Use tablet as primary monitor: Using Tablet as Primary Monitor? : androidtablets

7 февраля, 2023

Use Tablet as Monitor | What You Need to Do to Make It Work

You might have had a look at your tablet as a secondary monitor. This article will guide you on using your Android, Windows, and iPad tablets as a secondary display. Do you have an android tablet? Are you debating whether or not to use your tablet as a secondary screen? Well, you can; let’s get our hands-on.

How to Use Tablet as A Second Monitor

Your android device allows you to connect to an external monitor in two ways, either using cables or a wireless connection. When there is a need for portability (see ‘Best Portable Monitor‘), users go for a wireless connection. Any smartphone can connect wirelessly through wi-fi.

However, connection via wi-fi has low stability, often resulting in a prolonged lag between what you display on the computer and what you see on your tablet monitor display. If your Wi-Fi is fast and reliable, it will be of less concern only if your devices have sufficient RAM to run your display quickly.

Not everyone will need to pair his monitors all the time, but it might improve productivity if you give it a try. You can make your tablet as a second monitor if you find it fruitful. You require a computer that supports Windows 10, Mac, Android device, and iDisplay, which you can download from the Google Play store.

Not only does iDisplay work on wi fi but it also supports USB cable users.

Installing iDisplay on the Tablet and Computer

On your android phone, installation of iDisplay from the play store is automatic. The setup process on Windows is similar to that of a Mac laptop. To start the process, double-click the downloaded driver file. A warning screen pops up; click Yes to install the software.

 Let iDisplay do the rest of the installation; it takes a few minutes, depending on the speed of your devices. After the iDisplay completes the installation, restart your computer.

 The driver installs automatically once your laptop restarts; confirm in the system for assurance. But you can install it by yourself by typing ‘iDisplay’ in the start menu.

Connect to Your Mobile Tablet or Phone

Launch the driver once the setup is running on your device, and it will look for the computer running its server. When the laptop finds the server to connect, a warning pops up on the desktop requesting whether to link with the device. Click “Always Allow” so the warning message won’t appear again.

Your monitor will appear flickering when the app is getting connected. Don’t worry about it, as a few minutes later, your mobile tablet will display what is on your laptop.

Adjust Your Display Settings on the Laptop

On your computer, right-click on the remote desktop; on the drop-down menu that appears, choose the Display Settings. Apply multiple displays and decide whether to make your mobile phone the main second display.

Disconnecting the wired devices when you finish using your tablet as a secondary screen is more manageable. In the bottom right corner, tap the green action button, and a drop-down menu appears on the left-hand side. Select the Disconnect option, the screen will flicker again, and the server disconnects.

Can You Use a Tablet as a Secondary

Monitor for Free?

If you have a tablet, it could work for you as a second monitor without charges hence not necessarily buying a monitor from Amazon. You will save a lot and also improve productivity when you use your Android device.

We mention some of the apps users might find in the google play store to connect your tablet as a second screen at no cost.

Chrome Remote Desktop

Chrome remote desktop allows you to control your PC via your remote android phone. While on your smartphone, you can do everything you run on your PC’s desktop. It only works when using Chrome as a browser and having your built-in Gmail account.

To control your PC from your tablet, download the chrome extension first. It will direct you to the chrome web store, add the extension then finally launch it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-gKN-i5M0k

Sidecar(Mac, iOS)

Sidecar is the recent MacBook and iPad app that uses AirPlay for wireless coupling. Use your iPad as a second monitor with MacBook; it offers the best solution, especially when downloading new software.

Click the AirPlay icon in your menu bar; you can also connect your iPad with MacBook using a compatible cable. Once connected, the Sidecar icon replaces the Airplay icon in the menu bar. Switch to mirror display by clicking Mirror Built-in Retina Display. When Sidecar is active, use your mouse to drag documents over to your iPad tablet display.

Sidecar Features

  • It Enables USB-C or lightning cable.
  • It does not support touch gestures.
  • Apple’s Pencil and Smart Keyboard integration.

Spacedesk(Android, PC)

It is a famous android display monitor for a Windows remote desktop. All you need to launch it, install your drivers, and the app will detect the IP address and system’s name.

Spacedesk Features

  • Touch support and clear resolution
  • Works over wi-fi, USB cabling, and LAN

Splashtop Wired XDisplay (Android, iOS)

Unlike Spacedesk and AirPlay apps, Splashtop Wired XDisplay allows connections to a second monitor via USB.

Splashtop Features

  • Best HD resolution of 60 frames per second
  • USB cabling for receptive experience
  • No lagging

Limitations of Monitor Free App Extension

Free apps mostly come up with features a user might find to cope. Despite giving as services at no cost, they impact our lives negatively in one way or the other.

  • A free app works only for the time limit in the code; you have to log in for the second time.
  • Free apps run ads, interrupting the user
  • Limited security, no guarantee your data is safe
  • Multiples in updating effort

How Do I Use My Android Tablet as an Extended Monitor?

We had discussed above the apps that could mirror a PC’s display onto a tablet as a second screen. You can extend your remote Android setup for better multitasking, real-time experience if you purchase these.

Duet Display (Mac, iOS, Android, PC)

It is an iOS app that can extend the MacBook’s display to iPad tablets. Apple initially owned Duet Display before using the app in Android devices and Windows PC until it provides new features like Sidecar for MacBook; Duet Display supports Windows and Android devices.

The app price is $9.99; it features a high percent rating as most users post positive feedback. An Android app can connect to Mac Os using wi-fi via USB cable attachment. If you need the app, you can find it on android and iOS play stores.

Limitations

  • The size of your device, most iPad, android tablets come with smaller screens. Well, you do not get any work done with that kind of display.
  • It would be best if you used a wired USB connection. Duet display does come with a wireless connecting fee, but it costs a lot.

Air Display 2 (Mac, iOS, Android, PC)

Air display 2 supports multiple screens up to four; just like iDisplay, it gets the task well done. The app features a comprehensive wireless connection. Air display 2 installations are done on Macs quickly but limit compatibility on other platforms.

AES encryption ensures the user’s context is secure during mirroring. An on-screen passcode restricts access to the Apple TV when pairing.

How Do I Set up the Air Display on Macbook?

  • On the menu bar in the left top corner of the screen, click on the apply button.
  • Click System Preferences on the drop-down menu that appears.
  • Select Displays
  • On the menu bar that appears, select Show Mirroring Options 

Limitations

  • Air display does not provide a USB cable option on your PC. Wireless as there is no physical link from your tablet to PC.
  • The Air display does not support physical coupling with Apple TV.
  • Currently not supported on Windows 10

iDisplay (Mac, iOS, Android, PC)

The app started with iOS and Mac Os before moving to other operating systems. You can find iDisplay apps in iOS, Windows, and android play stores. Its setup consists of inclusive fruitful features making it the best app for turning Android into a secondary screen.

The app supports a wireless network, and it comes with a multi-touch screen. Support USB connection for all operating systems except Android, which is not out yet. The following steps will turn your mobile into your remote desktop display;

  • You need to install the app both on your Android and PC or your MacBook.
  • Purchase the app on the android play store and download it freely on your computer.
  • Choose the version you need to download for your PC, either Mac OS or Windows.
  • Download the apps under the highest possible bandwidth, especially for those using MacBook.
  • To install, you need to restart your PC. 

Conclusion

The portability of our laptop is something that everyone has a use. How else will you finish some work while staring at your social media platforms now and then? However, your phone is not going to cut it.

But when you are getting down for business, it seems tedious and tiring pressing tab after tab. Well, dedicating your iPad tablet to a second display will be a helpful solution and an exciting experience.

How to Use an Android Tablet as a Second Screen in Windows 11

By
Russ Ware

If you want to use a second screen but you don’t want to buy another monitor, you can use an Android tablet instead. Here’s how.

Dual monitor computer setups are now much more common than they were just a few years ago, both in workplaces and at the home. Connecting a second screen to your computer can increase productivity and makes it much easier to work with multiple apps or programs.

If you don’t have the space or budget for a full-sized second screen, here’s how to set up an Android tablet as a second screen for Windows 10 or 11 using Spacedesk.

How to Install Spacedesk on Your Windows PC

You will need two pieces of software to start using an Android tablet as a second computer monitor. The first of these is the SpaceDesk Windows driver, which can be found on the Spacedesk website.

Click the Download button and then choose the version you want to use. The version for Windows 10 and 11 is available for both 64-bit and 32-bit systems, so make sure you select the correct one. You can check if your computer supports 32-bit or 64-bit in Settings > System > About. The System Type section shows you which version your computer supports.

Read our guide to find out more about the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit hardware and software.

After downloading the correct Spacedesk driver, double-click the file to run the installer. Accept the EULA and check the installation location is correct. Allow the installer to set up a firewall exception, and then click the Install button to finish the driver setup.

You need to add that exception to your firewall or it might block the connection to Spacedesk. If you use third-party antivirus or firewall software, you may need to add the exception manually. To do this, find the firewall settings in whatever security software you use, and tell it to allow ‘spacedeskService.exe’.

Installing Spacedesk on Your Android Device

The second piece of software you need can be found in the Google Play Store. Connect to your Wi-Fi and open the Google Play Store on the Android device you want to use as the secondary screen.

Search for the Spacedesk app and install it. The app is compatible with Android version 4.1 and later, so you shouldn’t have any problem installing it unless you are using a very old tablet.

With the app installed, you then need to decide if you want to connect it to your Windows PC using Wi-Fi or a USB cable.

Spacedesk also works with iOS devices, and the setup steps are very similar. You just need to use the Spacedesk app from the Apple App Store if you want to use an iOS device.

Connecting to the extra screen wirelessly is the best choice if you are somewhere with a strong Wi-Fi network available. It gives you more freedom to move the second screen around, and you can charge the tablet if needed.

  1. Check that the Spacedesk Driver is running on your Windows PC by looking for the icon in the System Tray. You may need to check the hidden icons in the pop-out menu.
  2. The Spacedesk software is configured to run automatically when your computer starts. If you disabled this option or closed the software, you can restart it from the main app list in the Start Menu.
  3. On your Android device, open the Spacedesk app. It will already be set to use Wi-Fi for the connection and will begin looking for one as soon as it opens.
  4. Tap the name of your computer when you see it appear in the connections list. After a second or two, you will see your PC screen mirrored on your tablet.

To change the second display to an extension rather than a copy of your main screen, right-click on your PC desktop and choose Display Settings from the menu. Click the Duplicate these displays button and change it to Extend these displays.

You can see the virtual position of the second display shown in the Display settings. The default is to the right of the main screen. This means that to move a window or app to the second screen, you need to drag it off the right side of your main screen. Physically placing your second screen to the right of your main screen makes dragging things onto it much less confusing.

Connecting the extra screen via a USB cable can be a better choice if you are not sure how stable or fast the available Wi-Fi network is. If you are using an older Android tablet, a USB connection can also be faster and less prone to lag.

To use a USB cable to connect your Windows PC to the second screen, you will need to be using an Android device that allows USB Tethering. Not all of them do, but if your Android device can connect to a mobile data network you should be able to use the USB connection method.

  1. Connect the USB cable to your Android device and a spare USB port on your Windows computer. When your Android device asks if you want to allow access to data, tap Allow.
  2. Open the Android device settings and go to Connections > Mobile Hotspot and Tethering. Enable the USB Tethering option. If you don’t see that option, or the hotspot and tethering section, your device can’t be connected via USB.
  3. Open the Spacedesk app on your phone or tablet and tap the connection you see in the connections list. If you don’t see any connections listed, tap the plus button and enter the IP address of your computer. If you aren’t sure what your IP address is, take a look at our guide to finding your IP address in Windows 10. Fortunately, the steps in that guide still work on Windows 11 at the time of writing.

After a second or two, you will see your PC screen mirrored on your tablet. To change the second display to an extension rather than a copy of your main screen, right-click on your PC desktop and choose Display Settings from the menu. Click the Duplicate these displays button and change it to Extend these displays.

Using an Android Device as a Second Screen for Windows

Adding a second screen to your Windows computer can help improve productivity and allows you to have many more apps or windows open at once. Using an Android tablet as an extra display can save you desk space, and can also be a great dual-screen solution when traveling or working remotely.

A tablet as a monitor — is it real? That is, not just flipping through the social network feed, reading and watching cats on YouTube, but using the gadget in the workflow — for example, using the tablet as a monitor, primary or secondary. By the way, drone manufacturers have long thought about this — often you can display an image from the camera of an aircraft on a tablet. On the control panels of many modern quadcopters, there are even special mounts for tablets.

Using a tablet as a second monitor is convenient and practical

But let’s leave the drones alone, let them surf the sky, and we will try to solve a more mundane task — to connect the tablet as a monitor to a computer or laptop.

Contents

  • 1 Doctor, do I really need this?
    • 1.1 What do we do to make everything work?
      • 1.1.1 How to use the iDisplay utility
        • 1.1.1.1 Conclusions

Traditionally, let’s first consider the possible options for using such a bundle. The idea immediately comes to mind that it is possible to display mail or a browser tab with a feed of your favorite social network on the second monitor (that is, on the tablet screen). Without a doubt, such a decision has the right to life, you can also transfer YouTube there in order to watch funny videos in parallel with work.

But you must admit that mail and even YouTube can be launched on a tablet without these difficulties with connecting to a computer. Is it worth it to puzzle over how to make a monitor out of a tablet in order to then perform on it those actions with which it does an excellent job anyway? Here, of course, apologists for controlling with a mouse and keyboard can enter into a discussion, they say, the tasks are the same, but the convenience is higher. A dubious argument, since someone prefers to scroll with the mouse, someone with a touchscreen — both approaches have the right to life.

Still, there are real use cases for a tablet to increase one’s productivity by enhancing the functionality of the workplace. For example, you are engaged in the processing of media content. Then it would be a very convenient solution to put frequently used toolbars of your main working software on a separate small screen (a mixing console when processing sound, palettes when working with images, etc.). In any case, it’s much easier to figure out how to use a second monitor when you have one. So let’s move on to the main topic of our conversation.

So, to use the tablet as a second monitor, you will need to install the appropriate software on both your computer and your mobile gadget. There are enough possible options for choosing this very software — Redfly ScreenSlider, Air Display, etc. We will focus on one of the proven and popular solutions — iDisplay . The choice of this particular utility is due to the fact that it is universal, available on Windows, and on OS X, and on Android, and on iOS. Consider the popular Windows / Android bundle, other options do not have any fundamental differences.

The first step is to download and install the appropriate software. The Windows version can be downloaded from the official website, the Android app from Google Play. By the way, the mobile app will cost you about $5, while the desktop version is free. The installation process is unlikely to cause anyone questions, so let’s move on to the setup right away.

Another important point. After installing the desktop part of the program, you must restart your computer, otherwise you will be surprised for a long time and look for the reason that nothing works.

Ways to use the iDisplay utility

There are two ways to use the iDisplay utility to connect your tablet to a PC, via USB or via Wi-Fi. The functionality does not change with different types of connection, only ease of use (still, extra wires are not always encouraging).

If you are using a USB connection, after installing and running iDisplay on both devices, set your tablet to USB as your connection type. If you don’t “burn” with the desire to get tangled in wires, then without hesitation make a choice in favor of Wi-Fi. Please note that the tablet and PC must be connected to the same local network.

In the application on the tablet, press the plus button to add your computer as a signal source. You will need to specify the IP address and port of the main machine (if you hover over the iDisplay icon next to the clock, you will find out this data) and a name, which can be anything. Click «Add and Connect».

A connection request from your gadget should appear on the computer screen. There are three options for the request: reject, accept once or save for the future to connect automatically. We advise you to choose the latter option for your own convenience. In addition, if you allow iDisplay to start at system startup, the tablet can easily replace the monitor in case of any force majeure.

At this point, the computer screen may blink a couple of times, after which your desktop will appear on the tablet screen. You can now set up a second screen in Windows Desktop Settings, as if you were actually attaching another monitor to your computer. Separately, you can configure how the second display is used. It all depends on whether you will duplicate the image on it or expand the workspace on it.

By the way, an important point — by default, it is assumed that when expanding, the second working screen is located to the right of the main one. But this can also be changed in the settings.

Conclusions

In exactly the same way, you can connect not only a tablet, but also a smartphone, although the convenience of such a solution is rather debatable. Nevertheless, for stationary, non-mobile use, the larger the diagonal, the more convenient. Nevertheless, there is such an opportunity, which means that someone can find a use for it.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated in connecting the tablet as a second (or, better, additional) monitor to your main computer. Anyone can do these few simple steps, and then think over scenarios for using such a bundle in search of the optimal solution that suits him. Experiment and share this material with your friends!

How to use the Android tablet screen as a monitor (primary and secondary)

Almost any IT specialist, and in principle, some ordinary tablet owners dream of using it to good use — connecting it to the system unit so that information is displayed on the tablet like on a regular monitor. The first thing that comes to mind is to connect the tablet to the video card using an HDMI — miniHDMI cable, provided that the tablet and the graphics card have these connectors.

After all, with the help of an HDMI cable, a digital signal with multimedia data — video, sound, etc. must be transmitted. But the problem is that in the tablet, the HDMI connector is an output, not an input. Those. it can transfer an image to another device (for example, a monitor or TV), but it cannot receive it.

I have been looking for a way to make a monitor replacement from a tablet for a very long time, and believe me, at least as of 2014, technically (at the hardware level), this will not be possible, unless someone tries to solder an HDMI input to a tablet that receives a signal from a video card , or tablet manufacturers themselves will think of it and start making tablets with universal HDMI, capable of both receiving and transmitting a signal.

However, you shouldn’t be upset, because there is good news. It is possible to make the main monitor from the tablet at the program level. A special program will help the computer recognize the tablet as a monitor. There are three options for using this “tablet monitor”:

  1. Complete replacement for a standard monitor. It can be used in emergency cases, for example, if a regular monitor is broken.
  2. The tablet can easily turn into an additional monitor to the main one. Everything that happens on the monitor can be duplicated on the tablet display.
  1. The tablet screen can become an “extension” of the main monitor, i.e. for example, on the big screen you can watch a movie, and on the tablet screen you can read correspondence, control any computer program with the mouse and keyboard, read mail, and, in general, do absolutely everything that you usually do on your computer.

Installation

We need a USB cable to connect the tablet to a PC (or you can connect via Wi-Fi), install the program on the computer, and on the tablet.

  • We install iDisplay on the computer — you can download it for free for your version of the operating system from the official website. Be sure to restart the computer, otherwise the connection will not take place.
  • Installing the application on a tablet from Google Play. It is paid, and costs 5 bucks (but if you really want to try the application for free, use w3bsit3-dns.com.
  • Launching iDisplay on the computer.
  • Launching the iDisplay application on the tablet. Click on the plus sign to add a “server”, i.e. your PC data (for Wi-Fi connection). To connect via USB, connect the USB cable to the computer and to the tablet, and click the «Connect via USB» button.
  • We are asked to enter an IP, port, and name. The IP address and port number can be viewed in the tray by hovering the mouse over the iDisplay. We rewrite the data on the tablet. Enter anything for the name.
  • When everything is ready, click “Add and Connect”.
  • Next, if the IP and port are correct, the “iDisplay autorization” box will appear on the computer screen asking if you want to reject the tablet connection, connect once, or automatically connect every time a request is received from the tablet. I recommend clicking “Always allow”, so this question will not pop up again, and the connection will be automatic.
  • The monitor will go out for a couple of seconds, blink a little, and calm down. The computer OS desktop will then appear on the tablet.

Setting

This completes the installation, but we need to choose whether the tablet will be the main, backup or additional monitor. To do this, in Windows, go to the display resolution settings (to open the menu, right-click on the desktop).

Opposite the words “Multiple screens”, click on the small triangle. If “Duplicate Screens” is selected, the entire contents of the main monitor of the tablet will repeat, almost like a parrot. The “Expand screens” option will allow you to display different information on two monitors. They will share the same desktop but can work independently and complement each other.

And now the most interesting. If you want the tablet to act as the main monitor, select «Display desktop only on 2», and then click the apply button. Next, open the tray, right-click on the iDisplay icon, select «Settings», and click on «launch at Windows startup» so that there is a check mark.

Now, when you restart your computer and turn off the regular monitor, the program will automatically start when the system boots, and you just need to connect to this program through the tablet, and the desktop of your OS will appear on the screen of your tablet.

In order not to be unfounded, I conducted an experiment, whether the tablet will work as a monitor when I turn off the regular monitor, and recorded the result on video. I went into a text editor, opened a browser, watched a video through YouTube, and went to the site androidtab. ru, where you are reading this article. I connected to the tablet via Wi-Fi, plus a program for capturing video from the screen was included, so there may be slight delays in the video. If you connect via USB, the connection will be more stable, and the picture will be faster. Apologies in advance for the video quality (max 480p).

This monitor has a couple of drawbacks . First, in order to use the tablet screen as a monitor, you must first install the program, and for this you need to see what you are doing. Those. if the monitor is broken, you need to connect another working one to the computer, install and configure the program, and only then turn off the monitor and use the tablet screen instead. The second drawback is that when you start the system, you need to manually start the connection with the PC on the tablet every time.