Step‑by‑Step Guide to Adjusting Screen Resolution on Your Mac

Published Jun 12, 2023, 10:30 AM EDT

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High-resolution displays can show more detail as they have more pixels than standard displays. This can be helpful, especially for video editing, graphic design, and gaming. However, it can also be more demanding on your Mac's hardware and may not always be suitable for your setup.

You often need to tweak your screen resolution settings to get the best picture and video performance on your Mac. Fortunately, you can easily change the screen resolution settings on your Mac by following the instructions outlined in this article.

How to Change the Screen Resolution for Your Mac's Built-In Display

You can make the motion on your Mac's screen feel smoother by adjusting your Mac's refresh rate. However, if you want to improve the overall appearance of your Mac's screen, you can change the resolution of the built-in display by following the instructions below:

Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen and choose System Settings from the dropdown.
In the left pane of the window, navigate to Display.
Now on the window's right pane, you will see a list of resolution options for your screen as thumbnails. Select the one that suits your needs by clicking on it; the thumbnails to the left of Default make the text bigger, whereas the one on the right does the opposite. You can also hover the cursor over the thumbnails to see the precise resolution in pixels.
When you select a new resolution, you'll be prompted for confirmation. Click Change Resolution to confirm your changes.

How to Change the Screen Resolution for an External Display

Apple provides an easy way to adjust the screen size on your Mac. You can do this by going to System Settings and changing the resolution for both your built-in screen and any external screens you have.

Click the Apple logo in the menu bar and head to System Settings.
In the left pane, select Displays. Select your external display on the pane's right side by clicking on it.
You'll see multiple options displaying screen resolutions, from Larger Text to More Space. Click anywhere in this area while holding the Option key.
A list of display resolutions will appear below the Use as section. Choose one by clicking on it.
If you want even more resolutions, scroll down and enable the toggle next to Show all resolutions. You will now have a more extensive list of resolutions to choose from.

To go deeper, we've looked at apps that offer more options to control your Mac's external display.

How to Make a Custom Screen Resolution on Mac Using EasyRes

Picking the perfect resolution for your Mac's display can be tricky. Apple only provides a few default options, and they don't include all the different resolutions or aspect ratios your screen can support.

So, if you want more options, you can use a third-party app like EasyRes, which gives you a wide range of resolutions, including ones for external displays. Check the steps outlined below to learn how to change the screen resolution of your Mac using the app:

Go to the App Store and download the EasyRes app. Once installed, launch it.
A window will appear asking for access to the Screen Recording feature. This is only necessary if you want to preview resolution changes, so you can click OK without enabling it.
If you want to grant screen recording access, click Open System Settings in the Screen Recording pop-up. Otherwise, you can choose to Deny this permission.
To change your Mac's display resolution, click the EasyRes icon in the menu bar. You'll see a list of available resolutions and refresh rates. Choose your preferred resolution.

Congratulations! You have successfully changed your Mac's screen resolution.

While you can set the display resolution to the maximum value supported by your Mac, it may make text appear tiny. So, if you're struggling to read text on your Mac's screen, we suggest settling for a lower resolution instead.

Transform Your Mac's Viewing Experience

Adjusting the screen resolution can help when you need to increase the size of text or connect an external display to your Mac. Hopefully, now you have a better understanding of the steps involved in changing your Mac's screen resolution.

Besides changing the resolution, macOS offers even more options to customize how your Mac's screen works, especially when it's idle.