How to use two external displays on M3 MacBook Pro 14-inch

The promised clamshell mode upgrade that allows the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 processor to use two external displays has arrived in Monday's macOS Sonoma 14.6 update.

The 13-inch MacBook Air with M3 processor was the first basic M3 processor model to support dual displays in clamshell mode. And now, with Monday's macOS update, the feature has been retrofitted to the older 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3.

While Apple promised in November 2023 that the feature would expand to the MacBook Pro with M3, it took them almost nine months to deliver the feature.

As it stands, the MacBook Pro with M3 processor can support full native resolution on the built-in display in conjunction with a 6K external display refreshing at 60Hz. When in Clamshell mode, the internal display is deactivated, and in its place can go a 5K display refreshing at up to 60Hz.

So, the MacBook Air with M3 processor won't support dual Pro Display XDR units, but it will support one. We don't think that dual 6K displays is a common want for MacBook Air or non Max or Pro MacBook Pro owners given the cost disparity between the two displays versus the hosting hardware — but you never know.

And, of course, all the external monitors will need to be plugged in to the Thunderbolt ports. We'd suggest a Thunderbolt dock to do so, to provide power and one-cable connectivity to both monitors and to all of your peripherals to the MacBook Air.