Many Displays

Support

Something not going back where it should? Here is how to get help, and the fixes for the problems we hear about most.

Get in touch

Send diagnostics

Two things make almost every problem easy to diagnose. First, a dump of what the app sees right now. Open Terminal and run:

/Applications/ManyDisplays.app/Contents/MacOS/ManyDisplays --dump

It prints your displays, Spaces, windows, and what a restore would move, without moving anything. Copy the output into your email.

Second, the log. The app writes a plain-text log at:

~/Library/Logs/ManyDisplays.log

Open it with Console or any text editor, or attach the whole file. It contains display names and window titles, so have a quick look before sending it if that matters to you. The log is never sent anywhere automatically.

Common problems

Windows are saved but never move

The app needs the Accessibility permission to move windows. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility and make sure Many Displays is listed and turned on. If it is listed but still does nothing, remove it from the list with the "−" button, then launch the app again and grant it when asked. This also happens after reinstalling the app from a differently signed build.

Two identical monitors end up swapped

Monitors of the same model often share a serial number, so macOS cannot tell them apart. Many Displays tells them apart by their system UUID, then by the physical port they are plugged into (on Apple Silicon), and only then by position. For that to work, keep each monitor on the same port or dock output. If you swap the cables, the app will think the monitors have swapped too. If macOS itself swaps the arrangement after a reconnect, the app puts it back, provided "Restore display arrangement" is turned on in the menu.

A window is on a different Space

Since macOS 14.5 Apple blocks moving other apps' windows between Spaces, so the app restores the display, position and size but cannot change the Space. The menu tells you when this happened. With "Displays have separate Spaces" turned off (System Settings → Desktop & Dock), sleeping does not change a window's Space in practice. Some apps also hide their off-Space windows from Accessibility; those are restored as soon as you switch to their Space.

A window keeps going back to the wrong place

For three minutes after a restore, moves nobody asked for are undone. If you want to move a window yourself during that time, just move it; a change made by you with the mouse or keyboard is always saved. If an app insists on repositioning its own window, send us the log and the app's name.

The MacBook screen has the wrong resolution after undocking

The app restores the last known good mode for the built-in display when you undock. If it does not, run the dump above and send it along with the resolution you expected.

Restore now, save now

You should rarely need these, but they exist: ⌃⌥⌘R restores and ⌃⌥⌘S saves. From Terminal, Shortcuts or Raycast:

/Applications/ManyDisplays.app/Contents/MacOS/ManyDisplays --restore
/Applications/ManyDisplays.app/Contents/MacOS/ManyDisplays --save

Licence questions

Lost your key? It was shown after checkout and emailed to you; search your inbox for "Many Displays", or get it re-sent at shop.manydisplays.com/recover with the email you bought with. Moving to a new Mac? Just enter the same key there. Refunds within 14 days of purchase are handled by email too. See the terms.