Take control
Third-party utilities provide you with extra control over arranging windows across multiple displays
One of the issues with using multiple displays is that managing what’s on your desktop can require more effort. Stick with vanilla macOS and it can become tiresome to arrange windows and drag them between displays. Thankfully, third-party utilities provide you with an extra degree of control in these key areas. Moom ($10, manytricks.com) and BetterTouchTool (from $3,
boastr.net) both enable you to set up commands for manipulating windows. Want to drag a window to make it fill half of the screen? Done. Swipe with five fingers to send a window to your other display? Easy. Want to use keyboard shortcuts instead, to send windows between screens and resize them? No problem. Read the walkthrough below to see how rapidly you can set up such behaviors.
For switching display resolutions, we recommend Resolutionator ($3, bit.ly/
2iNxkHL). Normally you have to go to System Preferences’ Displays pane, move the pointer to the relevant screen and then hunt for a new resolution. Resolutionator simply requires you to click its menu bar icon and select a new resolution from the submenu that corresponds to the screen on which you want to set a new resolution.
There’s also an optional system-wide shortcut for bringing up a switcher window that can be controlled by keyboard – so, as with Moom or BetterTouchTool, you don’t have to remove your hands from the keyboard to make adjustments.
Another type of dual-screen setup is rather different. Duet Display ($19.99, duetdisplay.
com) is actually an iPad app that talks to a free companion app on your Mac. You connect your iPad and Mac using a Lightning cable, whereupon Duet turns the iPad into a display for the Mac. The iPad’s Retina display means the resulting visuals can be pin-sharp (though there’s a touch of lag at higher quality settings). Duet becomes really interesting on macOS 10.12.2 or higher, where it can mimic Apple’s Touch Bar tech, enabling you to try a brand-new control method.
One nuisance in having a ton of screen real estate is finding the pointer, but there’s a solution baked into macOS. In System Preferences’ Accessibility pane, select Display on the left and ensure “Shake mouse pointer to locate” is enabled. If it is, wiggling the pointer temporarily enlarges it.