How to set up dual monitors on your Windows PC or Mac computer

Setting up dual monitors can boost your productivity and free space.

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• To set up dual monitors on Windows 10, connect the monitor to your PC and open "Display settings."
• On a Mac, you can connect another monitor to it using the "Display" menu in "System Preferences."
• You can set up your dual monitors to display the same image, or work separately.

In an office, it's common to see people using multiple monitors at the same computer. It's a great way to expand your workspace and use lots of different apps at once.

Luckily, dual monitors aren't just for professionals. You can set up dual monitors on your PC and Mac easily. You just need the monitors and cables to connect them.

Important: You can set up dual monitors on a laptop, too. The laptop's screen will just count as one of the monitors.

How to set up dual monitors on a Windows 10 computer

1. Connect both monitors to the computer tower or laptop you're using, and make sure they're both turned on. Depending on the monitor and your computer, you'll need a VGA, HDMI, or USB cable. In some cases, you might need a combination of different cables.

A windows laptop before it's been connected to the second monitor, and after.

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Your computer should recognize the new monitor right away. Both screens will go black and might flicker a bit.

2. Once the screen comes back, right-click on an empty part of your PC's desktop to bring up the context menu and select Display settings.

Open your PC's "Display settings" menu.

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Quick tip: You can also get to your Display settings on Windows by going to Settings > Ease of access > Display, and then click on the Additional display settings link in the Related settings section.

3. Scroll down to the Multiple Displays section, open the drop-down menu, and choose how you want the dual monitors to work. Here are your options:

• Extend these displays: You can set your screens up so that they display different things and your mouse cursor can move between them.
• Duplicate these displays: This option will show the same image on both screens, which can be useful for PowerPoint presentations and lectures.
• Show only on 1: Select this if you only want to use the primary monitor.
• Show only on 2: Select this if you only want to use the secondary monitor.

4. Once you've picked an option, click Keep changes in the pop-up.

Choose how you want your monitors to operate.

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5. If you chose the Extend these displays option, scroll back up to the Rearrange your displays section. Your main monitor will be listed as 1, and your new monitor will be listed as 2. Click and drag them around to match their arrangement in real life, then click Apply.

You'll need to click "Apply" to save your changes.

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How to set up dual monitors on a Mac

1. Connect your second monitor to your MacBook, iMac, or Mac Mini using an HDMI cable. If your Mac device doesn't have an HDMI port, you'll need to connect the HDMI cable to a USB cable or hub, and then connect that to the Mac.

A Mac laptop before it's been connected to an external monitor, and afterwards.

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Your computer should recognize the new monitor right away. Both screens will go black and might flicker a bit.

2. Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen and select System Preferences. 

3. Select Displays.

Open your Mac's "Displays" menu.

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4. In the Display window, click on Display Settings in the bottom-left corner of the screen.

5. In the left sidebar, you will see all the monitors connected to your computer. Click on your Mac's display, and, in the right panel, make sure the Use as dropdown is set to Main display.

Make sure your Mac's screen is set to be the main display.

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6. Click on the second display in the left sidebar, and set the Use as dropdown to one of the following options:

• Extended display: This will allow you to display different things on the screens. That means you can, for example, have Finder open on one screen while browsing Google Chrome on the other.
• Mirror for [name of main display]: This will show the same thing on both screen – the secondary display will mirror what is happening on the main one.

You can choose either an extended or mirrored display.

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Note: If you want to use an iPad as a second monitor for your Mac, you'll have to use the Sidecar feature. Check out our article on the feature for tips on setting it up.

Will an HDMI splitter work with dual monitors?

The short answer is yes – an HDMI splitter will work in a dual monitor setup. However, it's important to note that the device will only split the signal between the added monitors. That means both monitors will mirror what is being displayed on your computer's screen.

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