open the archived file and find the Miracast option under System Information. If it says “Available,” you can use your device as a wireless display. The article ends here if one of your computers does not support Miracast.
How to use a Windows laptop or tablet as a monitor?
Wireless Display is a hidden feature within modern Windows versions, and requires additional Windows components to be downloaded and installed to use it, which means that very few users might accidentally stumble upon it. Still, it’s a powerful productivity feature for those with two or more Windows computers.
Take the device you want to use as a second monitor and make sure it’s connected to the same network as your primary computer. Also, use the 5GHz network for better picture quality and responsiveness.
- open Windows settings And go Apps > Optional Features.
- Click See features.
- Kind of Wireless display And put a check mark next to the corresponding option in the search results.
- press next and then Install.. Note that the procedure requires an active internet connection as you will need to download about 3MB of additional components.
- Wait for Windows to complete the process. You can track it in the Recent Actions section.
Now you can open the start menu and spot. Wireless display The app is responsible for using your Windows laptop or tablet as a secondary monitor, and here’s how to use it:
- Launch. Wireless display app on the computer you want to use as a monitor for your primary PC. The app should report that the device is ready for a wireless connection.
- Go to your main computer and press Win + K. You can also open Quick Settings, press the Edit button, click Add and select The cast.
- Click on your laptop or tablet from the list of available devices.
- Select display mode: duplicate (same image on both displays), extend (second device acts as an additional monitor), or just second display (self-explanatory).
Now you can open. System > Display To configure your display, adjust scaling, change resolution, or modify any other screen-related options. Everything works equally well with wired monitors and displays.
When connecting a laptop or tablet as a second monitor, you can put a check mark next to it. Allow … input from this device Option to use its keyboard and trackpad to control your primary PC.
To disconnect the wireless monitor, press . Win + K Click on your main device and to disconnect.
