FlightCockpitGuide · MSFS 2020 · Android
Use your Android tablet as a second screen for MSFS 2020
The outside view deserves your whole monitor. The instruments you glance at every few seconds — speed, altitude, autopilot, engines — can sit on a tablet beside your keyboard instead. This guide shows what fits on a tablet, what you need, and how a tablet compares with a second monitor, pop-out windows and Air Manager.
What fits on a tablet screen
A 10 or 11 inch tablet holds a handful of instruments side by side. You pick the widgets, arrange and resize them, and keep the layout for the next flight. Data an aircraft does not report is marked as unavailable, never filled in.
Flight and navigation
Airspeed, altitude and vertical speed, heading, position, wind and QNH, clock.
Autopilot and radios
Selected heading, altitude and speed, the reported autopilot modes, COM, NAV and transponder.
Engines and fuel
Engine displays that follow the engine type — piston, turboprop or turbine — plus oil, fuel quantity, endurance and fuel flow.
Aircraft systems
Gear and flaps, electrical, hydraulics, cabin, lights and de-ice — as far as your aircraft reports them.
Original displays (beta, FlyByWire A32NX)
The aircraft's own PFD, ND, ECAM and E/WD on the tablet. Read-only, and for now only for the FlyByWire A32NX.
What you need
- A Windows 10 or 11 PC running Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.
- An Android tablet or phone on the same local network as the PC.
- The FlightCockpit desktop bridge on the PC — it reads the simulator through SimConnect — and the FlightCockpit app on the tablet.
- A free account. You pair the tablet once by scanning a QR code shown on the PC.
FlightCockpit is in beta: testers are invited from the beta application, and the setup guide walks through each step.
Tablet, second monitor, pop-out windows or Air Manager?
There is no single right answer — it depends on your desk, your aircraft and how far you want to take your setup.
A second monitor
Fits when: Large and sharp — ideal for the outside view, a map or popped-out instruments.
Keep in mind: Needs desk space and another screen, and it is not a touch device beside your hand.
Pop-out windows on a tablet
Fits when: MSFS can undock glass-cockpit displays into separate windows; a screen-extension app can move them to a tablet that acts as an extra Windows display.
Keep in mind: The tablet then mirrors a desktop window: image quality and delay depend on your network, touch becomes a mouse, and the windows have to be placed again when you start a flight.
Air Manager
Fits when: A mature instrument platform with a large library of community instruments, several simulators and room for a full home cockpit.
Keep in mind: A broader toolkit with its own setup — more than you need if you only want a few clear instruments on a tablet.
FlightCockpit
Fits when: Native Android widgets drawn from simulator data, arranged on your own dashboard; core widgets are free.
Keep in mind: MSFS 2020 on Windows with an Android tablet or phone for now; in beta, so the set of widgets is still growing.
Air Manager and other names mentioned belong to their respective owners.
What it costs
All core widgets belong to the Free plan. Aircraft packs — sets of widgets built for one aircraft type, starting with the A320 family — are part of the upcoming Pilot plan, which is not purchasable yet; beta testers get them free during the beta. Pricing →
Common questions
Does it work with MSFS 2024?
Not yet. MSFS 2024 support is on the public roadmap; today the desktop bridge reads MSFS 2020.
Can I use an iPad?
Not yet. FlightCockpit runs on Android tablets and phones; an iOS app is on the roadmap.
Does my flight data go through the internet?
No. The desktop bridge sends simulator data straight from your PC to your tablet on your local network. Your account and pairing need an internet connection.
Can I control the aircraft from the tablet?
The core widgets are read-only. With the A320 family pack, in beta, you can work the FlyByWire A32NX's FCU, EFIS, overhead, pedestal and radio panels from the tablet; packs are part of the Pilot plan, free for beta testers during the beta.
Try it on your own tablet
Apply for the beta with a free account and tell us which simulator, aircraft and device you use.
Microsoft Flight Simulator® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. FlightCockpit is an independent third-party product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Microsoft Corporation. Airbus and A320 are trademarks of Airbus. FlightCockpit is not affiliated with Airbus.