Connect two external monitors to the MacBook so that each one shows a different image is one of those improvements that change your daily life if you work from home or the office. macOS allows you to mount this configuration completely natively, without using third-party drivers or installing anything additional. Of course, you have to take into account your device's chip and touch a couple of settings so that everything doesn't end up in mirror mode.
The trick is in two things: how many external displays the chip in your MacBook natively supports, and how you organize the virtual desktops once the cables are connected. Let's see how to do it from start to finish, with the wireless alternatives that macOS comes standard with and the most common failures that you may encounter along the way.
What chip does your MacBook need to display two native screens?
Not all MacBooks with Apple Silicon support two external wired monitors at the same time. The base models, that is, the MacBook Air and the 14-inch MacBook Pro with chip M1, M2 or M3 Standard, they only recognize an external display natively through their Thunderbolt ports, even if they have several ports available.
If you want two monitors connected by cable and without resorting to tricks, you need a MacBook Pro with a chip M1 Pro, M2 Pro, M3 Pro, M4 Pro or higher: those do support two or more external screens without any problem. And if your Mac is a somewhat older Intel model, or a Pro with a chip from the Pro or Max range, connecting two wired monitors works natively without restrictions.
To find out what chip your device has, open the Apple menu, enter About this Mac and look at the processor section. If M1, M2, or M3 appears without any suffix, your device falls into the group that only supports an external display natively; If you see Pro, Max or Ultra, you can connect two or more without any additional settings. Also check that your displays have inputs compatible with the outputs on your Mac (HDMI, DisplayPort or USB-C), because depending on the type of input you will need one cable or another.
How to connect monitors by cable or with a Thunderbolt dock
The most direct way to connect an external monitor is a cable that runs from the port on your MacBook to the input on the display. If your Mac only has USB-C or Thunderbolt ports, you'll have to use a cable USB-C to HDMI either USB-C to DisplayPortdepending on what your monitor supports.
Make sure the cable and adapter support the resolution and refresh rate of your monitor (4K at 60Hzfor example), because otherwise the image will look choppy or have annoying jumps. If you prefer to have a clear table, a Thunderbolt or USB-C dock is a good option: it connects to a single port on your Mac and from there it distributes the signal to the two monitors, in addition to charging the laptop and adding ports for the rest of the peripherals.
If you use a passive USB-C to HDMI adapter with a 4K monitor, check that it supports HDMI 2.0 or a higher version, because older passive adapters limit the image to 30 Hz and you will notice the cursor and windows slower than normal. As soon as you turn on the displays and connect the cables, macOS should detect them instantly. If you see the desktop in both, the physical part is already ready and it's time to move on to the system settings.
Activate extended mode in System Settings
By default, macOS usually sets external monitors to mirror mode, so the two screens show exactly the same thing. For each one to have its own workspace, you have to change this option manually:
- Open the Apple menu in the upper left corner and enter System Settings.
- In the sidebar, tap Screens.
- Select each external monitor in the list, find the option Use as and choose Extended screen.
- Click on Organize and drag the blue rectangles until they match the actual arrangement of the monitors on your table.
This last step is key so that the cursor goes from one screen to another without strange jumps. You can also drag the top white bar to the screen you want to use as the main one, the one where the Dock and new windows will live by default every time you open an application.
To check that the configuration has been done correctly, open a window on each screen and drag it from one to the other: the cursor and the window should move fluidly, without disappearing or jumping suddenly. If you notice that the pointer gets lost when moving from one monitor to another, try again. Organize and readjust the position of the rectangles until it matches the actual physical layout of your screens.
Sidecar and AirPlay: a second screen without additional cables
If your MacBook only supports a wired monitor, or you simply prefer to avoid more cables on the table, macOS has two native alternatives that solve the problem without installing anything extra.
The first is Sidecarwhich turns a compatible iPad into a second monitor for all purposes. To use it, log in with the same Apple ID On your Mac and iPad, turn on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on both devices, and make sure Handoff is enabled. From System Settings, in Displays, you can add the iPad as an extended display, either via USB-C cable or wirelessly.
The second option is AirPlay: if you have a Smart TV compatible with AirPlay 2you can send the Mac signal without any cables involved. Tap the Display icon in the menu bar, select the TV, and choose to use it as a standalone display instead of mirroring.
Neither way requires additional software, and both are operated from the same menus you would use for a wired monitor, so you won't have to learn anything new if you already know how to organize extended displays.
Solve the most common errors: duplicate screens or incorrect resolution
If after connecting the monitors the image appears blurry or the scaling options are not what you expected, hold down the Option key and click the Scaling button within System Settingson each screen. A full list of available native resolutions and refresh rates will open – choose the one that matches your monitor specifications.
Another common failure is that the system does not detect one of the monitors. If this happens to you, disconnect and reconnect the cable, or restart your Mac with the screens already plugged in. You can also hold down the Option key to bring up the Detect Screens button in System Settings, in the Screens section.
If after all this a monitor still does not give a signal, check the cable or adapter first of all: some cables USB-C Basics only transmit video to 1080pand certain low-end docks do not support dual video output if they do not have integrated display stream compression. Trying the same cable in another port or changing it to a certified one usually solves the problem in most cases.
Frequently asked questions about connecting two monitors to a MacBook Wired, not exclusively: base models with Apple Silicon only support a native external display. To have two, you can combine a wired monitor with Sidecar on an iPad or with AirPlay to a compatible TV.
Because macOS activates mirror mode by default. You have to go to System Settings, enter Screens, select the external monitor and change the Use as option to Extended screen.
A compatible iPad, the same Apple ID account on both devices, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on, and Handoff enabled. From there the iPad is added as an extended screen via cable or wirelessly.
Unplug and reconnect the cable, restart your Mac with the displays plugged in, or press and hold the Option key in System Settings to bring up the Detect Displays button. If it persists, try another cable or adapter.
A MacBook Air with a standard M1, M2, or M3 chip only recognizes an external display natively through its Thunderbolt ports, even if the computer has multiple ports available. To connect two monitors by cable without resorting to tricks, you need a chip from the Pro range or higher.
A MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro, M2 Pro, M3 Pro, M4 Pro or higher chip is required, as these models support two or more external displays without any problem. Older Intel Macs and models with a Max or Ultra chip also work without restrictions.
You have to enter System Settings, click on Screens, select each external monitor and choose the Extended Screen option under Use as. Then you should use Arrange to place the blue rectangles according to the actual arrangement of the screens on the table.
Yes, through Sidecar, which turns a compatible iPad into a second monitor for all purposes. To activate it, you must log in with the same Apple ID on the Mac and iPad, have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi activated, and Handoff enabled.
With AirPlay 2, available on compatible Smart TVs, simply press the Display icon in the menu bar, select the TV and choose the option to use it as a standalone display instead of mirroring the image. No additional software or cables required.
Hold down the Option key and click the Scaling button within System Settings, on each screen, to access the full list of native resolutions and refresh rates. There you choose the option that matches the actual specifications of the monitor.
The first thing is to disconnect and reconnect the cable, or restart the Mac with the screens already plugged in. If the problem persists, it is worth checking the cable or adapter, since some basic models only transmit 1080p video or do not support dual video output.
Can I connect two monitors to a MacBook Air with M1 or M2 chip natively?
Why are my two monitors displaying exactly the same image?
What do I need to use an iPad as a second monitor with Sidecar?
What do I do if a monitor does not give a signal after connecting it?
How many external monitors does a MacBook Air support natively?
What chip do I need to connect two external wired monitors to a MacBook Pro?
How do you activate extended mode instead of mirror mode?
Can an iPad be used as a second screen without cables?
How do you send the image from the Mac to a Smart TV without cables?
What do I do if the image is blurry on an external monitor?
Why is one of the connected monitors not detected?
