Updated April 19, 2024 to reflect recent changes to Apple M3 capabilities. Unlike the entry level M1 and M2 chips before it, the new MacBook Air with M3 chip natively supports dual external displays, with the MacBook Air lid closed. This article will show you how to connect two, three, or four external displays with the MacBook Air lid open and display active. These solutions are also compatible with the previous entry level M2 and M1 generation of chips. But first, here’s an overview of the native display capabilities of the latest processor models: Here’s some tested solutions to connect dual, triple, and up to four external displays using DisplayLink-powered docking stations, with the laptop open and built in display active. All three of these M3 / M2 / M1 compatible docks are DisplayLink certified for guaranteed compatibility and require DisplayLink driver installation on macOS. All three docks also have mixed platform compatibility for IT pros deploying in mixed environments. Dual 4K 60 External Displays Triple 4K 60 External Displays Quad 4K 60 External Displays Hybrid USB-C USB-A M3 Dual Monitor Dock Triple Monitor Docking Station for M3 M3 Dock For Multi Quad-Display If a full docking station solution isn’t required in a particular deployment, it’s possible to use a USB-based display adapter like the M3 Dual Monitor Display 4K 60Hz. This USB-C to Dual-HDMI Adapter adds up to two 4K 60Hz HDMI monitors to a computer, including systems with a entry level M3 chip, and features 100W Power Delivery pass-through with up to 90W host charging. For single display setups, a variety of cables are available, including the 6ft USB-C to HDMI Adapter Cable or 6ft USB C to DisplayPort 1.4 Cable (for up to 6K at 60Hz) or 6ft HDMI 2.1 Cable (for up to 4K at 144Hz). These options are also compatible with the earlier entry level M2 and M1 chips. You may also be wondering if it’s possible to use a USB4 or Thunderbolt Dock with the entry level M3 chip. The short answer is yes, but due to capabilities the laptop lid must be closed to get dual external displays with those types of docks, such as our Thunderbolt 3 Dock USB-C /Dual 4K/96W PD or Thunderbolt 4 Multi-Display. What about the new iMac with M3? The iMac with M3 is limited in support for external displays. Here are some options for connecting one or two external displays on the M3-powered iMac. Single External Display Single External Display (iPad) Dual External Displays HDMI Cable for iMac M3 (135B-USBC-HDMI212M) or USB-C to DisplayPort Cable (CDP2DP146B) or iMac M3 Thunderbolt 4 Cable (TBLT4MM1M) Keep in mind you can use an iPad as a second display for a Mac iMac M3 Dual Monitor Display 4K 60Hz (109B-USBC-HDMI) or iMac M3 Dual Monitor 1080P Adapter (107B-USBC-HDMI) For easy reference of all these solutions, download the Apple M3 Multi-Monitor & Compatible Accessory Finder: Learn more about Apple M3 / M2 / M1 Solutions for Single and Multi-Monitor Setups