Look for a dock with two or more display ports, preferably ones that can connect to your preferred displays without the need for an adapter. Learn more about the best Thunderbolt docking stations for more details, or you can connect via a simpler USB-C hub. These can include new display ports, such as HDMI, as well as Gigabit Ethernet for wired Internet access, USB-C/Thunderbolt/USB-A ports at varying speeds, audio plugs, and card readers. It then offers multiple ports that your laptop now has access to. Which dock is best?Ī docking station connects to your MacBook via Thunderbolt or USB-C. For Mac compatibility, it has validated both Apple and Intel platforms running at least macOS 11. However, after some recent testing and improvements Plugable, for example, has updated its compatibility to officially support that configuration. 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. As stated above, some docks, do this for you but it’s always best to use the latest version.ĭisplayLink Manager Graphics Connectivity App v. First, download the latest Mac DisplayLink driver. Plugable docking station and three external displays via DisplayLink.ġ. The app is available as a standalone installer rather than through the mac App Store. The DisplayLink macOS app or DisplayLink Manager app are ways of enabling DisplayLink technology on macOS. Some of the docks we review below offer the DisplayLink software when you first connect the dock to your Mac. But, in general, setup is straightforward. There are different versions of the DisplayLink driver, and some bring their own compromises to the party. Note that DisplayLink requires a third-party driver to be installed on the Mac. This combination serves as a workaround to the M1/M2 platform supporting only a single external display via USB-C. Many multi-display docks use a combination of native USB-C Alternate Mode (native “Alt Mode” video output) and DisplayLink technology. You’ll need to download the appropriate DisplayLink software from the dock manufacturer-full instructions later on. 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. They received rave reviews for their speed improvements over Intel-based laptops, including here on Macworld.Ī whole new category of docks-many reviewed below-has appeared to solve the M1/M2 Mac one-screen problem. External displays: Big problem for M1 and M2 MacsĪpple’s Mac mini, MacBook Air, and 13-inch MacBook Pro were the first Macs to feature the Apple-designed M1 processor (CPU). Installing third-party software drivers leads to a slight risk that these might later be unsupported by future updates of the macOS, but the two drivers we recommend are recognized industry standards that we think will continue to be supported. USB graphics is a software-based technology that compresses the video signals from the computer to the monitor, enabling you to connect multiple external displays to your M1 or M2 MacBook. The simplest solution is to get a USB graphics-enabled docking station or hub-and we’ve reviewed the best ones in this article. In each case, there’s a software download and a docking station, hub, or adapter required. However, there are ways around this plain M1/M2 limitation, allowing you to run two or more external displays off your MacBook, which we will outline here.
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