The new MacBook Air is equipped with the M3 chip, which, unlike the previous entry-level M1 and M2 chips, natively supports dual external displays with the lid closed. But the focus of this article is to show you how to connect two, three, or four external displays with the MacBook Air lid open and the built-in display active. These solutions also apply to older models with M1 and M2 chips.
To connect multiple external displays with the MacBook Air open, you can choose a docking station powered by DisplayLink. These docking stations are DisplayLink certified to ensure compatibility with the M3, M2, and M1 chips, and require the DisplayLink driver to be installed on macOS. They support the connection of dual, triple, and up to four displays while keeping the laptop's built-in display active. In addition, these docking stations have hy-brid platform compatibility, suitable for IT professionals working in a hy-brid environment.
If a specific scenario does not require a full docking solution, you can also choose a USB-based display adapter, such as the Dual Display 4K 60Hz Adapter that supports the M3 chip. This USB-C to Dual HDMI Adapter adds two 4K 60Hz HDMI displays to your computer and supports up to 100W of power delivery and up to 90W host charging.
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| Triple Monitor Docking Station for M3 |
USB-C USB-A M3 Dual Monitor Dock |
M3 Dock For Multi Quad-Display |
For single-monitor setups, there are a variety of cables to choose from, including USB-C to HDMI, USB-C to DisplayPort 1.4, and HDMI 2.1 cables, which support resolutions up to 6K 60Hz, 6K 60Hz, and 4K 144Hz, respectively. These options are also compatible with earlier M2 and M1 chips.
Alternatively, you might consider using a USB4 or Thunderbolt Dock with the entry-level M3 chip. While these docks can work with the M3 chip, due to feature limitations, you usually need to close the laptop lid to get support for dual external displays, such as the Thunderbolt 3 Dock USB-C / Dual 4K / 96W PD or Thunderbolt 4 Multi-Display.
