How do I change text size, resolution, refresh rate or rotation?
Expand an on display to see the sizes and rates Radar Display can read and set. The app shows a text-size strip or a numeric Resolution picker according to the modes available for that display.
In this article
How do I make text larger or fit more on screen?
- Expand the display.
- If you see the row of Aa tiles, choose a tile toward Larger Text for larger text and objects, or toward More Space to fit more content.
- Use the tile marked Default to choose the display's default size within this strip.
The selected tile has a border. The number of tiles varies by display; it is not always five. The current mode is retained in the choices when possible. Accessibility descriptions give the tile's logical width and height and identify the selected tile.
The strip uses scaled display modes. Its logical dimensions describe usable desktop space, which can differ from the panel's physical pixel count. There is no switch in Radar Display to replace an available strip with a numeric list.
Scaling changes the size of text and objects. Some scaled resolutions can affect performance or leave windows too large for the new desktop size. Apple's display-resolution guide explains these effects.
How do I choose a numeric resolution?
- Expand the display and open Resolution, when that picker is available.
- Choose a listed size, such as 1920 × 1080.
- Turn on Show all resolutions if the shorter list does not include the size you want and that switch is offered.
Show all resolutions starts off when its settings section opens. It only appears when there are additional choices. It is a local list preference, not a remembered display setting.
(Default) marks a default mode. (low resolution) distinguishes a lower-density mode when a sharper alternative has the same logical dimensions. The current choice can stay in the short list even when it is outside the usual selection.
The list is built from the modes macOS exposes. It is not guaranteed to match every choice in System Settings. A Resolution or Refresh rate picker may be absent when there is only one usable choice or the current mode cannot be read.
How do I choose a refresh rate?
Open Refresh rate on the display and choose one of its available rates. The choices apply to the current resolution and scaling mode; changing size can change the list.
Rates appear as 60 Hertz, for example, or with a fractional value when needed. On a display with supported adaptive refresh, the highest applicable choice can be labeled ProMotion.
When you choose a different size, Radar Display tries to keep the current refresh rate if that size supports it. Otherwise it uses the fastest matching mode available. Check Refresh rate again after changing size if the rate matters for your work.
How do I rotate a monitor and undo it?
- Expand a supported external monitor.
- Open Rotation.
- Choose 90°, 180°, or 270°.
- To return to the usual orientation, choose Standard.
Radar Display deliberately does not offer rotation for the built-in MacBook display. Rotation is also absent when the external monitor's macOS interface does not support it.
Resolution, refresh rate, and rotation changes apply immediately. Radar Display has no confirmation countdown or automatic revert button. Keep a readable second screen available when trying an unfamiliar mode. Closing the panel or quitting the app does not undo the change.
If the screen becomes difficult to use, use another working screen to choose the previous size or Standard in Radar Display. You can also change the affected display in System Settings → Displays. Recheck its saved Radar Display setting afterward because observed changes can become its remembered preference.
Which mode settings return after reconnecting?
Radar Display remembers a physical display's chosen resolution/scaling mode, refresh rate, and rotation. When that display becomes active again, it tries to restore a supported matching mode. A mode that is temporarily unavailable is retained as a preference rather than replaced just because macOS is using a fallback.
If macOS refuses a change, an error appears beneath the display. Other successful settings do not erase that error. Wait for any progress indicator to finish and retry an available choice. Choosing an already selected value may do nothing and will not necessarily clear an earlier error.
If a particular mode is no longer offered, check the monitor, cable, adapter, and active display configuration. Use an available mode instead of assuming a stored resolution can be forced through a changed connection. See remembered settings and unavailable controls.