How to make your Mac text larger on a big display

Connecting your Mac to a large HDTV offers access to a wide array of audio-visual apps and streaming services, all within the secure macOS environment. However, a common issue arises: tiny interface elements on the external display, making them difficult to see. Fortunately, several solutions exist, though their effectiveness varies.

Adjusting Display Size and Resolution

Within System Settings > Displays (with your HDTV selected), the "Use as" section offers options like "Default" and "Larger Text." These settings effectively lower the display's perceived resolution, enlarging interface elements while maintaining the native resolution for visuals (images, video). This is often the simplest and most effective solution.

For finer control, click "Advanced" in the Displays settings and enable "Show resolutions as list." This reveals all resolutions preserving native display density, allowing you to experiment with different interface element sizes. Enabling "Show all resolutions" will highlight low-resolution options (labeled "(low resolution)"). Comparing these to their higher-resolution counterparts clearly demonstrates the difference in rendering quality.

Utilizing Accessibility Settings

System Settings > Accessibility > Display provides further customization. Under "Text" and "Pointer," you can adjust system-wide text size, enlarge the menu bar, and enhance pointer visibility. While not all apps support the text size adjustment, this is usually sufficient for commonly used applications like Safari or media players.

Employing a Third-Party App: BetterDisplay Pro

Many users recommend BetterDisplay Pro for more comprehensive interface scaling. This utility unlocks HiDPI rendering, even when the display's resolution doesn't strictly meet Apple's criteria for larger interface elements. The developer's wiki provides detailed instructions, but generally involves enabling "Edit the system configuration of this display model" and "Enable flexible scaling" within the app.

BetterDisplay offers free and Pro versions; the HiDPI feature requires the Pro version ($19.99 or €19.99), though a 14-day trial is available.

This Mac 911 article answers a question submitted by Macworld reader Andy.

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