This article will lead you to how to change monitor 1 and 2 on pc or macOs.

Are you having issues with your Windows dual-monitor configuration? Some screen-sharing and video conferencing programmes prioritise monitor counts over your display preferences, which can result in sharing the incorrect screen unintentionally. Both monitors can be set as your primary display, but switching between “1” and “2” labels requires a registry change. We’ll walk you through changing the monitor numbering on your PC by altering the Windows registry.

How to change monitor 1 and 2 ? 

Your PC is the first device, numbered 1, when using an external monitor. But what if you wish to change Monitor 2’s priority?

You might want to use your secondary monitor for gaming or movie viewing if it is larger than your primary one. Additionally, if you want to use your computer as a personal workstation, changing the monitor priority can be useful.

Here, you will discover easy methods for changing or how to change Monitor 1 and 2 and vice versa on both Windows and Mac.

How to change monitor 1 and 2 (On Windows)

The monitor priority can be changed using an internal setting in almost every version of Windows. The procedures are very simple to follow and comprehend. We will go over how to switch between Monitors 1 and 2 in Windows 11 in this section.

Move Monitor 2’s authority to Monitor 1

Indeed, working on an external display is far more convenient than using a laptop or desktop. Although you can directly replicate your content, it is preferable to provide the second monitor complete authority.

How to Change Monitor 1 and 2 by Connecting a Secondary Monitor to Your PC

To connect to the monitor, you must first obtain the required wires. Depending on your display device, you might be able to use an HDMI or even a VGA cable.

You can also wirelessly connect your PC to the external display if it supports Miracast. See our other article for more details on this. An HDMI splitter with multiple ports can be used to connect multiple monitors. It’s interesting to note that you can connect your PC to a television to watch movies or play games.

How to change monitor 1 and 2 by Navigating to Display Settings

The next action is to go to your computer’s Display Settings. There are two methods for doing this. Read the following instructions to learn the first technique:

• Look for Settings under Start Menu.
• Tap System after opening the Settings app.
• Select Display next.

Additionally, it is simple to access the Display Settings. You only need to:

• Navigate to Desktop.
• On the screen, simply right-click anywhere.
• Select Display Settings next. You will arrive at the same window as with the first method if you do this.

How to change monitor 1 and 2 by Selecting the Proper Display Mode

There are four different display modes offered by Windows. When your computer is connected to an external display, the Duplicate these Displays option is automatically chosen.

On a small screen, you can see half of this. This indicates that your screen is mirrored on the additional device. It is thus very obvious that you cannot alter the monitor priority while in this mode.

As a result, you should use the following advice to select the appropriate display mode:

• In the selection drop-down, click.
• Select Extend these displays next.

• Once more click the Keep changes button to confirm your display mode.

How to change monitor 1 and 2 by Selecting Monitor 1 before setting Monitor 2 as your primary display 

Expand the Multiple Displays tab at this point.

As you can see, there is no way to change the setting for Make this my main display. This is because the monitor on your computer is already given precedence.

However, it is your responsibility to prioritise Monitor 2. Following are your choices: 

• From the display area, select the second screen.

• Click the Multiple Displays tab to expand it if necessary after that.
• Then select Make this my main display from the menu.

Your second screen’s priority has now been changed on your monitor. As a result, Monitor 2 will show all of your actions.

Navigate to settings once more to undo. Click the first screen after that. There is now a choice to make this your default display. This will restore main status to your computer monitor.

How to change monitor 1 and 2 (On MacOs)

Similar to Windows 11, switching between Monitors 1 and 2 on a Mac follows the same steps. The first step is to establish a wired or wireless connection between your PC and an external display.

• Click the Apple icon in the menubar on your Mac.
• Select System Preferences next. This will take you to the settings for your device.
• Selecting Displays brings up a new dialogue box after that.

• Now, in the window’s lower-left corner, click the Display Settings icon.
• You can see the Main display option is selected by navigating to Use as.

• The Extended display option. Your content will be broadcast on the external monitor as a result.
• Return to Use as and choose Main display to set the settings back to default. Additionally, you can adjust the brightness and resolution from the same window.

How to change monitor 1 and 2 by Allowing content to only be displayed on Monitor 2

If you simply give the second screen priority, your primary monitor will remain open and continue to show the desktop background. Instead, you can disable your primary monitor and only allow the external one to display content:

• Select Project from the icon window on your taskbar. 
• Select the Second Screen Only checkbox. This will make Monitor 1 completely black and display all content on an external monitor.
• You can choose the PC Screen only if you want to undo the changes.

Conclusion

If you have a multi-monitor setup, you can switch the monitor you use as the primary display. For instance, the display with a larger screen or a higher resolution can serve as the main display. You can quickly complete the monitor switch thanks to its simplicity.