Help · Multiple displays

How to save display arrangements on a Mac

Laptop under the monitor at home, off to the left at the office. macOS can arrange screens, but it can't save a setup and switch back to it later. Here are your options.

1. Rearrange by hand each time

System Settings › Displays › Arrange… lets you drag screens into place. It's free and built in, but you repeat it every time your setup changes.

2. displayplacer (free, command line)

displayplacer is a free, open-source Terminal tool. It prints a command that recreates your current layout, which you can save and run later. It's powerful if you're comfortable in Terminal, and you can wire it into Shortcuts or a script.

3. Lineup (menu bar app)

Lineup does the same job without Terminal. Drag screens into place in a window that works like Apple's, then save it as a profile: Home, Office, Standing desk. Switching is two clicks from the menu bar. Lineup also recognizes each desk by its screens and restores that desk's arrangement on its own when you plug in.

Which should you pick?

If you change setups rarely, System Settings is fine. If you live in Terminal, displayplacer is great. If you move between desks or use an iPad as a second screen, a profile app saves you the most clicks.