Here’s how to tell which situation you’re in.
You might be looking in the wrong place, but that means there’s nothing to fix.
Here’s why people get easily confused about this issue, though.
Joe Robinson / How-To Geek
The “Displays” page in macOS tweaks does not list your actual video output resolution.
Instead, it provides a collection of scaling options.
When you hover over the default scaling option, it will usually be set to 1080p.
Andrew Heinzman / How-To Geek
Scaling is an odd thing that most users shouldn’t worry about.
The 4K monitor contains four times more pixels than the 1080 monitor.
Then, select “About.”
Andrew Heinzman / How-To Geek
You’ll see your monitor listed alongside its video resolution.
Note that “4K” refers to both 4096 x 2160 and 3840 x 2160 resolutions.
Further, some cables don’t support 4K resolution.
Skip the dongle and connect your MacBook directly to your monitor’s DisplayPort input. This cable supports video resolutions up to 8K 60Hz. It also enables screen mirroring on USB-C iPhones.
The same is true for dongles and USB hubs.
You should also install any firmware updates that are available for your monitor, plus the manufacturer’smacOS color profile.
These materials should be available on the manufacturer’s website.
The Triple 4K Display Docking Station adds an array of USB-C and USB-A ports to your MacBook, plus a gigabit Ethernet jack and 100-watt passthrough charging. But, more importantly, it uses DisplayLink software to get around Apple Silicon’s external display limitations—it lets you connect up to three 4K 60Hz monitors to your M1 or M2 Mac.
If your monitor doesn’t have a Thunderbolt port, try aThunderbolt to DisplayPort 1.4orThunderbolt to HDMI 2.1cable.
These cables eliminate the need for a USB hub and are relatively inexpensive.
Note that macOS can be really picky with external monitors.
Skip the dongle and connect your MacBook directly to your monitor’s DisplayPort input.
This cable supports video resolutions up to 8K 60Hz.
It also enables screen mirroring on USB-C iPhones.
