How to Set Primary Display on Your Mac: A Step-by-Step Guide

When it comes to working with multiple displays on your Mac, one of the most important settings you can make is designating which display will serve as the primary display. This setting determines which screen will receive keyboard and mouse input when you're working across multiple monitors.

To set the primary display on your Mac, follow these steps:

1. First, open System Preferences by clicking on the Apple logo in the top left corner of your screen and selecting 'System Preferences.'

2. In the System Preferences window, select 'Displays' from the list of options.

3. Once you're in the Displays section, click on the 'Arrangement' tab.

Here's where things get interesting. Unlike Windows PCs, which have a taskbar that follows the active window to whichever monitor it's on, Macs don't have this same capability. Instead, the Dock (more on that later) and other system elements will remain static on your primary display, even if you're working across multiple monitors.

4. To change the primary display, simply drag the white bar at the top of the primary display's icon to the display you'd like to set as primary.

5. Once you've made your selection, click 'Apply' to save your changes.

That's it! You should now be able to use multiple displays on your Mac and have a clear understanding of which screen is serving as the primary display.

Why Doesn't the Dock Automatically Appear on Non-Primary Displays?

One common question that comes up when working with multiple monitors on a Mac is why the Dock doesn't automatically appear when you move the mouse or trackpad cursor to a non-primary display. There's been plenty of speculation about this, but Apple has remained tight-lipped.

Our take on it is that Apple made this design decision in an effort to keep the user experience smoother and with fewer visual distractions. After all, having multiple system elements jumping around your screen can be overwhelming, especially when working across multiple monitors.

In our opinion, this lack of automatic Dock appearance isn't a major drawback. In fact, we think it's one of the things that makes using multiple displays on a Mac so seamless and intuitive. You don't have to worry about where the Dock is or which display it's on - you can simply summon it whenever you need it with a quick swipe of your mouse or trackpad.

By following these simple steps, you should be able to set the primary display on your Mac and get the most out of using multiple monitors. And remember, with the Dock remaining static on your primary display, you'll always know exactly where to find it when you need it.

Apple mac taskbar