Windows 365 lets you share more than one monitor at once during a remote session
When you connect to Windows 365, you can show multiple monitors to the people you are working with — not just the main one. This works whether you have two physical monitors plugged into your computer, or whether you are using virtual displays. The feature is built into Windows 365 and the Remote Desktop app, so you do not need extra software.
Multi-screen sharing is useful when you are presenting spreadsheets side by side, comparing code across windows, or walking someone through a complex task that spans your whole setup. The person watching sees all your screens at once, or can switch between them depending on what the Remote Desktop client supports.
Key Takeaways
- You enable multi-screen sharing in the Remote Desktop Connection settings before you connect, not after.
- The setting is called "Use all monitors for the remote session" and appears in the Display tab of Remote Desktop Connection.
- Both your computer and the Windows 365 instance must support multiple monitors — older or basic configurations may not.
- The person watching your screen sees all monitors, but the bandwidth and performance depend on your internet speed and the total resolution.
How to turn on multi-screen sharing in Remote Desktop Connection
Open Remote Desktop Connection on your Windows computer. You can find it by typing "Remote Desktop Connection" into the Windows search box, or by pressing Windows key + R and typing mstsc. The Remote Desktop window will open.
Click the Show Options button at the bottom left of the window to expand the full settings panel. Then click the Display tab. Look for the checkbox that says Use all monitors for the remote session and check it. This tells Windows 365 to include all your connected monitors when you connect.
After you check that box, enter your Windows 365 credentials and connect as you normally would. When the session starts, all your monitors will be part of the remote session, and anyone you share your screen with will see them all.
What happens when you share multiple screens
When multi-screen sharing is on, the person watching your session sees all your monitors displayed together. In the Remote Desktop app on their end, they can usually see the full layout — for example, if you have two 1920×1080 monitors side by side, they see a 3840×1080 view. Some Remote Desktop clients let them pan and zoom, while others show a scaled-down version of everything at once.
Your internet connection carries more data when you are sharing multiple screens, because the Remote Desktop protocol is sending video of a larger area. If your connection is slow, you may notice lag or lower image quality. Wired ethernet is more stable than Wi-Fi for multi-screen sessions, especially if other people in your home are using the network.
The Windows 365 instance itself must have enough resources to handle multiple monitors. If your Windows 365 plan is the smallest tier, it may not support more than one monitor, or performance may suffer. Check your plan details or test with a short session to see how it performs.
Checking whether your setup supports multiple monitors
Not every Windows 365 configuration supports multiple monitors. The smallest and most basic plans are designed for single-monitor work. To find out what your plan supports, open the Windows 365 web portal, go to your account settings, and look at your plan details. The description will mention whether multiple monitors are included.
On your local computer, check how many monitors you have connected. Open Settings, go to System, then Display. You will see a list of all connected monitors. If you have only one, you cannot use multi-screen sharing — but you can still use a single monitor with Windows 365.
If you have multiple monitors connected but the "Use all monitors for the remote session" checkbox is grayed out or does not appear, your Windows 365 plan may not support it. Contact your IT department or Windows 365 administrator to confirm what your plan includes.
Bandwidth and performance considerations
Sharing two or three monitors uses roughly two to three times the bandwidth of sharing one monitor, depending on resolution and refresh rate. If you have a 10 Mbps internet connection, a single 1920×1080 monitor is manageable, but two monitors at that resolution may feel sluggish. A 25 Mbps or faster connection is more comfortable for multi-screen work.
The Remote Desktop protocol compresses the video it sends, so the actual bandwidth used is lower than the raw pixel data would suggest. However, areas with a lot of motion or change — like video playback or scrolling through a large spreadsheet — use more bandwidth than static content.
If performance is poor, you have a few options: reduce the resolution of one or both monitors, lower the refresh rate in the Remote Desktop settings, or switch back to single-monitor mode. You can also try connecting via a wired ethernet connection instead of Wi-Fi, which often improves stability even if the speed is the same.
Switching between monitors during a session
Once you are connected to Windows 365 with multiple monitors enabled, you can move windows between your monitors just as you would in a normal Windows session. The person watching your screen will see the windows move across all the monitors you are sharing.
If the person watching is using the Remote Desktop app on their phone or tablet, they may see only one monitor at a time and have to swipe or tap to switch between them. Desktop and laptop Remote Desktop clients usually show all monitors at once, but the view may be zoomed out so everything fits on their screen.
Troubleshooting multi-screen sharing problems
If you checked the "Use all monitors" box but only one monitor appears in your Windows 365 session, the most common cause is that your plan does not support multiple monitors. The second most common cause is that one of your monitors was not fully recognized by Windows. Unplug and reconnect the monitor, wait a few seconds, and try connecting to Windows 365 again.
If the session is very slow or freezes when you enable multiple monitors, your internet connection may not have enough bandwidth. Try disabling multi-screen mode and connecting with just one monitor to see if performance improves. If it does, you know bandwidth is the issue.
If the Remote Desktop window shows a black screen or garbled display on one of your monitors, try lowering the color depth or resolution in the Display tab of Remote Desktop Connection. You can also try updating your graphics drivers on your local computer, as outdated drivers sometimes cause display problems with remote sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use multi-screen sharing if I have one physical monitor and a virtual second display?
Yes. Windows treats virtual displays the same way it treats physical monitors. If you have created a virtual display using software like DisplayLink or NVIDIA's virtual display driver, Windows 365 will include it in the multi-screen session if you have the setting enabled.
What if the person watching my screen has a smaller monitor than I do?
The Remote Desktop app on their computer will scale your monitors to fit their screen. They will see a smaller version of everything, but they can usually zoom in or adjust the view. Some Remote Desktop clients let them pan across your monitors; others show everything at once in a zoomed-out view.
Does multi-screen sharing work with the Remote Desktop app on Mac or Linux?
The Microsoft Remote Desktop app for Mac supports multiple monitors. The Linux Remote Desktop client (Remmina) also supports multiple monitors, though the experience varies depending on your Linux distribution and desktop environment. Test it with a short session to see how it works on your setup.
Will enabling multi-screen sharing increase my Windows 365 costs?
No. Multi-screen sharing is included in your Windows 365 plan if your plan supports it. There are no extra charges for using multiple monitors, though your internet bill may increase slightly if you are on a metered connection, because you will use more data.
Can I share just one of my two monitors instead of both?
The "Use all monitors" setting shares all connected monitors. If you want to share only one monitor, uncheck that box and connect with the standard single-monitor mode. You cannot selectively share one monitor and hide another in the current version of Remote Desktop Connection.