At home or in the office I always use at least two screens. This significantly improves my multitasking experience and productivity when working with several apps or applications. So that when I need to take some screenshots or just when I am reading technical documentation while doing research, I do not always need to switch between all the different tabs (Windows + Tab key) to open a specific app or application.
When working remotely I most of the time use my Surface laptop, which works like a charm most of the time, but working on one screen isn’t that convenient when writing technical documentation or a new blog post.
Because carrying and extra monitor with me in my laptop bag is not really an option , these days I use my Surface Go (also works with any other Surface or Windows 10 device) as my secondary screen without the need for any third-party software due the Miracast built-in feature in Windows 10. Thanks Peter De Tender (@pdtit) for the great tip!
“Miracast is a standard for wireless connections which allows users to wirelessly share multimedia (seamless display), including high-resolution pictures and high-definition (HD) video content between Wi-Fi devices which support Miracast, even if a Wi-Fi network is not available. It was introduced in 2012 by the Wi-Fi Alliance and it can roughly be described as HDMI over Wi-Fi, replacing the cable from the device to the display.”
Configuration
On the Surface device, in my case my Surface Go, which you want to use as a secondary screen, click on the Action Center icon on the lower right side of your taskbar and thenclick the All Settings tile to open Settings.
Click on System.
On the left column, select Projecting to this PC. Then configure it as you prefer. For example you can set it up to require a PIN for pairing.
Go to your primary device, in my case my Surface laptop and click on the Action Center icon and select Project, or simply press the Windows + P key.
When the project pane opens, select Extend (or Duplicate) and click on Connect to a Wireless Display at the bottom. On the CONNECT page select the other Surface device (for me my Surface Go).
Now a Connect blade will popup on your secondary Surface device (Surface Go). Select your preferred setting (Always allow or Allow Once) and click on OK.
If you have configured to use a PIN, the PIN will be shown on the secondary Surface. You now need to type in this PIN in on the primary Surface before clicking on Connect.
If all goes well, you should now have your secondary Surface connected as an extended (Connected – Extend) screen.
If you wish you can change the behavior of the Miracast screen from Extend to Duplicate by pressing Windows + P again and selecting the preferred option.
To disconnect you can just click the Disconnect button on the black ribbon at the top of the screen.
Check Miracast compatibility
If you want to connect another windows device you can always check if it supports Miracast by opening Run (Windows + R) and typing dxdiag.
This will open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. On the System tab, click on Save All Information… at the bottom to save the Dxdiag.txt file.
Open the DxDiag.txt file with Visual Studio Code (or any another text editor like Notepad) and search for Miracast to check if it is supported.
Summary
That’s all it takes to use your second Surface as an extra screen. I always use two Surface devices, but like already said before, this should also work for any other devices, like TV’s, that supports the Miracast wireless display protocol. I hope you will give it a try.
Wim Matthyssen 
At home or in the office I always use at least two screens. This significantly improves my multitasking experience and productivity when working with several apps or applications. So that when I need to take some screenshots or just when I am reading technical documentation while doing research, I do not always need to switch between all the different tabs (Windows + Tab key) to open a specific app or application.
When working remotely I most of the time use my Surface laptop, which works like a charm most of the time, but working on one screen isn’t that convenient when writing technical documentation or a new blog post.
Because carrying and extra monitor with me in my laptop bag is not really an option , these days I use my Surface Go (also works with any other Surface or Windows 10 device) as my secondary screen without the need for any third-party software due the Miracast built-in feature in Windows 10. Thanks Peter De Tender (@pdtit) for the great tip!
“Miracast is a standard for wireless connections which allows users to wirelessly share multimedia (seamless display), including high-resolution pictures and high-definition (HD) video content between Wi-Fi devices which support Miracast, even if a Wi-Fi network is not available. It was introduced in 2012 by the Wi-Fi Alliance and it can roughly be described as HDMI over Wi-Fi, replacing the cable from the device to the display.”
Configuration
On the Surface device, in my case my Surface Go, which you want to use as a secondary screen, click on the Action Center icon on the lower right side of your taskbar and thenclick the All Settings tile to open Settings.
Click on System.
On the left column, select Projecting to this PC. Then configure it as you prefer. For example you can set it up to require a PIN for pairing.
Go to your primary device, in my case my Surface laptop and click on the Action Center icon and select Project, or simply press the Windows + P key.
When the project pane opens, select Extend (or Duplicate) and click on Connect to a Wireless Display at the bottom. On the CONNECT page select the other Surface device (for me my Surface Go).
Now a Connect blade will popup on your secondary Surface device (Surface Go). Select your preferred setting (Always allow or Allow Once) and click on OK.
If you have configured to use a PIN, the PIN will be shown on the secondary Surface. You now need to type in this PIN in on the primary Surface before clicking on Connect.
If all goes well, you should now have your secondary Surface connected as an extended (Connected – Extend) screen.
If you wish you can change the behavior of the Miracast screen from Extend to Duplicate by pressing Windows + P again and selecting the preferred option.
To disconnect you can just click the Disconnect button on the black ribbon at the top of the screen.
Check Miracast compatibility
If you want to connect another windows device you can always check if it supports Miracast by opening Run (Windows + R) and typing dxdiag.
This will open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. On the System tab, click on Save All Information… at the bottom to save the Dxdiag.txt file.
Open the DxDiag.txt file with Visual Studio Code (or any another text editor like Notepad) and search for Miracast to check if it is supported.
Summary
That’s all it takes to use your second Surface as an extra screen. I always use two Surface devices, but like already said before, this should also work for any other devices, like TV’s, that supports the Miracast wireless display protocol. I hope you will give it a try.
Share this:
Like this: