5 Things to Know About Using Multiple Monitors With an M1 MacBook Air

The M1 MacBook Air natively supports only one external display The hardware limits you to two total displays: the built-in screen and one external monitor. No adapter or cable can change that.

DisplayLink is the only way to add extra monitors It works by compressing video over USB and using a driver. You can add one or two more monitors depending on the adapter and USB bandwidth.

DisplayLink works fine for basic tasks Text, spreadsheets, and web browsing are smooth. You won’t notice issues with static content.

DisplayLink has noticeable drawbacks You’ll see latency and compression artifacts with video or design work. It also sometimes conflicts with VPNs and macOS updates.

DisplayLink is a compromise, not a perfect solution If you absolutely need multiple monitors, it’s your only option. Just don’t expect native-level performance.