How to Use a Chromebook as a Monitor

Own a Chromebook laptop and want to use it as a second monitor? Since the only HDMI port on the Chromebook is the output, simply connecting it isn't enough for the Chromebook to function as a display. However, there are software as well as applications that will help you solve this problem. Today's TipsMake will guide you step-by-step to use your Chromebook as a monitor with paid apps (Duet) and freeware (spacedesk).

Using Duet

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Download Duet for PCs and Chromebooks. On a Windows or Mac computer, download the software from the Duet homepage.

For Chromebooks, you need to find Duet on Google Play and pay to use it.

Open the downloaded installation file and follow the on-screen instructions to install the software.

During the desktop versioning process, you need to create an account and accept the terms of service. Then, use the account information just now to sign in to the app on your Chromebook.

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Click Profile on your computer's Duet window. This option is in the left pane of the window.

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Check the "Screen Sharing Enabled" box. After this box is checked, screen sharing will be enabled.

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Click Android on your computer's Duet window. The Chromebook under review falls under the "Android" category, which you can find in the menu on the left side of the window.

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Click Air . Chromebooks can only connect wirelessly, so you'll need to check to make sure the Air card is selected.

Both the computer and Chromebook must be connected to the same network. When your computer detects your Chromebook, it will show up in the "Discovered Devices" list.

As soon as the computer connects to the Chromebook, the computer's screen displays through the Android window on the Chromebook.

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Click the square on your Chromebook's Duet window. This is the magnified icon, so the Duet window will display in full size on the full screen. You'll be able to see a preview of your computer screen on your Chromebook's full screen, not the phone size.

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Click the Settings option located in the left pane of the Duet window on a Windows/Mac computer.

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Click Adjust Display Settings . This option is on the right side of the window, under the "Device Connected" heading.

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Customize display settings. Check the "Mirror Display" box to accurately mirror the content on your Windows/Mac computer screen to your Chromebook. In addition, you can also leave this box blank if you want to use your Chromebook as an extension of your computer screen. As such, you can drag content on the home screen and drop it to the right or left.

You can adjust the Retina (macOS only), Framerate, and Quality settings.

Once you've tweaked the settings, your Chromebook will be able to start acting as your computer's second monitor. You need to close the Duet program window on your Windows/Mac computer first to be able to view the Chromebook screen and close the application.

If you're having trouble connecting your Duet to your Chromebook, you may need to select Connect to IP Manually. To get your Chromebook's IP address, go to Settings > Network on Chrome OS and click on the network you're connected to. At the bottom of the page there will be a series of numbers with dots next to the "IP Address" section. This is the IP address that you need to copy and paste into the Connect to IP Manually field.

Use spacedesk

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Download and install spacedesk on Windows computers and Chromebooks. This free program is available for Windows, Android, and Chromebooks.

Go to the spacedesk download page and get the software. Then, click on the downloaded file to start the installation. You need to follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

For Chromebooks, you can find spacedesk on the Google Play Store.

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Open spacedesk on your Chromebook. You need to wait for the installation on your Windows computer to complete, then proceed to open the application on your Chromebook.

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Click the + icon on your Chromebook. The plus icon will be in the center of the screen, next to the line "Connect to Primary Machine".

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Enter the IP address of the Windows computer. There are many ways to do this, but the simplest is to enter the question "What is my IP?" or "What's my IP address?" into a search engine (such as Google). Then, enter the IP address from within the search results in the dialog box on the screen.

Click Add to continue.

Immediately, the Chromebook will mirror the Windows computer's screen. But if you want your Chromebook to act as an extender, proceed to the next step.

Right-click on the Windows desktop and select Display Settings. Select Extend these Displays under the "Display" heading and then click Apply. The Chromebook will now become the extended display of the Windows computer.

Chromebooks