What works well
- Web dashboards and status pages.
- Google Slides decks published to the web, which can auto-advance on their own.
- Weather, calendars, news pages and internal announcements.
- Anything else with a web address.
When a signage service is the better fit
FreeTabSwitcher shows web pages in rotation on screens attached to one PC. It doesn't schedule content by time of day, and it doesn't manage screens remotely across sites. If you run dozens of screens in different buildings, or need video playlists and scheduling, a hosted signage service will suit you better.
Set up a spare PC as a screen
- Connect the PC to the screen and install Chrome.
- Make Chrome start when Windows signs in: press Win+R, type
shell:startup, and put a Chrome shortcut in that folder. - Turn off sleep and screen-off in Windows' power settings.
- Install FreeTabSwitcher, open your pages as tabs, set the interval and click ▶ Start.
- Turn on Auto-start when browser opens, and press F11 for fullscreen.
Make it unattended with Pro
A Pro playlist keeps the screen's pages in a fixed list, gives each its own display time, opens on the monitor you choose in fullscreen, and relaunches by itself whenever Chrome starts. That's the difference between a screen that survives a power cut and one that someone has to fix.
Pro arrives with version 2.1 as a one-time $19.99 upgrade. Everything else on this page is free. See what Pro adds.
Questions
Does it play videos?
It shows web pages, so a page with a video plays it while it's on screen. Chrome autoplays muted video; video with sound usually needs a click.
Can I schedule content by time of day?
Not yet. Every page in a rotation shows all day.
Can I manage the screen remotely?
Not from FreeTabSwitcher. Many people use remote desktop software to change what a screen shows.