Running two monitors with a Raspberry Pi 4

With the new Raspberry Pi 4 Model B and it's two micro HDMI slots, running a dual monitor setup couldn't be simpler. This tutorial will help you gain that extra real estate you've been longing for with your Raspberry Pi.

For this tutorial you will need either:

• The Official Raspberry Pi Starter Kit
• Two HDMI monitors

• Two HDMI monitors
• One Raspberry Pi 4 Model B
• Two micro HDMI to HDMI cables
• One keyboard and mouse
• One SD card pre-loaded with Raspbian
• One USB C power supply (5.1V/3A)
• One Official Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Case (optional)

Step 1: Add your SD card to the Raspberry Pi

Flip over your Raspberry Pi 4 Model B and insert the SD card into the card slot, with the pins of the card facing the Pi.

Step 2: Connect your left monitor

Take one of the micro HDMI cables, plug it into the back of the left monitor. Then plug this into the left micro HDMI port next to the USB-C connector (labelled HDMI0 on the PCB).

Step 3: Connect your right monitor

With the other micro HDMI cable, plg it into the back of the right monitor. Then plug this into the right micro HDMI port next to the A/V jack (labelled HDMI1 on the PCB).

Step 4: Connect your mouse and keyboard

Connect your mouse and keyboard to the USB ports at the bottom of the Pi.

Step 5: Power your Raspberry Pi!

Power up your Raspberry Pi using the USB-C power supply and wait for it to boot. If you're looking at the boot screen and the menu is on the left and the mouse transfers smoothly from one screen to the other then you're done!

Bonus steps: If your screens are the opposite to what you expected

You can either power off the Raspberry Pi and swap over the micro HDMI cables or you can swap the screen choices in Raspbian. To swap sides in Raspbian, click on the Raspberry Pi logo in the top right, then navigate to "Preferences" "Screen Configuration".

The layout editor will pop up and give you two screens.

Move HDMI-1 by clicking and dragging it below it's current position. Click and drag HDMI-2 to the right.

Then drag HDMI-1 into position on the right and click the tick in the top right underneath the File menu.

The screens will automagically swap and then you can click OK to confirm your happy with your screen order or cancel to revert back to the original arrangement.