(Photo: Screenshot from Duet Display website)

Over the last three years, work has undergone a dramatic change. People often work from home, remotely, in hybrid, or even while traveling with the rise of digital nomads. 

When doing so, one of the tools people miss most is their second monitor. Luckily, we have found a tool that makes it easy for anyone to have two monitors anywhere. 

Duet is built for professionals needing a second display for their working devices. It is an app created by Rahul Dewan, a former Apple employee and engineer who worked on the iPad and iMac for three years. It works for all desktop and mobile platforms, delivering a responsive performance for those who work remotely. 

(Photo: Taken from Duet Help page)

What is the advantage of having a second screen? 

Research suggests that having multiple screens can boost productivity and performance. It increases your screen real estate, helps you multitask, and improves organization. For example, you can hop on a video call on one screen while taking notes on the other. You can even compare materials side by side. You don't have to constantly switch windows or shrink down the content to become unreadable, making your workflow far more productive.

Features of Duet

Duet is entirely customizable. We have control over the experience of how we choose to use the remote desktop software. The app adjusts to our preference whether we're using our iPad in portrait or landscape mode. We can enable touch gestures, shortcuts, palm rejection, color correction, and more when we use the app. 

It also has cross-platform compatibility. Duet also works for Windows and Android devices. It doesn't matter what brand of device we're using. It is free to download.  We get a second display in less than ten minutes after installation. We can use a USB to 30 pins, a lightning cable, or a USB-C to connect our tablets or phones to our primary devices (PC or Mac).

Duet is also a secure remote access solution. Our devices are protected due to their state-of-the-art encryption. We also don't have to worry much about the battery life of our connected devices. The app uses the least CPU and battery, meaning we can work remotely without being glued to an outlet. 

Duet releases monthly updates to improve its performance and introduce more features for us to enjoy. For now, we can maximize its characteristics of high resolution (up to 4K) and lightning-fast connection due to its proprietary protocol and technology, delivering a smooth performance to make work less stressful and multitasking more effective.

FAQs

What Operating System is Duet compatible with?

The latest version of the app requires iOS 12.0 and above. For Windows, it requires Windows 10 or later. 

Can I use the app without a USB connector?

You can connect your iPad to any device by clicking the "Connect" button, as seen in the image below. 

(Photo: Taken from Duet Help page)

Am I required to disable the Windows Firewall to have a wireless connection?

No, you only need to allow Duet to request network access from the Windows Firewall to enable the wired or wireless connection and have a seamless experience.

Is a desktop-to-desktop connection possible with Duet?

Yes, you can connect two desktops and iMacs through the app. Ensure "Screen Sharing Enabled" is checked to extend or mirror your monitor.

For more information, Duet has a support team available to answer any technical concerns (averaging within one hour). If you're subscribed to Due Pro or Duet for Teams, you have 24/7 support and more exclusive features.

Conclusion

Who says you need to by another device to get a second display? Get Duet to easily turn your iPad or other devices into a wired or wireless second display for only $4/month with Duet Air. If you are interested in even more features, including remote access, supercharged performance, and more features, you can upgrade to Duet Pro for $7/month.  And if you are an organization that wants to roll out Duet to your whole team, you can now get Duet for Business starting at $5/month/user and buy up to 10,000 licenses.