Mount a tablet or smart display on a metal stud wall

Find your stud type, choose the right fixing, then mount and cable-tidy your tablet or smart display safely.

TSD-01Gather your tools and materialsGet everything together before you start so you are not hunting for kit halfway through. You will need a cable and stud detector, a cordless drill with a small pilot bit and a driver bit, a spirit level, a pencil, and a dust sheet for the floor below. Lay the bracket or mount out with its fixings so you can check you have the right screws before drilling.

1 each · Cable and stud detector

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1 each · Cordless drill

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1 each · Spirit level (small)

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1 each · Dust sheet

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TSD-02Choose and mark the mounting positionHold the bracket or mount against the wall at a comfortable viewing height, roughly eye level when seated or standing where you will use it. Use the spirit level to keep it square and mark the screw hole positions lightly with a pencil. Check there's a socket nearby for charging, since most tablet and smart display mounts need a power cable close by.

TSD-03Work out if you have a timber or metal studRun your detector along the wall to find the stud line, then check with a magnet — a magnet clinging to a line of screw heads under the plasterboard usually means a metal stud frame. Metal studs are common in flats, new builds, and anything refitted since the 1990s. Tap along the wall too: both timber and metal studs sound more solid than the hollow gap between them.

TSD-04Run your safety checks before you drillCables and pipes can run almost anywhere in a wall, not just in the 'safe zones', so use your detector but still treat the area as if something is there. Find your stopcock now, usually under the kitchen sink, and check it turns freely so you can shut the water off fast if you hit a pipe. If you have any doubt at all, isolate the relevant circuit at the consumer unit before drilling.

TSD-05Drill a test pilot holeDrill a small pilot hole, around 3mm, at one of your marked points. Fine pale dust means timber; fine grey metal swarf means you've hit a steel stud. This confirms what you're dealing with before you commit to a fixing, and it's a quick check even if the magnet already told you.

1 each · 3mm HSS drill bit

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TSD-06Fit the right fixing for your stud typeFor a metal stud, drill a 6mm pilot hole and fit a self-drilling hollow-wall anchor or spring toggle rated for at least 5kg — never a plain plastic wall plug or an ordinary wood screw, which will strip straight through 0.5mm steel. For a timber stud, skip the anchor and drive a 4mm x 40mm wood screw straight into the centre of the stud. A tablet or smart display mount is light, so a single good metal-stud anchor per fixing point is enough; you don't need a noggin unless the bracket has a long arm that pulls away from the wall.

4 each · Self-drilling metal-stud anchors, M4

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4 each · Wood screws, 4mm x 40mm

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TSD-07Fix the bracket or mounting plateScrew the bracket or plate into your fitted anchors or screws, checking with the spirit level as you tighten. Don't overtighten a metal-stud anchor — stop as soon as it's snug, since forcing it can strip the fixing. Give the plate a firm tug once fitted to check it holds before hanging anything from it.

TSD-08Attach the tablet or smart display and route the cableClip or seat the device into its holder following the mount's own instructions. Run the charging cable down to the nearest socket, tucking it along a skirting or using self-adhesive cable clips so it doesn't hang loose. Leave a small amount of slack at the device end so it isn't pulled tight when you adjust the angle.

5 each · Self-adhesive cable clips

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TSD-09Test and tidy upPower the device on, check the angle and viewing height are right, and adjust while the wall is still easy to reach. Vacuum up any dust or swarf from drilling, especially metal filings, which can mark carpet or scratch skin. Fold away the dust sheet and put your tools back.

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