This guide uses Deskreen on Pop! OS 20.04
Deskreen can share any display as long as it is detected via xrandr, but to be able to have a display show up exlusively on a secondary device, there needs to be an unused display output. Most GPUs and laptops have additional display-out ports (HDMI/DisplayPort/DVI) that can be used. But in my case, I use my TV as a primary display, while casting my laptop's screen to my phone, as my laptop's display doesn't work anymore.
The output will be something like this.
Monitors: 2
0: +*HDMI-A-0 1920/575x1080/323+0+0 HDMI-A-0
1: +eDP 1366/344x768/193+1920+0 eDPAs you can see, I have total 2 display outputs, HDMI-A-0 (HDMI Port) and eDP (laptop's primary display, which is currently unused).
# REPLACE THESE VARIABLES WITH YOUR OWN VALUES:
virtual_output_name=eDP # Unused output that you want to use for Deskreen
desired_resolution_width=1366 # Put the max for your display (eg. 1920)
desired_resolution_height=768 # Put the max for your display (eg. 1080)
relative_position=right-of # Options: right-of, left-of , above, below
relative_to_output_name=HDMI-A-0 # My current display that I used as a referencexrandr --output $virtual_output_name --mode "$desired_resolution_width"x$desired_resolution_height --$relative_position $relative_to_output_name
echo -e "\nEXECUTING: \n"
echo -e xrandr --output "$virtual_output_name"
echo -e --mode "$desired_resolution_width"x"$desired_resolution_height"
echo -e --"$relative_position" "$relative_to_output_name" "\n"; xrandr
# processed command will look like:
# xrandr --output eDP --mode 1366x768 --right-of HDMI-A-0
Here is my output after enabling virtual output for `eDP`
EXECUTING: xrandr --output eDP --mode 1920x1080 --right-of HDMI-A-0
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 3286 x 1080, maximum 16384 x 16384
eDP connected 1366x768+1920+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 344mm x 193mm
1366x768 60.00*+ 47.99
1280x720 60.00
1024x768 60.00
800x600 60.00
640x480 60.00
1920x1080 60.00
HDMI-A-0 connected primary 1920x1080+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 575mm x 323mm
1920x1080 60.00*+ 60.00 50.00 59.94 24.00 23.98
1680x1050 59.88
1280x1024 60.02
1440x900 60.00
1280x960 60.00
1360x768 60.02
1280x800 59.91
1280x720 60.00 50.00 59.94
1024x768 60.00
800x600 60.32 56.25
720x576 50.00
720x480 60.00 59.94
640x480 60.00 59.94
720x400 70.08 Now that all the technical jargon is over, we can finally head to the easy part!
Go ahead and download Deskreen client as a deb or AppImage file (depending on your system), from their official website.
I am using my Android Phone as a secondary device here, but feel free to use any reasonable device with a recent enough browser (Firefox, Chrome, Safari)
After opening Deskreen,
- If you are using a mobile phone, scan the QR code shown there, which will open a link in the browser
- Or, you can simply enter the URL shown below the QR Code in the browser of another device.
- Deskreen will then ask you if you want to allow the device while trying to connect.
- From there, choose between sharing an entire screen, or just a specific window.
- I am going to share the virtual screen that I just created above!
- Confirm the choices, or change something if you need to.
- And, Voila! I have my phone as a secondary display for my laptop, which works wirelessly! :D
But remember, the link changes when the remote device is disconnected, and you will have to allow the device everytime.






