Issue with Text and Icon Scaling After Disconnecting MacBook from Ultrawide Monitor

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Level 1

4 points

Issue with Text and Icon Scaling After Disconnecting MacBook from Ultrawide Monitor

Hello everyone,

I'm experiencing an issue with my MacBook Pro M3 Pro (Sonoma 14.4.1 23E224) where the text and icons become extremely small after I disconnect it from my ultrawide monitor. The resolution appears correct at 3024 x 1964, and I've previously fixed it when adjusting the scaling settings under System Preferences > Displays, toggling between "Default for display" and "Scaled" with "Larger Text", however this option is no where to be found since updating. I've also explored Accessibility options to adjust text size, without success.

I've also of course tried restarting but it doesn't seem to help. You can see on the image below that everything is very small.

MacBook Pro (M3 Pro, 2023)

Posted on May 8, 2024 1:16 AM

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Answer 1

a brody

Level 10

83,119 points

May 9, 2024 8:42 AM in response to tylerderijk

That's an issue with Chrome. Command together with = key will increase the font size on Chrome or any other web browser.

If you are in the Finder, and it is small, go to Apple menu -> System Settings -> Displays and adjust the resolution to one that has larger text.

EasyRes is a good utility you can download from the App Store to have more fine tune control over resolution from the menubar without dealing with System Settings.

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Answer 2

tylerderijk Author

Level 1

4 points

May 13, 2024 4:13 AM in response to a brody

It is not only for Chrome. Everywhere including file names, icons, taskbar texts is very small. Previously, there was an option in System Settings -> Displays to adjust text size directly which fixed it. But now this options is gone.

Adjusting the resolution in Display settings now only effects my pixels resolution, resulting in my 4K display being 2K or worse. When connecting my macbook to my widescreen again it's fixed. Perhaps the screenshot I provided is throwing you off.

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Answer 3

May 13, 2024 7:24 AM in response to tylerderijk

<< after I disconnect it from my ultrawide monitor. >>

if disconnection was incomplete and was was not effective, you could still be mirroring the internal display with the Ultrwide, which uses a 'compromise' resolution that both display appear to be able to attain.

please describe the exact steps you took to effect this disconnection.

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