Screens are all over our homes now, and it’s so natural. With the digital age enabling our productivity as well as our entertainment through these tools, we have moved from simple business computers to laptops, tablets and smartphones.
The problem is that they are not necessarily interconnected. Thanks to the cloud, it’s easy to get started on your tablet or smartphone before continuing everything on your desktop computer, such as with Google Drive, but the platform itself isn’t necessarily optimal.
Are you the type to have your tablet on your desk next to your laptop, dreaming of turning it into a simple second screen for your PC without requiring additional interactions? It is indeed possible and extremely simple to achieve. Let our tutorial guide you!
Prerequisites
We will use the software on the computer and an app on the target Android device to perform this operation. The type of Android device doesn’t matter, but keep in mind that the software is currently only available on Windows.
Moreover, the solution used works thanks to your home’s wi-fi. The advantage of this is that there is no cable that you can buy at your desk or tangling around, but this solution cannot be used installed in a cafe, for example.
So make sure your Android tablet/smartphone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your laptop. But remember that you definitely don’t need root to use this trick! Let’s recap again:
- A Windows PC (desktop or laptop, whatever)
- An Android tablet or smartphone
- Both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi
Don’t worry: the software we will be using in this tutorial is completely free on both Windows and Android. Also note that the Android app only asks for the right to use Wi-Fi, which is quite natural in its operation.
Download and install Spacedesk on your computer
The working principle of this method is based on the use of Spacedesk software on your PC, such as your Android phone/tablet. To get your Android device up and running as a second screen, we will need to install 2 essential components.
The first component of this is Windows software that will act as a server. In short, understand that Windows software will take care of recognizing your tablet as a computer screen and sending the image to it.
First you need to know whether your operating system is 32-bit or 64-bit. The procedure is simple: in your file explorer, in the left bar, right click on “This PC” and select “Properties”.
A window appears and lets you see the hardware installed on your computer. The “system type” line will tell you whether it is a 32 or 64-bit system.
Once you have this information, simply go to the Spacedesk website and download the appropriate version for your system:
Download Spacedesk for Windows
After the download is complete, all you have to do is install the application. There are no pitfalls in installing this: you can click Next in peace. After the installation is complete, restart your computer so that the software is well recognized by your computer and works properly.
You can prove once the presence of a new space table icon in your taskbar is restarted that the server is started and is just waiting for the corresponding Android app to run.
Download and use Spacedesk on your Android device
The server is installed on your PC and is ready to trick your tablet into thinking it’s just a screen. It remains to install the Android Spacedesk application to use the target device as a screen. To do this, go to the Play Store:
Once installed on your tablet or smartphone, there isn’t much to do. If you followed this tutorial correctly, if the software is installed on your PC and the two devices are on the same WiFi network, you will see your computer appear as soon as the application is launched.
Just click “Connect” and your device screen will turn into a secondary screen! But be careful, by default it is in screen mirroring. Therefore, you will need to configure everything under Windows as a traditional display.
Right-click on your Windows desktop and select Display Settings. Initially you will see the two screens blending into each other. So, select “Extend these displays” from the drop-down menu and click Apply to separate the two displays.
If you want to change the layout of your screen, for example if your tablet is on your left rather than on your right, simply drag the squares at the top of the window to represent the configuration you want.
And there you go! Now you have your own secondary display, portable whenever you want! Your new best ally for your productivity!
Optimize your setup with Spacedesk
The principle of Spacedesk is very simple: use your computer to send the image from your computer to your tablet/smartphone using the video stream and convince your PC that it is indeed a screen.
However, keep in mind that since it’s wireless streaming and not a classic wired connection, the latency between your action and its screen can be more or less. This solution is very practical for office automation but will never be effective for gaming for example.
However, you can reduce your latency or have a better view in the settings of the Android Spacedesk app. Before establishing your connection, simply press the 3 lines in the upper right corner.
You will then have access to 2 options. Description (English Resolution) first of all allows you to make the items on your screen much more visible if you are using the app on a smartphone or a very small tablet. One thing not to take off the big focus glasses as soon as you use it.
The most important is the compression setting, which will allow you to affect the quality of the image and the latency. The higher the quality, the higher the latency. The reverse is also true.
Obviously, it all depends on the density of your network and the distance between your computer, tablet/smartphone and box. That’s why we recommend trying a few settings until you find the one that perfectly combines image quality and perceived latency for you.