Meta’s Portal finds new life as a productivity tool

Image: Meta

Meta is doubling down on turning its smart displays into video calling devices as the corporate world embraces its work-from- home future. The $349 Portal Plus and $199 Portal Go can now do extra work as a second display for your Mac or PC thanks to new support for the Duet Display app.

The Meta Portal Companion app for Mac will allow you to share your computer screen while on a video call, and it will also allow you to adjust the volume on the call.

The 10-inch Portal Go and 15-inch Portal Plus are the newest additions to the company. Meta has decided that it won't be making any more for consumers and will focus on using portals in the business world to support work from home as well, according to a report.

A more modest alternative to adding an extra monitor to your desk is to use Duet Display, a third-party app that turns an iPad into a second screen for a PC or Mac. It will work with Meta's Portal Go and Portal Plus, which will allow you to drag open windows to your portal and use it as a multitasking tool.

Making it easy to share your computer screen during a call is one of the features of the new macOS Meta Portal Companion app.

Image: Meta

The Go and the Plus are still available to purchase, and Meta has said it will continue to support them. The Go, which is the smaller and more portable of the two thanks to a built-in battery, was found to be an excellent dedicated video calling device by me. It's a good second or third screen in your home office if you do a lot of video calls.

Both Portals work with a lot of video calling systems, including Facebook's own Messenger calling. For quick access to meetings and support for adding a keyboard and headset, they sync with Outlook or Gmail.

Duet display is available in the Meta app store for the Portal Plus and Go in the US, the UK, Canada, France, Spain, and Italy. To link the portal with the app, you need to download it to your computer. The app is free for the US and UK.