Where to find display settings on a Mac

Why it happens

On Windows, screen options are split between Settings and the Control Panel, and graphics cards often add their own app. A Mac keeps them all in one place: the Displays section of System Settings. Graphics are handled for you, so there's no separate graphics control panel to look for.

How to fix it

1. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen and choose System Settings. It's the Mac version of the Windows Settings app.

2. Click Displays in the sidebar. You'll see a picture of each connected screen at the top.

   Displays

3. Using more than one screen? Click the name of the one you want to change at the top. The options below then apply to that screen only.

4. For scaling, use the Resolution options. Instead of percentages like 125%, a Mac shows choices from Larger Text to More Space.

   Displays›Resolution

5. Brightness, Automatically adjust brightness and True Tone sit just below on a MacBook or iMac screen. Night Shift… is a button near the bottom of the window.

   Displays›Brightness

6. To set where your screens sit on the desk, so the pointer crosses the right edge, click Arrange… and drag the screens into place.

   Displays›Arrange…

Still not fixed?

1. Can't spot an option? Type its name, such as refresh rate or Night Shift, in the search field at the top of the System Settings sidebar.

2. Some options only appear for some screens. Automatic brightness and True Tone need a screen with a light sensor, and Refresh rate only shows when the screen supports more than one rate.

   Displays›Refresh rate

3. If a second monitor isn't listed, check the cable and the monitor's input. Then in Displays hold the Option key: the Night Shift… button turns into Detect Displays. Click it.

   Displays›Detect Displays

4. Restart your Mac if a screen still doesn't show up or the Displays section looks empty.

5. If a connected screen stays black or missing with a known-good cable after a restart, it may be a hardware fault. Contact Apple Support or a repair shop, and say which monitor and cable you use.