3 Ways to Adjust Resolution for Second Display on Mac
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Method 1: Tweak Display Scaling Level for External Monitor
If you don’t want to deal with third-party apps, you can tweak the display with these simple steps.
Step 1:Click theAppleicon in the top left corner and navigate toSystem Settings>Displays.
Step 2:Here, check the connected display at the top and glance over thedefault resolution options.
Here are the resolution options on our 4K Samsung M7 monitor (when connected to a 14-inch MacBook M1 Pro).
As you may already know, the system text turns smaller as the resolution increases. Even if you choose QHD or a Full-HD, the macOS system is smart enough to scale it to match your monitor resolution. For example, we connected a 4K monitor to our MacBook and selected 2,560 x 1,440 from the macOS system settings. The system scaled it to 4K resolution without skipping a beat.
Note: Using a scaled resolution may affect your Mac performance. While performance drop isn’t visible on high-end Mac models, you may notice longer loading times for older devices.
At the same time, if you want to check all the resolution options, scroll down and clickAdvancedwithin the same menu. Toggle ‘Show resolutions as list’ button and check the available options.
You can tweak the following parameter from the Displays menu besides display resolution:
Method 2: Tweak Display With BetterDisplay
The Display menu in Mac Settings is basic at best. So, if you want more advanced options, you can also use third-party apps like BetterDisplay.
Step 1:Once you’ve downloadedBetterDisplayand given it the relevant Accessibility permissions, openAccessibility Settingsand enable the toggle besideBetterDisplay.
Step 2: At this stage, you’ll be required to enter yourMac passwordfor authentication.
Step 3: You can now check theBetterDisplay menuicon at the top. Click on it. You can use the slider to tweak the second display resolution. You can also change the refresh rate, screen rotation, color profile, enable HDR mode, and more.
BetterDisplay offers a 2-week trial, and after which you must purchase the pro version, which costs $21.
Read Also:Best Ways to Control External Monitor Brightness From Mac
Method 3: Tweak Display With DisplayBuddy
Another capable alternative to BetterDisplay is DisplayBuddy. It one-ups BetterDisplay by offering Siri support, Mac shortcuts, a better UI, and better support for a multi-monitor setup. Additionally, you can sync controls across multiple displays, create presets to save settings on all displays, and more.
Once you set upDisplayBuddy, click theapp iconin the menu bar and tweak the resolution.
At the time of writing this post, DisplayBuddy costs $18 for a one-time purchase.
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Last updated on 26 August, 2024
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