It is very easy to connect your Chromebook to an external computer monitor or TV. All Chromebooks will have either an HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, or VGA port. Each Chromebook is different, but most likely your Chromebook will have an HDMI port. Review the following article on the best cheap Chromebook external monitors.

External Monitors and Chromebooks

After you connect an external computer monitor to a Chromebook, you can do several different things. One thing you can do is extend your desktop to display across multiple screen. In addition, you can also mirror your display to show the same image on your Chromebook and a separate monitor. You can also wirelessly mirror your Chromebook’s entire screen–or just one browser tab–to an external display. That external display just needs a Chromecast or another device that supports Google Cast.

How to Connect Your Chromebook to an External Display

When setting up an external display, television, or monitor, first power on the external display. Then power on the Chromebook. If the Chromebook does not automatically detect the adapter or cable, press the display Display key on a chromebook key. To connect your Chromebook to a separate monitor or TV, plug the monitor into the appropriate port on your Chromebook:

Connecting External Display to Chromebook

1. Find the display output and input ports on your Chromebook. These will likely be on the right or left side.  If you’re not sure which ports to use, refer to the instructions included with your Chromebook.
2. Use these two ports to find the correct adapter (ex. DisplayPort to HDMI). Most Chromebooks have HDMI ports. You may need an HDMI adapter if your Chromebook is trying to connect to a display that has a different connection than HDMI. Some Chromebooks may have smaller micro- or mini-HDMI ports.

External Chromebook displays can be managed by:

1. Click on the status area on the bottom right of the taskbar.

2. Click on Settings.

3. In the Settings window, under Device, click on Display settings.

4. This will open the Manage Displays window.

From here, you should be able to see the external display(s). To enable mirroring of the Chromebook to the external display, press the display  key and Ctrl. This will toggle mirroring on and off. You can also control mirroring and screen orientation through drop down menus in the Manage Displays window.

Adjusting Chromebook External Display Settings

Once you plug your monitor into your Chromebook, it will start displaying an extension of your desktop immediately. Most people will want to adjust the Chromebook external monitor once they hook it up. This is very easy to do from the Chromebook’s setting window.

To adjust your external display on a Chromebook:

1. Click the status area, where your account picture appears.
2. Click Settings.
3. In the “Device” section, click Display settings.
4. To adjust your Chromebook screen, select Internal Display. To adjust your monitor screen, select the name of the monitor.
   • Make items on your screen smaller or larger: In the “Display size” section, choose an option.
   • Rotate the screen: In the “Orientation” section, choose an option.
5. [Optional] Under your monitor tab, you can also:
   • Change screen sharpness: In the “Resolution” section, choose an option

What Chromebook Settings can you Change?

• Mirror the display by pressing Ctrl and (or F4). Chances are you’ll want the second display to be the “primary” display in this situation, but if you’re just using it as an extended desktop, without a keyboard and mouse, you may want to keep the Chromebook as the primary display.
• Rotate the image by using the dropdown menus to rotate the image on your separate monitor.
• Center your screen:
  1. In the “TV alignment” section, click Adjust.
  2. Move the viewing area by using the arrow and shift keys until your screen is aligned.
• Show the display across multiple screens: Check the box to Enable Unified Desktop mode. If you need to quickly switch between mirroring and extending your desktop, you can hold ctrl and press the full-screen button (f4 on a traditional keyboard) to toggle between the two.

If you’re using a Chromebox, you can find these adjustment options by typing chrome://settings/display in the address bar

Connecting a Wireless Display  to a Chromebook

It is also possible to cast your Chromebook display via Google Chromecast. You can view your favorite videos, photos, websites, and more on your TV using Chromecast. This is one of the easiest ways to extend your Chromebook display on another device.

Set up Chromecast on Chromebook

1. Turn on your TV.
2. Plug in your Chromecast.
3. Using the Input or Source button on your TV remote, change the input on your TV until you see the Chromecast home screen.
4. If you haven’t yet, sign in to your Chromebook.
5. Install the Google Cast extension.
6. In the window that appears, choose your Chromecast. The name you choose should match the name on your TV screen.
7. Click Set up.
8. Follow the instructions that appear.