A second screen next to your regular monitor can be quite handy. You can use your tablet for this with the apps and applications below.
You see it more and more in the office or at home workplaces: people who use two monitors at the same time. For example, you can have your mail open on one screen and social media or communication apps such as Slack and WhatsApp, and your actual work on the other screen.
Not everyone has two screens, but if you have a tablet you can also use it as a second screen. You just need the right apps for that. These often cost money, but it is usually cheaper than a completely new monitor.
Still a screen? The editors of BestGetest have the best cheap displays lined up.
Using an iPad as a second screen with SideCar
Apple knows the ‘baked in’ function SideCar, which allows you to use the iPad as a second screen. To use SideCar, you must have a compatible Mac computer with macOS 10.15 Catalina installed or newer and an iPad or iPad Pro with iPadOS 13 or newer. Also not unimportant: you must be logged in on both devices with the same iCloud account
This functionality only works with specific Macs, namely:
MacBook and MacBook Promodels introduced in 2016 or later
MacBook Aircomputers from 2018 or later.
iMacmodels introduced in 2017 or later
One iMac ProMac mini models introduced in 2018 or later
Mac Promodels introduced in 2019
The Mac Studio†
For the iPads, they only work as a second screen if it is an iPad Pro, iPad (sixth generation or newer), iPad mini (fifth generation or newer), or iPad Air (third generation or newer).
If you meet the above requirements, you can pair your iPad with a Mac, either via a direct wired connection or wirelessly via Bluetooth. Click on the AirPlay icon in the menu bar of your Mac and select the relevant iPad. Hold your mouse cursor over the green button of a Mac window and click the ‘Move to iPad’ option. SideCar is controlled from macOS Catalina and not from a separate, separate application. You actually expand your desktop (also called ‘mirroring’ called). Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard are supported.
Duet Display
If you have an older iPad or an iPhone or you want to connect an Android tablet or Chromebook as a second screen to a Mac or Windows computer, Duet Display is a nice and smooth app. It consists of two parts: an app for your tablet and a corresponding app on your computer.
Duet Display’s desktop app is free, but the iOS and Android apps cost a one-time fee of 15 euros. The standard version of the app works via a USB connection, supports iPad keyboards and adds touch control to your Windows or Mac programs on the tablet screen. If you want even more functions, you can opt for a Duet Air subscription (which costs 27 euros per year). This gives you a wireless connection, an external desktop and additional graphic options.
Once you’ve installed both the desktop and tablet apps, you’re ready to go. Run the Duet Display desktop app in the background on your PC or Mac, connect your tablet or smartphone via USB and launch the Duet Display mobile app. You can click the Duet Display icon on your PC or Mac to change additional settings, such as the frame rate and resolution your tablet uses.
Other apps
There are of course other apps that work more or less the same as Duet Display, with or without fewer, more or slightly different functions. Think Splashtop Wired XDisplay (works for Android, iOS, Kindle, PC and Mac), spacedesk (for Android, PC), iDisplay (for Android, iOS, PC, Mac) and Air Display (for Android, iOS, PC, Mac ).
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