How to Set Up Dual Monitors on a Mac

Get more productivity out of your Mac with multiple monitors. Let’s go ahead and see how to Set Up Dual Monitors on Mac.

What to Know

• Use the HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, USB-C, or Thunderbolt connectors on your Mac to connect a display. Your Mac will instantly recognize it.
• You’ll need to purchase a special cable or adapter if your monitor doesn’t have the appropriate input for your Mac.
• Open the Apple menu > Displays > Arrangement, and uncheck the Mirror Displays box to use dual monitors.

In this post, we’ll go through how to set up multiple displays on a Mac, including how to attach a second monitor to a MacBook Air laptop and two monitors to a Mac Mini desktop.

How to Know Your Mac Supports the Monitor You Choose

This is the first step you should check before you Set Up Dual Monitors on Mac. Make sure your Mac can handle the resolution before deciding on a second monitor or a dual monitor arrangement. However, your Mac might not be able to support a second 4K display. The majority of Macs can run and exceed 1080p on multiple displays. Check out Apple’s website’s technical specifications to learn exactly what your Mac is capable of.

How to determine what sort of monitor your Mac can support is given here:

1. Go to Apple’s website, enter your Mac’s model and year in the search bar, and then click Enter.

2. Click Support.

3. Locate and click your Mac’s listing in the search results.

4. Look for the bullet point about dual displays and video mirroring in the Video Support section as you go down.

In this example, you can see how a 2011 MacBook Air 11-inch can send video to an external display at a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels while also displaying its native resolution on the built-in display. This means that while this specific Mac may manage a 1080p display without issue, a 4K panel would not support it.

How to Set Up Dual Monitors On a Mac

You may set up two displays on your Mac once you’ve purchased a monitor for your MacBook or two monitors for a desktop Mac like a Mac Mini. Confirmed that your Mac can support the monitors, and have the required connections and adapters.

How to set up dual monitors on a Mac is as follows:

1. Using the proper connection and any necessary adapters, connect the display to the Mac.

Note: Connect both monitors in this step if you’re setting dual monitors on a desktop Mac.

2. Place your Mac and monitors on your desk where you want to locate them

3. Activate your Mac. The second monitor will automatically be detected and turned on even though the settings might not be to your preference.

Note: Manually turn on the monitor if the Mac doesn’t turn it on for you.

4. Click the Apple menu icon.

5. Click System Preferences.

6. Click Displays.

7. On your main display, click Arrangement.

How to Set Up Dual Monitors On a Mac Con’t

Note: If the mirror displays box is checked, both monitors will show the same image at all times.

8. Make sure the box for mirror displays is unchecked on your primary monitor.

9. You’ll see a diagram showing the setup of your displays on your primary display. Find the icon for the second monitor if they do not in the proper location.

Note: You can move directly to step 12 if you’re satisfied with how the display positioned.

10. Click and drag the secondary monitor into the correct position.

11. The secondary display will float into the chosen position when you let go of the mouse or trackpad.

12. Your monitors are now ready for use, although the new monitor could need some configuration. Make sure the image doesn’t appear distorted, compressed, stretched, or anything else. Click Scaled if it doesn’t appear properly.

13. Click the correct resolution for your display.

Tip: For optimal results, choose your monitor’s native resolution. It must locate at a resolution that is neither higher nor lower than what your Mac can handle.

14. You can close the display settings and begin using your Mac if the second display appears accurate.

Important: One Thunderbolt/USB 4 display can only be used simultaneously by the Mac mini powered by Apple’s M1 chip. Use the Mac mini’s HDMI port if you want to connect a second monitor to the M1 model. The M1 chip-equipped MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are only officially compatible with one external monitor. The MacBook M1 and MacBook Pro models support simultaneous usage of one external monitor and their internal display.

How to Choose a Monitor for a Mac

Finding the ideal monitor can seem like a hard task if you’ve never set up dual displays before. You must take the display’s size, resolution, color accuracy, and other features into account while selecting a monitor. The best experience obtain when you pair an existing monitor from a desktop Mac with another identical unit. If you’re adding a second monitor to your MacBook, you might want to think about getting a larger 4k monitor to maximize your screen space or a portable flat panel display.

Although it’s not as big of a concern, it’s also necessary to think about the kinds of inputs a monitor supports. You only need to buy a USB-C to HDMI adapter or a USB-C hub with an HDMI connector if you locate the perfect display but it only has HDMI inputs and you’re using a MacBook that only has USB-C. Don’t allow inputs that prevent you from choosing a monitor because you can discover adapters to go from HDMI to other outputs like Mini DisplayPort.

Tip: You can use your iPad as a second monitor if your Mac is running Catalina or a later version and you have one.

How to Set Up Edge Panels on Samsung Galaxy Phones >> Follow the Link

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I connect a second monitor to my MacBook Pro?

Connect an HDMI display or HDTV: Plug a cable from your HDMI display or HDTV directly into the HDMI port on your 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro. To connect an HDMI monitor or HDTV to a Thunderbolt / USB 4 port on a 13-inch MacBook Pro, use a USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter.

Why won’t my Mac recognize my second monitor?

Select Scaled under Displays in System Preferences, then click Detect Displays while holding down the Option key. Check the resolution and brightness settings by going to System Preferences > Displays. Check the display cable connections as well, and if necessary, update the adapter software.

Why does my Mac only detect 1 monitor?

If you’re chaining multiple adapters, it’s possible that this is where your problem stems from. Running a USB-C to HDMI adapter and then plugging in an HDMI cable to run to your monitor should work just fine.

Will any monitor work with a MacBook Pro?

You can use an external display such as the Apple Studio Display, a projector, or an HDTV with your MacBook Pro. The HDMI and Thunderbolt ports on your 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro support video output.

Can a Samsung monitor be used with a Macbook?

Any Mac with a suitable video connection can use a Samsung monitor. The proper video cable is the only additional component needed to connect your Samsung monitor to your Mac computer.