Help, whenever you need it
Arrange your displays once and Universal Display Magnet keeps them that way. Setting it up takes a minute.
Get started
- 1
Install
Buy the app, then download it and copy your license key from your purchase on Polar. Unzip it, move Universal Display Magnet to your Applications folder and paste the key when it asks.
- 2
Allow access
Open it, then turn it on under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Device Control and Data Access (Accessibility on older versions of macOS), and allow Local Network access when asked.
- 3
Arrange your displays
Open Displays, drag the screens where they really are, and press Apply. From then on the arrangement comes back on its own.
- 4
Save a workspace
Lay out your windows, then choose Save Workspace… in the menu bar. Restore it any time with a click or its shortcut.
Multiple Macs
Install Universal Display Magnet on each Mac and link them once with Universal Control under System Settings → Displays → Link to Mac or iPad. That's all: they find each other on your network and sync, and the Universal Control page shows every Mac's displays.
Help topics
- Getting startedFrom your Polar purchase to an activated app, the right permissions and a first saved layout.
- CompatibilityWhich Macs and macOS versions each feature is verified on, and what it depends on.
- License and updatesWhat you pay, where your purchase lives, how to move your license to a new Mac and how updates arrive.
Guides for common problems
- Monitor arrangement keeps changingWhy macOS moves your displays around after sleep or a reconnect, what to check first, and how to keep the arrangement.
- Windows move after sleepWhy your windows end up on the wrong screen after sleep or a reconnect, the free checks to try, and how to put them back.
- Universal Control not workingA step-by-step check for Universal Control that won't link, keeps disconnecting or sends the pointer across at the wrong edge.
- Universal Control between MacsSet up one keyboard and pointer across your Macs, and line up their displays so the pointer crosses where you expect.
- Split screen on MacPut two windows side by side with Split View or macOS window tiling, and know when thirds or an app are worth it.
Troubleshooting
Windows aren't saved or moved
Turn on Universal Display Magnet under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Device Control and Data Access (Accessibility on older versions of macOS). If it's listed and on but the app still asks, remove it with − and add it again.
Windows don't go back to their Desktop
Universal Display Magnet carries windows between Desktops with the Switch to Desktop shortcuts, so they need to be on. Choose Workspaces → Enable ⌃1…⌃0. You'll see Desktops switch briefly during a restore.
Snapping shortcuts do nothing
Another app probably owns them. Quit Magnet or any similar app and reopen Universal Display Magnet, or pick different shortcuts under Window Snapping.
Another Mac doesn't appear
Each Mac needs Universal Display Magnet running, Universal Control linked once, and Local Network access allowed. If the Macs still can't see each other, add the missing Mac by its address under Macs & Sync.
Universal Control stops working
Choose Reset Universal Control on the Displays or Universal Control page. It restarts Universal Control's services on your Macs and puts your arrangement back. It can't fix an unsupported setup or radio interference: Activity (⌘6) shows what happened, and frequent Bluetooth dropouts usually mean interference near one of the Macs, such as USB 3 hubs, drives and cables, or too much distance between them. More in Universal Control not working.
My displays still move after waking
Check that the arrangement was saved: press Apply in Displays and choose Keep. Under Saved arrangements for this setup, make sure Auto-apply is on for it.
Window snapping stopped working
Snapping pauses while Scrolling Windows is on, and its shortcuts go to the strip instead. Turn Scrolling Windows off from the menu bar, or with ⌃⌥Q, to snap windows again.
How do I update?
The app tells you when a new version is ready. You can also choose Universal Display Magnet → Check for Updates….
Questions, answered
How much does it cost?
$9.99, once, with tax added at checkout where it applies. One license covers three Macs, and the app keeps working offline for up to seven days between license checks. License and updates has the details.
Which Macs does it run on?
Any Mac with macOS 14 or later: one download runs natively on Apple silicon and Intel. Every feature is verified on macOS 14 to 27, on Apple silicon and Intel. See compatibility.
Why do my displays keep moving around?
macOS rebuilds the arrangement when displays wake or reconnect, and often gets it wrong, especially with identical monitors or a dock. Universal Display Magnet remembers your arrangement for each set of monitors, tells identical monitors apart by the serial numbers they report, and puts it back whenever macOS moves things.
Do I need more than one Mac?
No. Display arrangement, workspaces and window snapping all work on one Mac. With more Macs linked through Universal Control, you can also arrange all their displays together and keep everything in sync.
What permissions does it ask for?
Device Control and Data Access (called Accessibility on older versions of macOS) to see and move windows, and Local Network to sync with your other Macs. It never asks to record your screen.
Does it work with Magnet installed?
Yes, but two apps can't own the same shortcut. Universal Display Magnet flags any shortcut another app already uses, so you can quit the other app or pick a different shortcut.
Does it work without a built-in display?
Yes. It works the same on a Mac Studio, a Mac mini or a MacBook with its lid closed.
What is Scrolling Windows?
A different way to lay out windows: each one becomes a column on a horizontal strip that scrolls, as in PaperWM or niri, with stacks, tabbed columns, grid tiling and a shortcut for every action. It's optional and off until you turn it on, and window snapping and automatic window snapshots pause while it's on.
How does it compare with ChainYourMac?
Both build on the open-source Paneru engine. Universal Display Magnet's Scrolling Windows adds grid tiling, next to everything the app does for your displays, workspaces and Universal Control, for $9.99 and three Macs. ChainYourMac is a dedicated scrolling window manager, with pinned columns, guided setup and automation. See the full comparison.
Does anything leave my Mac?
Nothing about your windows or displays, except to your own Macs: sync goes directly between them, encrypted. The app also checks its license key with Polar, the store that sells it, and looks for new versions once a day, which you can turn off. See the privacy policy.
Still stuck? Tell us
Email support@clevermechanisms.dev with your macOS version, your Mac models and what happened. Every message gets read.
What to include
- Your macOS version and Mac models: About → Copy Version Info in the app copies the app's version, build and macOS version.
- Your monitors and how they connect: directly, through a dock or through an adapter.
- What you did, what you expected, and what happened instead.
- Whether Scrolling Windows was on.
Please don't send logs or reports that show your window titles unless we ask. If we do, read them first and remove anything private.