Meta have announced they are introducing support for the Duet Display app, which can turn the video calling devices Meta Portal Plus (Gen 2) and Meta Portal Go into a second monitor for a computer screen.

Meta Portal Now Acts as a Second Monitor

The parent company of Facebook and Instagram is also launching the Meta Portal Companion app on Mac, which will enable easier screen sharing and access to video calling controls.

Duet Display Availability

The Duet Display app is available for free in the United States for both Meta Portal Plus (Gen 2) and Meta Portal Go, as well as in Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Italy. Users in Australia and New Zealand can get it on the Meta Portal Plus (Gen 2) only.

The Meta Portal Companion app can be downloaded for free from the Facebook store in the US and UK.

Comfort, Convenience and Productivity

In a statement on the About FB website, Meta explained how Duet Display works, saying: “With Duet Display, you can work on multiple apps, juggle complex tasks and get things done faster – so you don’t need to take up desk space with a separate monitor. To get started, download the Duet Display app on your Meta Portal Plus or Portal Go by going to the App Store and tapping Get. You’ll also need to download the Duet Display app on your Mac or PC at [the Duet Display website]. You can then drag open windows from your Mac or PC to your Meta Portal Plus or Portal Go like you would with a second monitor.”

They also described the new Meta Portal Companion app on Mac, adding: “The macOS Meta Portal Companion app lets you connect to your touch-based Meta Portal from your Mac, making it easier to work across devices. The call controls widget lets you easily share your computer screen while on a call and quickly access controls to raise your hand, mute yourself and adjust the volume during Zoom, Workplace and BlueJeans calls on Portal. The Meta Portal Companion also lets you send links (meeting links, videos or any website) to easily view on your Portal.

“In today’s hybrid work environment, having a comfortable and convenient working space is more important than ever. Meta Portal is now an even more useful productivity tool for your home office.”

Benefits of a Second Monitor

There are a lot of advantages to having a second monitor for your computer, especially if you already own a Meta Portal Plus (Gen 2) or Meta Portal Go video calling device.

A second monitor gives you more screen space to display extra pages which can increase your productivity. Two monitors from a single computer means you can easily view multiple applications at once without needing to switch tabs. Using a second monitor also makes it easy to drag and drop data from one app to another, or view documents side-by-side for quick reference.

You can also have a tutorial playing on the second monitor while repeating the steps on your main monitor to help you learn skills more efficiently.

Second monitors also make it easy to collaborate and communicate with colleagues as you can have them on the second screen while keeping the project you are working with on your main screen. Though perhaps not everyone will agree that this last one is actually a benefit.

Image: Depositphotos

This article, “Meta Portal Now Acts as a Second Monitor” was first published on Small Business Trends