Using more than one monitor with your laptop computer can massively put out your workspace and make work and act as much more pleasant . But for most modernMacBook Airlaptops , hooking up more than one outside showing can be a tricky business organisation , and there areplenty of problemsyou can come across .

as luck would have it , there are several way to get the multiple - monitor setup you want . If you have anM3 MacBook Air , the whole appendage is quite uncomplicated . affair get a little more complicated with M1 and M2 mannequin – you ’ll postulate a moorage station and a software workaround – but it ’s still quite doable .

What are docking stations , you ask ? They ’re hubs you connect to your calculator that offer a net ton of excess embrasure and connectivity . check that you look for one with multiple exhibit connectors ( like USB - C , HDMI or DisplayPort ) and see to it you have the good cables to connect it to your Mac and your monitors . You ’ll also want to check what solving and refresh rates it supports , and how fast its transfer speeds are ( Thunderbolt 4offers 40Gbps , for object lesson , but USB4 might only hit 20Gbps ) .

You also need to be cognizant that if you habituate a software package workaround , macOS updatescould break their functionality and you ’ll require to train for app updates to get things working again .

With that out of the way , it ’s fourth dimension to start link some displays to your MacBook Air . permit ’s see how it ’s done .

Connecting displays to the M3 MacBook Air

In March 2024,Apple announcedthat the M3 MacBook Air would be able to connect to two external display – instead of the common one – as long as you close its monitor . That prepare it a lot simpler to hook up multiple displays than on the M1 or M2 models , and you do n’t need any software workarounds to get thing influence .

Closing the laptop computer ’s lid is an crucial part of the rule . If you open up its lid while two displays are connected , one will disconnect . You also require to connect an outside black eye or trackpad and keyboard , as you wo n’t be able to access those of your MacBook Air while its lid is closed in . Finally , note that your MacBook Air must be execute macOS Sonoma 14.3 or later for this method to influence .

stride 1 : First , connect your keyboard andexternal mouseor trackpad and ensure they ’re working properly . If they link up over Bluetooth , open up the System configurations app and selectBluetoothin the sidebar . Press your black eye or keyboard ’s twin button ( if involve ) and it should appear in your Mac ’s leaning of Bluetooth equipment . SelectConnectand waitress for it to pair .

Step 2 : It ’s a dear idea to link your MacBook to power . If your external monitor provide power to your laptop ( you could check this with the display ’s documentation ) , you should n’t take to pluck up your MacBook to a mogul adapter .

footfall 3 : Connect your first presentation to your MacBook . This will sour up to 6 K firmness of purpose and a 60Hz refresh charge per unit ( or 4 K at 144Hz ) .

Step 4 : Now , close your MacBook Air ’s palpebra .

Step 5 : you may now connect the 2d display . This will play up to 5 K resolution and a 60Hz refresh pace ( or 4 K at 100Hz ) . You should now have both displays function with your MacBook Air .

How to use connect two displays to a M1 or M2 MacBook Air using InstantView

formally , neither the M1 nor the M2 MacBook Air support multiple presentation , and the caller ’s documentation says they are limited to one display running at up to 6 K resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate . Apple also cautionsthat “ docks do n’t increase the number of exhibit you could connect . ”

That ’s the official posture , at least . But on the side , you may get multiple monitors working with M1 and M2 MacBook Air laptop . This requires a duo of workarounds , but it can be done .

First , you ’ll need a third - political party tying up place . These equipment make superfluous ports usable to your Mac , and that can admit display connecter . Be certain to train your sorrel manufacturer ’s website to see if their products support running external display with the MacBook Air – many do , but some do n’t .

Secondly , you ’ll need a software package solvent that can compress your Mac ’s video output and send it to an external monitor . Here , we ’ll show you how it ’s done with an app called InstantView .

Step 1 : Download and install theInstantView appfrom developer SiliconMotion’sdownload page . Some docking stations might also come bundled with this computer software . During the induction process , you ’ll be asked to give it permission to show your presentation . Do n’t vex , the app is n’t actually recording or saving anything . It just need to capture what is establish on your display , compress it , and institutionalise it to the external video display .

gradation 3 : punch your tying up station into your Mac , then connect your outside monitor to the station .

Step 4 : Your Mac ’s on - screen content should now be point across all of your connected monitors .

Step 5 : start the InstantView app to view its user interface . You should see eitherMirrored DisplayorExtended Display– select this to switch the manner to mirror or extend your MacBook Air ’s screen contents onto your international displays . you may also access these controls from your Mac ’s fare bar .

If InstantView does n’t act upon on your Mac or you want to use a different app , you could try DisplayLink instead . This is a very exchangeable app that works just as well – like InstantView , it press your video feed to enable you to connect multiple external monitor .

gradation 1 : InstallDisplayLink Managerfrom thedeveloper ’s site . Some docking station might also arrive bundle with this software . As with InstantView , you ’ll need to allow screen door transcription . reach the System configurations app and go toPrivacy & Security > Screen & Audio System Recording . turn on the toggle next toDisplayLink Manager .

pace 2 : Once DisplayLink Manager has been install , get to the app . Its menu bar image mechanically opens .

Step 3 : Tick the checkbox next toLaunch automatically after login .

whole step 4 : Now connect any external show you require to use to your docking post . You might need to selectAllowin a organization prompt at this pointedness .

Step 5 : Your monitors should now connect properly .

If you have an M3 MacBook Air , connecting two outside showing is reasonably straightforward . If you have an M1 or M2 model , the above workarounds should get past the limitation on go multiple reminder .

However , it ’s crucial to note that some depicted object with copyright protections ( such as that show onNetflix or Disney+ ) might not work with display tie using InstantView or DisplayLink . Because these apps apply screen transcription , the right of first publication guard used by the cyclosis services mean that content is being pirated , which prevents it from expose properly on your monitor . If the copyright protection detects InstantView or DisplayLink , it prevents playback onallmonitors , not just the one tie in using this package .

To restore cognitive content playback , try disconnecting any monitors that are using InstantView or DisplayLink . or else , try watching the subject matter using aweb browserlike Firefox . This character of content block whole caboodle over Safari and Chrome , but might not on other web browser . In Safari and Chrome , incapacitate ironware acceleration could avail . In Chrome , go toSettings > Systemand handicap the graphics acceleration pick .

instead , unplug the tying up station and try ascertain the content on your MacBook Air ’s build - in display or on a monitor tie straight off to your laptop computer .

Once your displays are link up , you’re able to arrange them in macOS . This insure that your computer mouse move correctly across your displays . For instance , if you have one reminder place above the other , you need to ensure that moving the mouse upward from the bottom covert makes it appear on the top admonisher . To arrange your displays , reach the System options app and go to theDisplayssection . Select theArrangebutton and hale your monitor into their correct locating . If you ’re not sure which monitor is which in the System options app , go to theDisplayssection , deem the Option headstone and choose theIdentifybutton ( this release saysNight Shiftwhen you get go of the Option key ) .

Note that if you have two displays connected to an M3 MacBook Air and you open its lid , the 2d display will go blank or disconnect . If you disconnect the first display and then open your MacBook Air ’s chapeau , the 2d proctor will become your primary display in macOS .