microsoft / microsoft/PowerToys
Power Display: Display Profiles for Windows Display Configuration Switching
- Dominant language
- C
- Stars
- 139k
- Forks
- 8.6k
- PR merge metrics
- PR metrics pending
Description
### Description of the new feature / enhancement
Add support for saving and switching between Windows display configuration profiles directly from Power Display.
A display profile would store the current Windows display topology and allow restoring it with a single click.
Examples:
Work Profile
Internal laptop display disabled
Two external monitors enabled
Specific monitor arrangement and primary display
Gaming Profile
Only main monitor enabled
Secondary monitors disabled
Desk Profile
Laptop display + docked monitor enabled
TV Profile
TV enabled as primary display
Other displays disabled
Why is this feature useful?
Windows already supports changing display configurations, but switching between common setups requires navigating through Settings or using keyboard shortcuts such as Win+P, which are limited and do not preserve complex multi-monitor layouts.
Power Display already provides monitor management functionality, making it a natural place to manage complete display configurations.
Proposed functionality
Save current Windows display configuration as a named profile
Restore a saved profile with one click
Optionally assign hotkeys to profiles
Support enabling/disabling specific displays
Preserve monitor positions and arrangement
Preserve primary display selection
Preserve orientation and resolution settings where possible
Optional quick-access flyout for profile switching
Additional context
This would complement monitor-level controls provided by Power Display. While brightness, contrast, and power-state controls affect individual monitors, display profiles would manage the Windows display topology itself, enabling fast switching between common monitor setups without opening Windows Settings.
### Scenario when this would be used?
Many users frequently switch between:
Docked and undocked configurations
Gaming and productivity setups
Single-monitor and multi-monitor layouts
Monitor-specific arrangements for different workspaces
### Supporting information
This would complement monitor-level controls provided by Power Display. While brightness, contrast, and power-state controls affect individual monitors, display profiles would manage the Windows display topology itself, enabling fast switching between common monitor setups without opening Windows Settings.
Contributor guide
Research direction
Start by reviewing Power Display's existing monitor-management entry points and how Windows display topology is currently controlled. Define the profile data and switching scope before implementation, including enabled displays, arrangement, primary display, orientation, and resolution. Done means named profiles can save and restore complete configurations, with any supported hotkey or flyout behavior specified and tested.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- c
- Domain
- desktop, operating-systems
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 5/5
- Estimated time
- Over a week
- Activity status
- Quiet
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100