Once you're connected to your devices and apps using Windows App, it's important to know how to use its features and configure settings. This article shows you how to configure display settings, such as multiple displays, display resolutions, and scaling for devices in Windows App.
Select a tab for the platform you're using.
Here are the display settings you can configure in Windows App for Windows.
Set custom display settings
If you want to use different display settings to the default settings or settings specified by your admin, you can configure custom settings by following these steps. You can only configure custom settings for devices, not apps.
Open Windows App, select the Devices tab, then find the device you want to configure custom display settings for.
Select the ellipses (...) on the card of the device, then select Settings.
Toggle Use default settings to off.
For Display Settings, you can select the following options:
| Display configuration |
Description |
| All displays |
Automatically use all displays for the device. If you have multiple displays, all of them are used. |
| Single display |
Only a single display is used for the device. |
| Select displays |
Only select displays are used for the device. |
Each display configuration in the previous table has its own settings. Use the following table to understand each setting:
| Setting |
Display configurations |
Description |
| Single display when in windowed mode |
All displays
Select displays |
Only use a single display when running in windowed mode, rather than full screen. |
| Start in full screen |
Single display |
The device is full-screen. |
| Fit session to window |
All displays
Single display
Select displays |
When you resize the window, the scaling of the device automatically adjusts to fit the new window size. The resolution stays the same. |
| Update the resolution on resize |
Single display |
When you resize the window, the resolution of the device automatically changes to match.
If this setting is disabled, a new option for Resolution is displayed where you can select from a predefined list of resolutions. |
| Choose which display to use for this session |
Select displays |
Select which displays you want to use. All selected displays must be next to each other. |
| Maximize to current displays |
Select displays |
The device shows full-screen on the current display(s) the window is on, even if display isn't selected in the settings. If this setting is off, the device shows full-screen on the same display(s) regardless of the current display the window is on. If your window overlaps multiple displays, those displays are used when maximizing the device. |
Light mode and dark mode
You can change Windows App between light mode and dark mode, or use the mode your device is configured to use in your system settings. To change between light mode and dark mode:
Open Windows App.
Select the cog icon for Settings.
In the section General, select the drop-down menu for Choose your mode.
Tap Light, Dark, or Use system settings. The change takes effect immediately.
Here are the display settings you can configure in Windows App for macOS.
Set custom display settings
If you want to use different display settings to the default settings or settings specified by your admin, you can configure custom settings by following these steps. You can only configure custom settings for devices, not apps.
Open Windows App, select the Devices tab, then find the device you want to configure custom display settings for.
Select the pencil icon (edit) on the card of the device.
Check the box for Use customized settings. This check box isn't applicable for remote PCs.
On the Display tab, you can select from the following options:
| Option |
Description |
| Resolution |
Select the resolution to use for the device. You can select from a predefined list, or add custom resolutions.
This setting is only available when Use all monitors, Optimize for Retina displays and Update the session resolution on resize are unchecked. |
| Use all monitors |
Automatically use all displays for the device. If you have multiple displays, all of them are used. |
| Start session in full screen |
When checked, the device is displayed full-screen. When unchecked, the device is displayed in a window. |
| Fit session to window |
When you resize the window, the scaling of the device automatically adjusts to fit the new window size. The resolution stays the same. |
| Color quality |
The quality and number of colors used. Higher quality uses more bandwidth. |
| Optimize for Retina displays |
Scale the device to match the scaling used on the Mac client. This uses four times more bandwidth. |
| Update the session resolution on resize |
When you resize the window, the resolution of the device changes automatically to match. |
Add, remove, or restore display resolutions
To add, remove or restore display resolutions:
Open Windows App.
From the macOS menu bar, select Windows App, then select Settings.
On the Preferences pane, select the Resolutions tab.
To add a custom resolution, select the + (plus) icon and enter values in the fields for Width and Height in pixels, then select Add.
To remove a resolution, select the resolution you want to remove, then select the - (minus) icon. Confirm that you want to delete the resolution by selecting Delete.
To restore the default resolutions, select Restore Defaults.
Displays have separate Spaces
macOS enables you to create extra desktops, called Spaces, where only the Windows that are in that space are visible. The macOS setting Displays have separate Spaces, which can be found in your Mac's Mission Control system settings, controls whether each display has its own Spaces, or if all displays share the same Spaces.
When you use multiple displays, this setting can cause some displays to be blank in certain scenarios. If Displays have separate Spaces is disabled and Windows App has Start session in full screen enabled, but Use all monitors disabled, only one display is used and the others are blank. Either enable Displays have separate Spaces in Mission Control so a device in Windows App is displayed full-screen on one display, with others showing the macOS desktop, or enable Use all monitors so the device in Windows App is displayed on all displays.
Sidecar
You can use Apple Sidecar during a remote session, allowing you to extend a Mac desktop display using an iPad as an extra display.
Here are the display settings you can configure in Windows App for iOS and iPadOS.
Set display settings
By default, Windows App adds letterboxing and/or pillarboxing to a remote session to compensate for:
The rounded corners of an iPad or iPhone display that otherwise leads to graphics being cut off in the corners of a remote session.
iOS and iPadOS system gestures that otherwise interfere with input near the top and bottom of a remote session, and mouse and trackpad gestures that otherwise interfere with input the corner of a remote session.
All devices and apps use the same display settings. You can't set custom display settings per device or app. To set the resolution used for remote sessions and whether to use the full display of your device::
Open Windows App.
Tap the cog icon for Settings, or tap your user account picture to open the settings pane.
Tap Display.
Tap a resolution from the list of available resolutions.
To use the full display of your device, on iPadOS toggle Use Full Display to on, or on iOS toggle Use Home Indicator Area to on to use the area of the screen occupied by the Home indicator.
Light mode and dark mode
You can change Windows App between light mode and dark mode, or use the mode your device is configured to use in your iOS or iPadOS settings. To change between light mode and dark mode:
Open Windows App.
Tap the cog icon for Settings, or tap your user account picture to open the settings pane.
Tap General, then tap Appearance.
Tap Light, Dark, or System. The change takes effect immediately.
Display auto-lock
You can configure whether your device should keep the display on, or be allowed to automatically lock as configured in your iOS or iPadOS settings. To configure display auto-lock:
Open Windows App.
Tap the cog icon for Settings, or tap your user account picture to open the settings pane.
Tap General.
Toggle Allow Display Auto-Lock to on to allow your device to automatically lock, or off to keep the display on.
External displays
iPhone and iPad support an external display using a wired connection or AirPlay. How Windows App uses the external display depends on your device and its settings. The resolution used for external displays is limited by your device. For more information, see Charge and connect with the USB-C port on your iPad and Charge and connect with the USB-C connector on your iPhone.
iPad with Stage Manager enabled: when you use a wired connection, you can use the external display for the remote session while using your iPad with other apps, including multi-tasking, windows resizing, and dynamic resolution across the iPad and external display. When you use AirPlay, the remote session is shown on the external display at its native resolution.
iPad without Stage Manager: when you use a wired connection or AirPlay, the remote session is shown on the external display at its native resolution. You can use Windows App as a trackpad to control the mouse pointer on the external display. Keyboard, mouse, trackpad, and touch input are automatically mapped to your external display and its resolution. You can use mouse, trackpad, and touch input simultaneously.
iPhone: when you use a wired connection or AirPlay, the remote session is shown on the external display at its native resolution. You can use Windows App as a trackpad to control the mouse pointer on the external display. Mouse support on iPhone through AssistiveTouch isn't supported on an external display. The SwiftPoint GT mouse or ProPoint GT mouse are supported on an external display. Ensure your Swiftpoint mouse is selected as an input device in Windows App by following the steps in Use keyboard, mouse, touch, and pen in Windows App.
Apple Vision Pro compatibility mode (preview)
You can use Windows App on Apple Vision Pro in compatibility mode in preview, where you access desktops and applications in a 2D window. It doesn't support multi-window currently.
Here are the display settings you can configure in Windows App in a web browser. Display settings are only available to configure once you're connected to a remote session.
Full screen
You can display your remote session full-screen from your web browser. To enter and exit full screen:
Sign in to Windows App using your web browser.
Connect to a device.
On the toolbar of the session, select the diagonal arrows icon for Full screen.
To exit full screen, select the diagonal arrows icon for Exit full screen. On Windows, you can also press Esc on your keyboard, or on macOS, you can also press and hold Esc on your keyboard to exit full screen.
Enable higher screen resolution
If you're using a display with a high resolution (also known as high dots per inch, or high DPI), you can configure Windows App to use a higher resolution for the remote session. Using a native resolution can provide higher-fidelity graphics and improved text clarity.
To enable higher screen resolution:
Sign in to Windows App using your web browser.
Connect to a device.
On the toolbar of the session, select the cog icon for In session configuration.
Toggle Enable High DPI to on.
Select Update. The change is applied immediately.
Note
Enabling higher screen resolution with a high-DPI display may cause increased CPU or network usage.
Light mode and dark mode
You can change between light mode (default) and dark mode for the web portal of Windows App. It doesn't pass through the setting to your devices and apps, so you'll need to configure those separately. To change the web portal between light mode and dark mode:
Sign in to Windows App using your web browser.
Select the cog icon for Settings
Toggle Dark Mode to On to use dark mode, or Off to use light mode. The change takes effect immediately.