Move a Second Mac Display Above, Below, Left, or Right with Display Layout

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Display Layout is a native Mac utility that places a second extended display above, below, left, or right of the main display and centers it automatically.

When a portable screen moves from one side of a laptop to another, the pointer should cross the edge that matches the physical setup. macOS Display Settings can arrange screens manually; Display Layout offers a focused alternative for repeating four simple two-screen arrangements.

Exactly two extended displays

The supported setup is one main display and one secondary display in extended mode. Mirroring and configurations with more than two displays are rejected.

The app changes only the secondary display’s position. It does not change resolution, refresh rate, scaling, or which display is primary. Those choices remain in macOS Display Settings.

If you often move a portable display from one side of your Mac to the other, the four positions save a repeated drag in Display Settings.

Build and install

The repository provides source rather than a packaged Release. Requirements are macOS 14 or later and Xcode Command Line Tools.

Download the project, review bundle.sh, and run:

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chmod +x bundle.sh
./bundle.sh

The script installs ~/Applications/DisplayLayout.app. Connect exactly two screens, choose extended mode in macOS, then open the app from Applications, Finder, or Spotlight.

Apply a position and check the pointer

Choose the secondary display’s desired location: above, below, left, or right. Apply the arrangement and move the pointer across the adjoining edges to confirm it matches your desk.

For example, place a portable screen to the right of your MacBook and choose Right. When you move it to the other side of the desk, choose Left. If the pointer still exits from the wrong edge, check which display macOS currently treats as the main one.

The app centers the secondary screen along the relevant axis. If you deliberately want a top-aligned, bottom-aligned, or offset arrangement, macOS’s manual controls may be a better fit.

Different resolutions and scaling can make the perceived edge alignment less obvious. Check the pointer transition rather than assuming that two physical panels of similar size have identical logical dimensions.

Automatic centering refers to the display areas on the macOS desktop, not perfect alignment of the physical bezels. For an exact offset, drag the displays manually in System Settings → Displays.

Language and repeated use

Settings support English and Simplified Chinese and an option to quit after applying a layout. That makes the app suitable for a short “move screen, apply position, continue working” routine.

The repository also includes a Shortcut file, but opening the native app is sufficient for the basic workflow. Check the Shortcut before incorporating it into a larger automation.

If you change the main display, reconnect different equipment, or add a third screen, revisit macOS Display Settings and the app’s applicability before reusing a previous routine.

Identify the main display before choosing a direction

Every direction is relative to the display macOS currently treats as main. That is not necessarily the built-in panel or the larger screen. If your external monitor is main, the MacBook panel can be the secondary display that moves. Choosing Right would then put the laptop panel to the right of the external monitor.

On the first setup, confirm the main display in System Settings before opening the utility. Put a window on each screen and move the pointer between them to check the relationship. Once you understand which display is moving, everyday changes become much simpler as long as the main-display choice stays the same.

Above and Below follow the same rule. If a portable display sits above the main screen, place the secondary above and test the main screen’s top edge. Do not infer the main display from where an application window happened to open; window placement and the main-display setting are separate.

Why only part of an edge lets the pointer through

Imagine a main desktop area of 2560×1440 and a secondary area of 1920×1080. When arranged side by side and centered, the shorter display meets only the middle part of the taller display’s edge. Pushing the pointer outward near a top corner can hit a boundary. Move it toward the middle to cross.

These are logical desktop dimensions, which may differ from the pixel counts printed on the panels. Scaling can give similarly sized screens different logical areas. The utility arranges those areas, making it useful when the relative direction is clear and automatic centering is sufficient.

For top alignment, return to the manual arrangement in System Settings. For text that looks too small or an unclear picture, adjust scaling or resolution instead. Separating position, size, and sharpness prevents repeatedly applying a layout to solve a different display problem.

Make arrangement part of your desk routine

A repeatable sequence is: connect the display, confirm extended mode, choose its position, test the pointer, and continue working. Quit-after-apply suits a utility you only need briefly when moving a screen. Leave the window open while learning the controls, then enable automatic exit when the behavior feels familiar.

If the app reports the wrong display count, inspect the displays participating in the desktop. Another connected screen or an active virtual display is worth checking. The utility deliberately requires exactly two displays; rejecting a configuration does not imply that a monitor is broken.

After reconnecting, waking, or changing the main display, inspect the system’s current arrangement before applying a position again. This utility does not save a complete profile of resolutions, refresh rates, and multi-location settings. Its focused job is the relative position of the two displays currently in use.

A small tool for one recurring adjustment

Display Layout changes the display position locally and makes no network request. After changing the main display or connection, check the arrangement in macOS Display Settings before using it again.

For another small Finder adjustment, see Finder Folder Sizes. Build instructions and the two-display restrictions are documented in the project README.

Screen Arrangement on Jingyuan