Over time, the display has become wider, providing greater space and higher resolution for video and games. The horizontal setting screen may be natural for you – it shows up on the box anyway – but it may not be the most effective option when you work.

Switching to a vertical display setup is easy and makes use of every inch of the screen more efficiently. When you use programs like Microsoft Word or Google Docs, or view traditional scrolling down web pages, a larger screen can only do so much for you. It will reach a point, having more space just means more space between the columns, or a larger gray area between the document you are working on and the scrollbar to the right.

The vertical display will show a more compact version of the browser, but it allows you to fully accommodate two windows on the screen more comfortably than one. This means that if you use the monitor as the second monitor for your laptop, you can instantly control three apps or tabs at the same time.

How to set up a vertical monitor

Setting up a vertical display requires two sets of steps - one involves hardware and the other involves software.

Let's start with the first one. If you use a monitor with a stand, it should be easy to physically change the screen orientation to a vertical position. The exact process depends on the manufacturer, but for example, some Dell displays can easily rotate to portrait mode, or there are some locks on the back that can be pressed to rotate the screen. The desktop stand is also easy, even the basic stand allows you to change the display direction at will.

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After the sorting is complete, you must handle the software settings. First, make sure your monitor is properly connected and set to work with your computer. If you don't know how to do it, PopSci will provide all the instructions you need. Whatever your computer is brand, the monitor you connect to will be in landscape or horizontal position by default—you need to change it.

Set up a vertical monitor using Windows

On your Mac, go to the Apple menu, select System settings, and select Monitor in the sidebar. Unlike Windows, there is no manual way to force the Mac to detect a second screen. This happens automatically, so if you don't see your monitor in the Monitor menu, it means it's not connected. Once you see your monitor, select it and find Rotate at the bottom of the window. Click the drop-down menu on the right to change the default standard to 90° or 270°, depending on whether you flip the monitor clockwise or counterclockwise .

When not to select vertical display settings

If you work in a very separate way and use a separate window for different jobs or accounts, the vertical display will be comfortable and help you keep your hands on everything.

However, if you prefer to keep a long list of unlimited tabs on your browser, or need to focus on one thing at a time, the vertical display settings may be too irritating for you. Still, if this is your case, it's better to lock your home screen (whether it's another monitor or the laptop's built-in monitor) to landscape view. This way, whenever you need to focus, you can turn off the vertical display and focus all your attention on the task at hand. Once done, you can easily return to a comfortable bird's-eye view.

This story has been updated. It was originally published on September 14, 2021.

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