This pre-release version brings a larger collection of user requests from the enhancement backlog, focusing on everyday usability, alongside bug fixes and improved compatibility with macOS 27.2. A notable new feature is an experimental, driverless Software Audio controller that provides volume control for compatible displays whose audio cannot be controlled through DDC or network protocols.
Upgrading to BetterDisplay 5
BetterDisplay 5 is a free upgrade for Pro licenses purchased on or after January 1, 2025. Read the BetterDisplay v5 upgrade FAQ for details about license coverage, existing activations, and upgrade options. BetterDisplay 5 supports Apple silicon and Intel Macs running macOS 26.3 or later, including macOS 27.2.
BetterDisplay Guide
Explore betterdisplay.pro/guide for a detailed App Menu reference and Settings reference, step-by-step tutorials, and answers to frequently asked questions. Learn what each feature does, set up your displays, and find practical troubleshooting advice.
New: Experimental Software Audio
- Driverless software volume and mute. Added a Software Audio controller for compatible audio outputs, including display speakers without usable DDC, network, or native volume control. Adjust volume and mute through BetterDisplay without installing an audio driver. (#5902)
- A quieter minimum volume. Optional Combined Volume Control combines hardware and software adjustment, extending the quiet range for displays whose lowest hardware volume is still too loud. (#5910)
- Audio tuning and meters. Added gain, bass and treble, balance, channel trims, stereo width, mono audio, channel swapping, polarity inversion, 10-band EQ, bass boost, loudness compensation, frequency filters, compressor, noise gate, soft clipping, and audio meters. Software volume and mute, gain, simple bass and treble, meters, and combined routing are available without Pro; advanced audio tuning requires Pro. (#5911)
To try it, open Settings > Displays > [display] > Device Control > Add or Remove Controllers… and add Software Audio. Configure its associated audio output and enable audio access. The controller is experimental, requires macOS audio-recording permission, and can display the macOS audio-capture indicator while active. Compatibility depends on the audio device. See the Software Audio setup guide.
Usability Improvements
- Put the current display first. Added options to prioritize the display containing the app menu and automatically expand its controls when opening the menu. (#4789)
- Choose which quick toggles stay visible. Customize individual toggles, including Auto Brightness, so frequently used controls can remain visible without expanding the display menu. (#5073)
- Easier-to-read sliders. Added optional adaptive scale marks to suitable menu sliders, making common values and neutral positions easier to identify. (#5290)
- More flexible menu bar icons. Set separate custom icons for light and dark appearance, choose an icon for the active display group, and optionally disable shaded SF Symbol rendering for a single-shade appearance. (#2170, #3944, #5888)
- Favorite color profiles. Added favorite slots to the Color Profile menu, with keyboard shortcuts and CLI commands for quick switching. (#2393)
- Global Prevent Sleep control. Keep the Mac awake using a new action in Tools or a keyboard shortcut, without configuring a particular display. (#3935)
- More selective screen-saver and lock dimming. Added options to skip dimming the main display or the only connected display. (#1502)
- Precise HDR calibration. Added numeric value entry to the HDR brightness upscaling calibration slider. (#4048)
- Smoother display corners. Display corner rounding now uses a continuous curve, matching the style of macOS windows and improving the appearance at larger radii. (#5919)
- Separate keyboard targeting for mirror and stream destinations. Added an option to exclude automatically included mirror and stream targets from brightness and other video adjustments. (#4614)
- Configurable media-key shortcuts. Added controls for captured media-key combinations that open System Settings or toggle mirroring. (#5547)
- Floating remote controls. Open supported TV and HDMI-CEC remotes in separate windows from the app menu, a keyboard shortcut, or the CLI. (#4766)
- Crop selected-content streams. Added live crop editing to Stream Selected Content. (#5865)
- Clearer PiP and crop highlighting. Added an optional highlight for the PiP window containing the pointer, plus accent-color and strength controls for window highlights and crop frames. (#4559, #5918)
- Disconnect virtual screens when PiP closes. Added an option to disconnect a virtual screen when its automatically started PiP window is closed. (#5041)
- Visible paused-stream status. Paused streaming is now reflected in the menu bar icon and the stream/PiP icons in the app menu. (#1940)
- Updated macOS 27.2 OSD details. Updated filled icon variants and added appropriate Apple audio-device and headphone icons for native volume control. (#5889)
- Device names in the rounded OSD. Added an option to identify the display or audio device being adjusted in the macOS 27.2-style OSD. (#5893)
- Fixed light or dark OSD appearance. Added appearance choices for the OSD when its adaptive background is disabled. (#4906)
- Dynamic targets in macOS Shortcuts. Relevant actions can now target the display under the pointer, the focused display, or the main display. (#4092)
- PiP alignment through the CLI. Added horizontal and vertical alignment options for positioning PiP windows. (#3464)
- Virtual-screen associations through the CLI. Configure which displays are associated with a virtual screen from scripts and automation. (#4223)
- Custom OSD feedback through the CLI. Scripts and external tools can display volume and other custom on-screen feedback. (#5451)
- Mute through the selected audio controller. Extended the CLI mute command beyond DDC to other supported audio controllers. (#5903)
- Consistent display-group layout protection. Apply configured layout protection when switching groups through the CLI or Settings. (#5874)
- Clearer display configuration guidance. Added warnings when system configuration edits affect other displays with matching identifiers, and clearer explanations of limitations for displays managed by other apps. (#2809, #3193)
- Pro status in About. The About pane now identifies the app as BetterDisplay Pro when Pro is active. (#5900)
Fixes
- Brightness synchronization after wake. Brightness is resynchronized after waking, preventing external displays from retaining an outdated level until the next adjustment. (#5423)
- More reliable media-key handling. Fixed a crash when pressing media keys while BetterDisplay Settings or a PiP window has focus. (#5877)
- New audio-device detection. Fixed newly connected audio devices sometimes not being recognized for volume control. (#5891)
- Correct CLI refresh-rate selection. Numeric refresh rates work with or without the Hz suffix, fractional rates are matched consistently, and unavailable requests report failure instead of silently retaining the current value. (#5892)
- Smoother layout protection animation. Fixed a lagging background during the display layout protection animation. (#5894)
- Reduced CPU and power use. Fixed excessive CPU and power consumption seen in an earlier internal pre-release. (#5899)
- Correct CLI configuration-protection controls. Fixed malformed and inverted protection status values, SDR/HDR color-mode protection handling, and the combined protection command. (#5908, #5909)
- Reliable disconnect warnings. Fixed cropped warning text and inconsistent connection-toggle state when dismissing the display-disconnection warning without completing the action. (#5914)
View all enhancements and bug fixes
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