Multiple Displays on a Mac Sucks

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Mac users vent a long list of frustrations with multi‑monitor setups, from macOS constantly forgetting window positions and display layouts to odd Dock and menu bar behavior, flaky wake‑from‑sleep, and strict hardware limits on the number and type of external displays. Many say they’ve had to rely on third‑party tiling or window‑management tools, or switch to a single ultrawide monitor, while others report few issues and argue that multi‑display ergonomics are inherently tricky on any OS. Comparisons with Windows and Linux highlight that all platforms have pain points, but some feel Apple’s focus on its own displays and design choices has left professional multi‑monitor workflows under‑served.

Overall sentiment

  • Many agree macOS multi-display support feels fragile and inconsistent, especially around window placement and changing setups.
  • A sizable minority report few or no issues, suggesting behavior is highly hardware- and workflow-dependent.
  • Some feel multi-monitor is inherently complex on any OS; others say macOS is notably worse than their experience on Windows or Linux.

Window & workspace behavior

  • Common complaints: windows reshuffle or pile onto the laptop screen after sleep, docking/undocking, or OS/app updates; spaces/desktops and window positions are not reliably remembered.
  • Some report specific apps (e.g., browsers, IDEs) consistently reopening on the wrong display or space.
  • A few users script layouts with AppleScript, Hammerspoon, or other tools, or rely heavily on virtual desktops instead of multiple physical displays.

Dock, menu bar, and full-screen UX

  • Side dock: only appears on the outermost display; can unpredictably “move” between screens via a hidden cursor gesture, confusing many.
  • Menu bar behavior with multiple displays and the notch, transparency, and “separate Spaces per display” is widely criticized as inconsistent and hard to reason about.
  • Full-screen mode is seen as awkward: it creates separate Spaces, can blank other monitors, and interacts poorly with multi-monitor workflows.

Hardware & connectivity issues

  • Complaints about Apple Silicon limits on external display count; some find it absurd that higher tiers are required for 2–3 monitors.
  • Reports of monitors randomly disconnecting, dropping to 30 Hz, failing to wake, or swapping identities; sometimes linked to cables, docks, MST/DisplayPort daisy-chaining, or non-unique monitor serials.
  • HDMI audio and external high-refresh-rate or non-Retina displays occasionally behave unreliably.

Comparisons with other OSes

  • Some say Windows and Linux (often with tiling WMs like i3/sway) handle multi-monitor better and more predictably.
  • Others argue Windows has its own long history of layout bugs, and that modern macOS on Apple Silicon is “good enough” or better than alternatives for their use.

Workarounds & tools

  • Many suggest third-party tools: window tilers/managers (Rectangle, Moom, Magnet, Amethyst, yabai, Phoenix), layout restorers (DisplayMaid, Stay), display utilities (BetterDisplay, Lunar, displayplacer).
  • These significantly improve ergonomics but highlight that users feel they must patch core OS behavior.

Display configuration preferences

  • Strong split: some prefer one large or ultrawide display (easier ergonomics, fewer OS issues); others value multiple monitors, especially with one in portrait for docs/chat.