My tablet was gathering dust until a productivity app gave it another lease on life
Android Police 2026-07-16 12:30:15
Context: The author, Tom Bedford, a technology journalist based in London, UK, was using his Xiaomi Pad 8 tablet sporadically until he discovered a way to repurpose it as a second screen for his laptop. This new use case has given the tablet a "second lease on life" with daily use over the past few weeks. The solution was made possible by the Spacedesk app, which allows a secondary device to be used as an additional display.
Key Facts
- The author, Tom Bedford, is a freelance technology contributor who has written for various brands, including Android Police, Digital Trends, and TechRadar, and is based in London, UK.
- The Spacedesk app, available for download on Windows laptops and via the Play Store for Android devices, enables users to utilize secondary devices as additional displays, and offers a free non-commercial private license.
- The author connected his Xiaomi Pad 8 tablet to his laptop wirelessly over his home Wi-Fi using the Spacedesk app, and was able to use the tablet as a second screen within a minute of installation.
- Using the tablet as a secondary screen resulted in some quirks, including rapid power drain, which required the author to pair the tablet to his laptop with a USB-C cable to keep it powered, and occasional lag between the laptop and tablet.
- The author found that using the tablet as a dedicated display for important feeds, such as Slack or email, was an effective way to utilize the secondary screen, despite some minor issues with cursor movement and accidental touches.