Dual screen macbook how to#
Dual screen macbook install#
Dual screen macbook drivers#
Dual screen macbook driver#

It then offers multiple ports that your laptop now has access to. The initial setup is easier than DisplayLink with the hubs from Hyper but similar to the Satechi hub-but it suffers the same challenge that Apple’s software updates can disable it, which will entail installing a newer version and allowing the necessary security & privacy settings for screen recording, just as with DisplayLink.Ī docking station connects to your MacBook via Thunderbolt or USB-C.

Dual screen macbook install#

Workaround #2: Install InstantView softwareĪnother third-party software solution is SiliconMotion’s InstantView, which operates in a similar way to DisplayLink and works with three of the hardware hubs and adapters we review below. That data is then sent over the cable as data packets and converted back to video information and output to the monitors via the DisplayLink chip in the docking station.

Dual screen macbook driver#

DisplayLink uses an installed driver and the system CPU and GPU to convert graphics data on the system into data packets. The second and third displays will rely on the DisplayLink software.

This requires no user driver installation. The HDMI or DisplayPort output uses Alternate Mode (Alt Mode), and as it is basically a pipeline directly to the system’s native GPU, it will behave just like if you hooked up a USB-C to HDMI dongle to your laptop. This entails making some adjustments in the Mac’s “Privacy” tab, but you are walked through it step by step. The most scary bit is when you need to enable “Screen Recording” to allow the DisplayLink Manager app to capture pixels and send them to your USB peripheral. Older versions did not support laptops’ closed-display/Clamshell mode, but 1.8.1 does support Clamshell mode if the MacBook is Intel-based running macOS 12 or if the MacBook is M1-based running macOS 11 or later. You may need to quit and restart DisplayLink Manager afterward. This can be found in System Preferences under Privacy in Security & Privacy navigate to Screen Recording in the list on the left, then tick the Screen Recording permission for DisplayLink Manager after unlocking the padlock using your admin password. The macOS requires the user to permit “Screen Recording” in order for DisplayLink devices to work properly. It can be managed via the DisplayLink icon in the Apple Menu bar. 1.8.1 is compatible with macOS Big Sur 11, Monterey 12 and Ventura 13. You’ll need to download the appropriate DisplayLink software from the dock manufacturer-full instructions later on.ĭisplayLink Manager Graphics Connectivity App v.

Dual screen macbook drivers#

DisplayLink USB-C docks or just USB-C docks require software drivers to enable data compression that make them almost as powerful as a Thunderbolt dock. This should work with most third-party docks, although some manufacturers, such as Caldigit, don’t recommend it.Ī whole new category of docks-many reviewed below-has appeared to solve the M1/M2 Mac one-screen problem. You can use a combination of display technologies to get around the M1/M2 MacBooks’ single-monitor limitation. Workaround #1: Install DisplayLink software drivers

Dual screen macbook how to#

We also cover the basics of how to connect your Mac to an external monitor. We have this guide to monitors for M1 Macs and what you need to know before buying. But the M1 models of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro lack an HDMI port and only support a single external display over Thunderbolt.Īpple has apparently promised to fix the problem in a future macOS update, but the arrival of the later M1 Pro and M1 Max-and more recently the M2-suggest that M1 owners could be waiting a long time.

While the M1 and M2 MacBooks natively support just one monitor, the M1 and M2 Mac Mini does natively support up to two external monitors-one via the HDMI port and a second via USB-C.