Any M4 or M5 MacBook drives two external monitors with the lid open. Give each screen its own cable, skip cheap dual-HDMI hubs, and put the second one in portrait only if it's for chat and email.
Any MacBook with an M4 or M5 chip runs two external monitors with the lid open. Plug each monitor into its own port with its own cable, set the main screen in System Settings, and turn the second one vertical only if it will hold Slack and email.
That’s my setup: a 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 driving a Gawfolk GF270J set horizontally and a Gawfolk GF005 in portrait, about 15 hours a day. Most of what goes wrong with two monitors on a Mac comes down to buying the wrong Mac or the wrong hub.
How I put this together
Both monitors in this guide sit on my desk and have full reviews. For the rest, I used Apple’s tech specs pages and two recent Brandon Butch videos: his March 2026 comparison of the M5 and M5 Pro MacBook Pro, which walks through external display limits chip by chip, and his June 2026 look at the M5 MacBook Air against the M5 MacBook Pro after four months. Prices are US prices in October 2026.
Step 1: check how many monitors your Mac supports
This is the part that catches people. Apple sets the limit by chip, and an ordinary hub can’t raise it.
| Mac | External monitors | Fine print |
|---|---|---|
| MacBook Air M1, M2 | 1 | A DisplayLink dock is the only way to add a second |
| MacBook Air M3 | 2 | Only with the lid closed |
| MacBook Pro 14 M3 | 1 | M3 Pro and M3 Max models support more |
| MacBook Air M4, M5 | 2 | Lid open, built-in screen still on |
| MacBook Pro 14 M4, M5 | 2 | Lid open. Up to 6K at 60Hz or 4K at 144Hz each |
| MacBook Pro M5 Pro | 3 | Three at 6K 60Hz or 4K 144Hz |
On the base M5, Butch points out the trade: two monitors at up to 6K and 60Hz or 4K and 144Hz, or one monitor at up to 8K 60Hz, 5K 120Hz or 4K 240Hz. The M5 Pro adds a third screen and lets two monitors run faster at the same time. For two normal 4K monitors, the base M5 is enough. The $500 jump from the $1,699 M5 to the $2,199 M5 Pro buys you the third screen.
One note from my desk. Apple lists two monitors at up to 4K and 144Hz each, and my GF270J still shows 160Hz in System Settings next to the 60Hz GF005. Read Apple’s numbers as what it guarantees. They aren’t always the ceiling.
Step 2: give each monitor its own cable
The simplest setup that always works is one cable per monitor, straight from the Mac.
- MacBook Pro: three Thunderbolt ports plus HDMI. Run one monitor from HDMI and one from a Thunderbolt port, or use two USB-C to DisplayPort cables. I run both Gawfolks over DisplayPort, because that’s the input that delivers the GF270J’s full refresh rate.
- MacBook Air: two Thunderbolt ports, both on the left side, and no HDMI. Butch calls the Pro’s extra ports, including HDMI and a port on the right side, the biggest reason he picks it over the Air in some situations. With two monitors plugged in, an Air has nothing left for its charger unless you use a monitor or dock that charges the laptop.
What to avoid: cheap USB-C hubs with two HDMI ports. Most of them split one video signal using a standard called MST, and macOS doesn’t support MST. Plug two monitors into one and you’ll see the same image on both screens. If a hub promises dual monitors on a Mac, check that it says Thunderbolt or DisplayLink.
Step 3: if you want one cable, pick the right dock
I travel for work often. If the laptop leaves your desk several times a week, one cable for both monitors, power and accessories saves you the plug-in routine every time you sit down. There are two kinds of dock, and they work differently.
Thunderbolt docks pass the Mac’s own video signal through. They run within Apple’s limits from the table above, with no extra software, and protected video like Netflix plays normally. On an M5 that means two monitors through one cable.
DisplayLink docks compress the picture and send it over USB using a driver. That’s how they go past Apple’s limit. The Anker Prime DL7400, $299.99 list and often around $230 to $260, runs up to three monitors and charges a MacBook at up to 140W. The catch: macOS treats the DisplayLink driver as screen recording, so protected video from Netflix and similar services shows a black screen while a DisplayLink monitor is connected. Fast motion and games can also look worse than on a direct cable.
My take: if your Mac already supports the number of monitors you want, buy a Thunderbolt dock or use two cables. Pay for DisplayLink only to get past the limit, for example two monitors on an older M1 or M2 Air.
Step 4: arrange the screens in macOS
Open System Settings > Displays with both monitors connected.
- Pick the main display. Click Arrange, then drag the white menu bar strip onto the monitor in front of you. New windows and the Dock follow it.
- Match the layout to your desk. Drag the screen thumbnails until they sit the way the monitors do. If your mouse jumps or gets stuck at an edge, the layout is wrong.
- Set scaling. On a 27-inch 4K screen, choose the option that looks like 2560 x 1440. It’s the sweet spot for text, and it’s what I use on the GF270J every day.
- Set refresh rate. Choose 120Hz or higher if the monitor supports it. A monitor stuck at 60Hz next to a 120Hz MacBook screen makes scrolling feel uneven. I keep the GF270J at 120Hz most of the day.
- Rotate the second screen if it’s vertical. Select it, open Rotation and choose 90° or 270°, depending on which way the monitor turned.
Should the second monitor go vertical?
I turned my second screen vertical on purpose. In portrait, the GF005 runs at 2560 x 3840 and fits a full email thread or a long Slack conversation without scrolling. For reading, chat and documents, a tall screen beats a second wide one.
Three things to know before you rotate one:
- The stand has to rotate. Many budget monitors only tilt. A monitor arm with a VESA mount solves it and frees up desk space.
- Video and spreadsheets get worse. A vertical screen is a narrow window for a wide sheet or a YouTube video. If the second monitor is for those, keep it horizontal.
- Buy a monitor that connects reliably. My GF005 often isn’t recognized until I replug the DisplayPort cable and switch inputs, with two different cables. It’s the reason I gave it a 4. In hindsight I’d have bought a second GF270J and rotated that.
My recommendation
On an M4 or M5 MacBook, run two monitors with one cable each and skip the hub. A $300 27-inch 4K like the GF270J as your main screen covers most work. Add a second one in portrait if your day is chat, email and documents, or horizontal if it’s spreadsheets and video. Buy a Thunderbolt dock when you want one cable, and a DisplayLink dock only when your Mac can’t drive the screens you want. For the main monitor itself, my MacBook Pro monitor guide compares picks at $300, $700 and $1,599.
FAQ
Can a MacBook Air run two external monitors?
Yes, with an M4 or M5 chip, with the lid open. The M3 Air needs the lid closed. The M1 and M2 Air support one external monitor, so a second one needs a DisplayLink dock.
Why do both of my monitors show the same image?
Your hub is likely splitting one signal over MST, which macOS doesn’t support. Plug each monitor into its own port on the Mac, or use a Thunderbolt or DisplayLink dock.
Do I need a docking station for two monitors?
No. A MacBook Pro has enough ports to connect two monitors directly. A dock is for convenience: one cable for screens, power and accessories when the laptop comes and goes.
Does DisplayLink work with Netflix on a Mac?
Not while a DisplayLink monitor is connected. macOS treats the driver as screen recording and blocks protected video. Direct cables and Thunderbolt docks don’t have this problem.
Is a vertical monitor worth it?
For chat, email and long documents, yes. I keep Slack and email on mine all day. For spreadsheets, video or anything wide, keep the second monitor horizontal.