Monarch

Detach, restore, and switch monitor layouts without touching cables.

Built for fast display switching, standby behavior, and safe rollback if something goes wrong

Download Latest Release · Quick Start · Recovery

What Is Monarch?

Monarch lets you:

• Detach a monitor in software (no cable unplugging)
• Reattach it later
• Save display layouts as profiles
• Restore the previous layout quickly
• Recover automatically with a confirmation timeout if a layout change goes wrong
• Easy apply with hotkeys

It uses Windows display topology APIs (DisplayConfig) to change which outputs are active.

Download & Install (End Users)

1. Open the Releases page
2. Download the latest .msi installer
3. Run the installer
4. Launch Monarch from Start Menu or Desktop

Quick Start

1. Open Monarch
2. In the Monitors section, click Detach on the display you want to turn off
3. Confirm the layout change (or it auto-rolls back)
4. Click Attach later to bring the display back
5. Use Save Current Layout in Profiles to store common setups

Safety Features

• Confirmation timer after layout changes
• Automatic rollback if you do not confirm in time
• Restore Last Layout action
• Prevents disabling the last active display

If Something Goes Wrong

Try these in order:

1. Use Monarch tray menu: Restore Displays
2. Reopen Monarch and use Restore Last Layout
3. Use Windows shortcut Win + P and choose Extend or PC screen only
4. Reboot Windows (usually restores a usable display state)

Notes (Important)

• Windows only
• Monarch changes display topology, not monitor power directly
• Most monitors enter standby when Windows stops sending signal
• If you change HDR/SDR mode in Windows, Monarch auto-reapplies calibration in the background (best effort)

Troubleshooting

The app opens but I can't see the window

• Check the system tray for the Monarch icon
• Double-click the tray icon or use Open App

A layout change made the screen unusable

• Wait for the confirmation timer to expire (auto rollback)
• Or use Win + P

My display arrangement in the UI looks outdated

• Refocus the app window (Monarch auto-refreshes)
• Wait a few seconds for the background refresh poll to update the layout

Color calibration looks wrong after detaching a display

• Known issue on some systems with custom calibration (ICC / SDR / HDR calibration profiles)
• In testing, this can be triggered when:
  • a display is detached in Monarch, and then
  • Windows Settings > System > Display is opened
• The detach itself may look fine until Windows Display Settings is opened
• Workaround: reattach the detached display (this often restores the remaining display calibration)
• If needed, also reapply your calibration using your normal calibration tool / workflow

FAQ

Does Monarch physically power off the monitor?

No. It detaches the display output in Windows. Many monitors then enter standby automatically.

Is it safe to test?

Yes, but test on a non-critical setup first. Monarch includes rollback protection, and Win + P / reboot are reliable fallbacks.

Can I use it with NVIDIA / AMD / Intel?

Yes. Monarch is designed to work through Windows display APIs, not vendor-specific GPU control panels.

Is color calibration perfectly preserved in every Windows display-settings scenario?

Not yet. Monarch handles many calibration cases (including common HDR/SDR transitions), but Windows Display Settings can still cause calibration resets on some systems after topology changes. See Troubleshooting for the current known issue and workaround.

For Developers

Build / Dev / CI details

Project Layout

• src/ Rust core library (layouts, profiles, rollback safety, persistence)
• src-tauri/ Tauri desktop app + Windows backend
• web/ React UI
• .github/workflows/ Windows release workflow

Build Locally (Windows)

Requirements:

• Node.js 20+
• yarn
• Rust (stable)
• Visual Studio Build Tools 2022 + Windows SDK (rc.exe)

Commands:

yarn install
rustup target add x86_64-pc-windows-msvc
yarn tauri dev

Build MSI:

yarn tauri build --bundles msi

Output:

• src-tauri/target/release/bundle/msi/

CI / Release

• Workflow: .github/workflows/ci-build-release.yml
• Manual release workflow runs via workflow_dispatch and takes a version input
• Release pipeline updates these files together before building:
  • Cargo.toml
  • src-tauri/Cargo.toml
  • package.json
  • src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
• Release pipeline commits the version bump, creates tag vX.Y.Z, builds the Windows installer, and publishes the GitHub Release

Release process:

1. Make sure your release commit is on main.
2. Open Actions -> Release Build and Publish -> Run workflow.
3. Enter a version (example: 0.2.0) or bump kind (patch, minor, major).
4. Run the workflow.
5. The workflow will bump all version files, commit the change, create the tag, build Windows artifacts, and publish the GitHub Release.