With that in mind, an effective home office setup remains crucial. A key part of that is more than one display, which allows you to work using one full-screen app and use another for reference.

You may have already bought a dedicated monitor for this purpose, but it’s not always necessary. If you have a spare laptop, this can easily be converted into a second display.

A wired connection might seem like the obvious solution, but using a USB-C or HDMI cable won’t work – laptop display ports can only output to other devices, not receive inputs. However, if you’re running Windows 10 or Windows 11, it’s possible to achieve this wirelessly.

How to use a laptop as a second monitor in Windows 11

Fortunately, Microsoft makes it relatively easy to connect to link two laptops together. Here’s how it’s done:

On the device you’re using as a second screen, open Settings and select ‘Apps’ from the left paneClick ‘Optional features’

Click the blue ‘View features’ button

In the search bar, type ‘display’ and tick the box next to ‘Wireless Display’ and click ‘Next’

Click ‘Install’ from the next screen. Wait for it to finish installing, which should only take a few secondsNext, click ‘System’ from the left pane, then scroll down and choose ‘Projecting to this PC’

Adjust the settings here to your liking, striking a balance between security and accessibility. We’d recommend the options below

On your main device, hit the Windows Key + P to open projection options, then choose ‘Extend’

Choose your second screen laptop, and the two should now be connected

The connection is wireless, so it’s not quite the same experience as having a second monitor connected via a cable, but it can be useful if you are stuck and need a solution. Since the process uses Miracast, you might be able make your TV act as a second screen if you have Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter.

How to use a laptop as a second monitor in Windows 10

On Windows 10, the process looks slightly different but works in much the same way

On the the device you’re using as a second screen, open SettingsClick ‘System, then ‘Projecting this PC’ from the left paneAgain, you can adjust the settings here to your liking

From your main computer, press the Windows Key + P, and click the ‘Connect to a Wireless Display’ link at the bottom. Make sure you have your Wi-Fi turned on for this to workFrom the options that appear, choose ‘Extend’Click ‘Connect to a wireless display’, then choose the name of your other laptop when it appears

That’s it! The two displays will now be linked, and you should be able to move your cursor and other files between them. You might find it’s not quite as stable as a wired connection, in which case you may still want to consider a new monitor.

How to connect a second display to your laptop or PCHow to turn your laptop into a desktop PCHow to set up a home officeShould I use a VPN when working from home?

As the resident expert on Windows, Senior Staff Writer Anyron’s main focus is PCs and laptops. Much of the rest of his time is split between smartphones, tablets and audio, with a particular focus on Android devices.