CrackMacCustom resolution on a MacBook: how to set one, and what it can't do
To see more resolutions on a MacBook, open System Settings, Displays, click Advanced and turn on Show resolutions as list, then turn on Show all resolutions if it appears. For a size macOS doesn't list, such as exactly 1920 by 1080, you need a display utility like BetterDisplay or SwitchResX. Whatever you choose, the built-in screen always fills the whole panel, so no resolution can leave a damaged part of it unused.
Show every resolution macOS offers
- Open System Settings, Displays, and select the built-in display.
- Click Advanced and turn on Show resolutions as list.
- Back in Displays, turn on Show all resolutions at the bottom of the list, if your Mac offers it.
- Click a resolution. It applies straight away.
For a one-off look, Control-click the picture of the display and choose Show List. On a Retina MacBook the list shows how large things will look. The panel always uses every one of its pixels. A higher setting fits more on the screen and makes text smaller.
Why 1920 by 1080 isn't on the list
MacBook screens are 16:10, a little taller than a TV, so macOS offers 16:10 sizes such as 1440 by 900, 1680 by 1050 or 1920 by 1200. 1920 by 1080 is 16:9. A display utility can add it, but on a 16:10 screen it either stretches the picture or leaves bands at the top and bottom. If you need 1080p for a screen recording, it's simpler to record a 1920 by 1080 area with Command-Shift-5.
Add a resolution macOS doesn't list
- BetterDisplay adds custom and scaled resolutions for built-in and external displays. It has a free version, and some features need its paid Pro version.
- SwitchResX is a long-standing paid utility made for custom resolutions, mostly used with external monitors.
Change one step at a time, and know how to undo it before you start. A resolution the panel can't show can leave you looking at a black screen, so keep an external monitor or TV within reach the first time.
Can a custom resolution avoid a broken part of the screen?
No, and this is why many people go looking for custom resolutions in the first place. macOS scales every resolution, custom ones included, to fill the entire built-in panel. A lower resolution makes everything bigger, but the dead strip still gets its share of the picture, and the menu bar, windows and pointer still go there. Underscan, the setting that shrinks a picture on a TV, isn't offered for the built-in screen either.
On MacBooks with a notch, a few resolutions stop just below the camera housing and leave a thin black band at the top. That's the only built-in exception, and it only helps if the damage is right at the top.
What works for a damaged screen:
- CrackMac keeps your normal resolution and confines windows, the menu bar and the pointer to the working part, with the damaged strip painted black. How blocking off part of the screen works.
- BetterDisplay's virtual screen can be sized to the working area and streamed onto it. The two compared.
- An external monitor sidesteps the problem at a desk.
For the other meanings of "smaller", such as fitting more on the screen or fixing a picture cut off on a TV, see how to make your Mac screen smaller.
If the damage runs along one edge, CrackMac can keep windows, menus and the pointer off it. There's a free 30-minute trial.
Quick answers
How do I set a custom resolution on a MacBook?
Open System Settings, Displays, click Advanced and turn on Show resolutions as list. Then turn on Show all resolutions if it appears, and pick one. For a size macOS doesn't list, use a display utility such as BetterDisplay or SwitchResX.
Can I set 1920x1080 on a MacBook Air?
Not from the built-in list on recent models. MacBook screens are 16:10, so macOS offers 16:10 sizes such as 1440 by 900 or 1680 by 1050. A display utility can add 1920 by 1080, but on a 16:10 screen it either stretches the picture or leaves bands.
Will a lower or custom resolution hide a broken part of the screen?
No. Every resolution, custom ones included, is scaled to fill the whole built-in panel, so the damaged area stays in use. An app that confines windows and the pointer, or a virtual screen streamed onto the working area, is needed for that.
Hoping a resolution would avoid the damage?
No resolution can, because macOS always fills the whole panel. CrackMac works differently: you draw where the good glass ends, and windows, the menu bar and the pointer stay inside it while the damaged strip turns black.
- Works on macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon and Intel.
- Free for 30 minutes of use, then a one-time price. No subscription.
- A refund within 7 days, no questions asked.