How to Adjust Screen Size on a Second Monitor in Windows 11

To adjust the screen size on a second monitor in Windows 11, go to Settings > System > Display and select the second monitor at the top. Then change Scale to make text and apps bigger or smaller, or change Display resolution to fix a blurry or stretched picture.

These steps are for Windows 11 on desktops and laptops with an external monitor, TV or projector. Windows 10 uses the same Settings > System > Display page with nearly identical labels. Each monitor keeps its own scale and resolution, so changing the second screen leaves the first one alone.

Change the Size on Your Second Monitor

1. Press Windows key + I and go to System > Display, or right-click the desktop and select Display settings. Numbered boxes for each monitor appear at the top.
2. Select the box for your second monitor. If you’re not sure which number it is, select Identify; Microsoft says a number then appears on each screen. If the numbers seem out of order, read whether you can change monitor identity numbers.
3. Under Scale & layout, open the Scale list and pick a size. Higher percentages make everything bigger, and text and apps on that monitor resize right away.
4. If the picture looks blurry or stretched, open the Display resolution list, choose the option marked (Recommended), then select Keep changes. If you don’t confirm, Windows switches back after a few seconds, which protects you if the screen goes blank.

A Brightness slider appears on the same page for monitors that support it. For monitors that don’t, read changing brightness on a second monitor.

For more on the pixel setting, read changing screen resolution in Windows.

Use the recommended options for both scale and resolution. According to Microsoft’s display resolution guide, a resolution lower than the monitor’s native one can look less sharp, small, centered with black edges, or stretched. The recommended resolution is usually the monitor’s native resolution, the exact number of pixels the panel has.

If only the wallpaper looks too big, too small or cut off on the second monitor, change how your desktop background fits instead.

Only one box at the top? Expand Multiple displays and select Detect. If the second monitor is mirroring the first, press Windows key + P and choose Extend, since Duplicate mode shows the same picture on both screens. Extending your display on Windows 11 explains Extend mode further.

If your second screen is a TV, you can connect a Windows 11 laptop to a TV by cable or wirelessly.

Using a TV or projector with no cable? Windows can also connect wirelessly to another display.

Scale vs. Resolution: Which One to Change

• Everything looks too big or too small: change Scale. It resizes text and apps without making the picture blurry.
• The picture looks blurry, stretched, or has black bars: set Display resolution to the recommended value.
• The edges of the desktop are cut off on a TV: change the TV’s picture size setting, covered below.
• The screen is sideways: change Display orientation on the same page. For portrait use, you also have to physically rotate the monitor.
• Only icons feel too big or small: you can change just the desktop icon size in Windows 11.

A quick example: a 27-inch 4K monitor next to a 15-inch 1080p laptop often looks tiny at 100%. Setting the 4K screen to 150% and the laptop to its recommended value usually makes text look about the same size on both.

Make Only the Text Bigger

If apps are the right size but words are hard to read, Microsoft’s text and apps size guide describes a separate setting:

1. Press Windows key + U to open Accessibility settings.
2. Select Text size and drag the slider to the right. A sample sentence grows as you drag.
3. Select Apply. Text in menus, title bars and many apps gets bigger.

Text size is not a per-monitor setting, so it changes the text on your main screen too.

Set a Custom Scale

If none of the preset percentages fit, select the arrow next to Scale to open Custom scaling, enter a value between 100 and 500 percent, and select the check mark. Windows asks you to sign out for it to take effect. Custom scaling can affect every connected display, so try the preset list on each monitor first. To undo it, return to the same page and choose Turn off custom scaling and sign out.

Fix a Picture That Doesn’t Fill the Screen

When the resolution is already set to (Recommended) but the image still has black borders or the edges are cut off, the scaling is usually happening on the monitor or TV, not in Windows.

• On a TV: open the TV’s picture settings and look for picture size, aspect ratio, or an option such as Just Scan, Screen Fit or Full Pixel. The name depends on the TV brand. This turns off overscan, where the TV zooms in slightly and cuts off the taskbar.
• On a monitor: use the buttons on the monitor to open its menu and set aspect ratio or picture size to Auto or the default.
• In your graphics software: Intel, AMD and NVIDIA control panels have their own scaling or size options for each display. Use them only if the Windows setting and the monitor menu don’t fix it.

Line Up Monitors of Different Sizes

1. On the Display page, drag the monitor boxes so they match where the screens sit on your desk, then select Apply. Afterward, move the mouse across screens to test the layout.
2. If the pointer jumps when it crosses between a large and small screen, drag the boxes so their tops or middles line up. The pointer can only cross where two boxes touch.
3. Expand Multiple displays and check Make this my main display on the monitor that should hold the taskbar and open new windows first. Microsoft’s multiple monitors guide covers the other layout options.

For more on layouts, read setting up multiple monitors on Windows 11, or change your main display.

Troubleshooting

Changing the scale changes both monitors

Make sure the second monitor’s box is selected before you change anything, and that you’re using Extend, not Duplicate (Windows key + P). Also check that custom scaling is off, since it can override the per-monitor presets. If both screens still change together, set each screen to its recommended resolution and then update your graphics driver.

The second monitor is stuck at a low resolution

Check that the cable is firmly connected, try a different cable or port, and look for scaling options in the monitor’s own menu. Then check Settings > Windows Update for driver updates, or update your graphics driver in Windows 11 directly. If the problem started right after a driver update, open Device Manager, expand Display adapters, open your graphics card’s properties and select Roll Back Driver on the Driver tab. A Microsoft community answer also suggests testing in Safe Mode; if the resolution can be changed there, another app or driver is interfering.

The resolution keeps changing on its own

Your graphics driver might need to be updated. Select Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates, or follow the full steps to update Windows 11. If settings are a mess, you can reset display settings in Windows 11.

Everything is suddenly zoomed in

Magnifier may be on. Press Windows key + Esc to turn it off. Read more about how Magnifier works in Windows.

Text looks blurry after changing the scale

Some older apps don’t redraw cleanly after a scale change. Close and reopen them, or sign out and back in.

Frequently Asked Questions