There is currently a known bug on Apple Silicon Mac’s that causes some sets of displays to swap positions on wake from sleep. This issue occurs with sets of identical model displays, as this issue is basically macOS misidentifying these displays as one another, causing them to swap positions.
Because this is a macOS issue, there is not much that can be done to fully remedy this issue until Apple addresses it themselves. However, there is an application called BetterDisplay that has been confirmed by customers to help resolve this issue.
BetterDisplay:
To download BetterDisplay, you can find the latest releases on GitHub below:
https://github.com/waydabber/BetterDisplay
Note that there is a premium upgrade that costs money, and the initial download includes a 14 day free trial. But for the purpose of this specific issue, the free version will still have all the features that we need.
Simply click on the “Download app for macOS” button and follow the instructions to install the application. You will get notified that this app is downloaded from the internet. Click Open to open the application:
Start the app from the Applications folder or from Launchpad / Spotlight. Once you launch the app, you should see a page similar to the one below:
Once the app is opened, we are going to want to change the Display Identification Method to “basic + extended identifiers”. This is supposed to make it easier for BetterDisplay to identify and correctly position identical monitors.
To find this setting:
- Ensure that the displays are in the correct arrangement to start
- Select one of your monitors at the top of the settings menu
- Select the “Additional settings…” under the “General Settings”
- Scroll down and find “Display identification method”
- Select “basic + extended identifiers”
This should hopefully resolve the display swapping positions issue!
Notes:
We do not officially support this application, as it just came recommended to us to solve this specific issue. If you run into issues with this application, consult the documentation provided by the developer on the BetterDisplay Github.
The developer has stated that this will not work on DisplayLink based docking stations or graphics adapters. This fix is primarily intended for natively connected displays.
