How to Change Screen Resolution on Mac?

Changing the screen resolution on a Mac isn’t rocket science, but it does take a couple of clicks. Here’s what you gotta do:

First up, hit that Apple logo in the top corner, you know, the one in the upper-left. Then, hit ‘System Settings.’ You’ll find yourself in a window where you can tweak all sorts of things about your Mac.

Okay, now let’s get to the nitty-gritty. Scroll down that left sidebar until you spot ‘Displays.’ If you’re hooked up to more than one screen, pick which one you’re messing with.

Now, you should see a ‘Resolution’ section. By default, your Mac goes with the ‘Default for Display’—it’s playin’ it safe. But if you’re feelin’ adventurous, click ‘Scaled.’ You’ll see some thumbnails showing other options. Hovering over each will tell you the pixel count.

Found one that catches your eye? Great! Click it. Keep in mind, going for a lower resolution will make things look bigger, but a higher one means you can pack more stuff on your screen—everything just looks a bit tinier.

Confirm your pick, and voilá! You might get a prompt to solidify your choice—just hit ‘Change Resolution’ or ‘OK’ to lock it in.

If you’ve got an external display, make sure it’s all plugged in nice and tight, then rinse and repeat what we just did for that screen.

Now, what if things go sideways and you end up staring at a black screen? No sweat. Wait for about 15 seconds; sometimes your Mac takes a breather then hops back to the old settings if it’s too hard to handle the new ones. If nothing changes, tapping the Esc key helps rewind to pre-change settings. And if your Mac’s still on strike, boot it up in Safe Mode—just hold down Shift when it starts and retry those steps.

By keeping it relaxed and going step-by-step, you can nail that resolution change and have your Mac looking just how you like it.

Quick recap? Open System Settings, pick Displays, hit Scaled, make your resolution pick, and confirm it. Easy peasy!

Alright, let’s talk about screen resolution. It’s basically how much stuff fits on your display. If you go for a higher resolution, things get tiny but you have more space. Go lower, and suddenly everything’s bigger and in your face, but you lose the stretch. Macs are pretty good at figuring this out automatically, but sometimes you’ve gotta tweak things manually for reasons like:

• Making stuff easier to read when your eyes just need a break.
• Jiving with that fancy external monitor you just got.
• Bringing in some crisp visuals with HiDPI mode.
• Fixing scaling mess-ups with virtual machines like VMware.

Adjust the Resolution Like a Pro

Way 1: Go Through System Preferences

1. Open System Preferences: Just click the Apple logo at the top-left and hit System Preferences.

   • Or maybe the System Preferences icon in the Dock calls out to you more.

2. Dive into Display Settings: Pick Displays and shuffle to the Display tab.

3. Tweak the Resolution: Under Resolution, go for Scaled to see the options.

   • Choose a resolution that rings your bell, like “”Larger Text”” if you need clarity or “”More Space”” if you’re feeling cramped.
   • If the screen acts up, like flickers or goes dark, just hit ESC and it’s all good.

Way 2: Configuring External Displays

Got your monitor or TV hooked up via HDMI or Thunderbolt?

1. Make sure your display’s alive and kicking, and is seen by your Mac.
2. In System Preferences > Displays, jump to the external display tab.
3. Pick a resolution that matches your monitor’s native specs—check with the manufacturer.

Getting Advanced

HiDPI Mode Activation

Want Retina-like crispness on displays that aren’t Apple-made? Here’s how:

1. Head to System Preferences > Displays.
2. Hold the Option key while clicking on Scaled to sneak-peek hidden resolutions.
3. Hover over those HiDPI options (they come with a ⚡). If you don’t spot any:
   • Give tools like RDM (Resolution Dynamic Menu) a whirl.
   • Make sure your macOS is updated to snag compatibility.

Tweaking via Terminal

For when you’re dealing with virtual machines like VMware and you can’t find the right resolution:

1. Open Terminal.
2. Type this sucker in:

   sudo /Library/Application\ Support/VMware\ Tools/vmware-resolutionSet [width] [height]

   Exchange [width] and [height] with the numbers you’re aiming for (like 1920 1080).

Troubleshooting

1. Resolution Doesn’t Stick

• The Culprit: Your display might not handle more than it can physically manage.
• How to Fix: Stick with “”Recommended”” resolutions under the Scaled options.

2. Text and Graphics Looking Blurry

• The Culprit: You’re stuck on non-HiDPI scaling on high pixel density displays.
• How to Fix: Switch to HiDPI mode or go with a native resolution.

3. External Display Isn’t Playing Ball

• The Culprit: Could be a bum cable or pesky drivers.
• How to Fix: Reconnect the display, update your system, or reset NVRAM (just hold Option-Command-P-R on startup).

Good Practices to Keep in Mind

• Just use the default resolutions unless you absolutely need to switch.
• Keep VMware tools fresh for easier resolution changes.
• If it’s an external display, go native with the resolution or risk ugly scaling.

Switching up your Mac’s screen resolution is a breeze, so let’s dive right in!

First up, if you’re a fan of the usual way most folks change settings, go with System Preferences. Here’s the deal:

• Hit that Apple menu at the top left corner.
• Tap “System Preferences.”
• Click on “Displays.”
• Under the “Display” tab, go for “Scaled.”
• Find the resolution that tickles your fancy and the screen should adjust right away.
• Once you’re happy, just close System Preferences.

Feeling adventurous and want to play around in Terminal? Here’s how:

• Crack open “Terminal” via “Applications” > “Utilities.”
• Type this in: sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.windowserver DisplayResolutionEnabled -bool true
• Hit “Return” and throw in your admin password when prompted.
• Give your Mac a restart for good measure.
• Now, you can go back to the System Preferences method to switch up resolutions the usual way.

And if you’re into handy third-party tools, SwitchResX might be your new best friend:

• Grab yourself SwitchResX from its official site and install it.
• Launch it from “Applications.”
• Pick your display from the line-up.
• Get your preferred resolution in the “Current Resolutions” section.
• Tap “Apply” and let the magic happen.

In the end, whether you’re keeping it classic with System Preferences, digging deeper with Terminal commands, or opting for a nifty tool like SwitchResX, you’ve got choices galore to match your tech skills and style. Just be sure you’re comfortable with the option you choose!