How to connect multiple monitors on Windows 11
Windows 11 has better multiple monitor support. It’s able to remember which monitor an app was open on which is something Windows 10 struggled with. You can disconnect a second monitor and when you connect it again, the windows will still be there. They won’t automatically jump to the current monitor.
Multiple monitors on Windows 11
Monitors remain plug & play. You can connect a monitor to your desktop or laptop’s display port and it will be detected automatically. Windows 11 may not start displaying to it but that’s easy to fix.
Connect multiple monitors – Windows 11
You can connect multiple monitors on Windows 11 from the Settings app. The settings allow you to;
- Select primary monitor
- Change resolution of the monitor
- Change monitor layout
- Change scaling for monitors
- Change monitor orientation
- Open the Settings app with the Win+I keyboard shortcut.
- Go to System>Display.
- Click the Identify button to find out which display is which (take note of the number that appears on the display).
- Click Open the Duplicate these displays dropdown and select how you want the second monitor to work: extend display, mirror display, or display only on one monitor.
- Drag and drop the monitors to arrange them.
- Select a monitor and scroll down. Select the ‘Make this my main display’ to set it as the primary monitor.
Other setting
For other settings, ones that can be applied to both monitors, select the monitor first and then scroll down to change the settings. The monitor that is highlighted is the one that the setting will be applied to. For scaling settings, you may need to log out and log back in to apply them to all apps.
Change projection mode
Windows 11 allows users to change the projection mode i.e., display mode for multiple monitors from the a quick projection panel. The panel looks different than it did in
- Tap the Win+P keyboard shortcut to open the projection panel.
- Select the projection mode.
- Windows 11 will change the projection mode.
Conclusion
Microsoft has improved how windows are managed across multiple monitors on Windows 10 but the taskbar hasn’t improved. Users who were hoping for a fully functional taskbar across all monitors will be disappointed to learn that the time that appeared in the corner of the system tray on the secondary monitor has been removed. The Start button will still appear on all taskbars i.e., all monitors. Icons for the windows will also appear on the taskbar on the respective monitor. Users can change how these icons appear but little else.
