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One of the hardest things to get used to when you work from home is not having two 20-inch monitors connected to your computer. Transitioning to a single 14-inch laptop screen can be, shall we just say, limiting.

Fortunately, there is a solution.

If you have an iPad around the house – either an old one or one you can use during the day – then you can use it as a second monitor. It is not the same as your office setup, but it is helpful and better than nothing.

You will need a software program called Duet.

Setting Up Your Duet Display

Duet is a high-performance solution that allows you to use your iPad or Android device as a second display for either a Mac or PC. And, unlike other second display apps, Duet Display has zero lag.

The picture above shows my home office setup using an older iPad as a second display.

Duet accomplishes this by turning your mobile device into a second display using the USB to 30 Pin, lightning, or USB-C connection. Other apps that use a Wi-Fi connection are less stable. The wired connection improves performance significantly by reducing the lag time.

Another perk is the iPad touch screen still works when in dual monitor mode, so navigation is as easy as touching.

You will need to download the Macintosh or Windows app from the Duet website. You will also need to install the iOS app from the Apple App Store. The Windows / Macintosh application is free. The iOS app is $10. Expensive for an app, but for $10, you just might save your sanity.

A team of ex-Apple display engineers created Duet, so I guess they know what they are doing. Their area of expertise is explicitly doing what Duet promises.

What other solutions have you found to create dual monitors at home?