Mac Mini (M1) dual display doesn't work.

I wonder.. go to amazon and search up this item: B07GWDXTWX

It's a little hub that you can connect your DVI monitor to, then plug that into the USB-C on the back of the mini. Then, your other monitor straight into HDMI. In the scenario, you have 1 monitor going from DVI to hub to. USB-C, and the other monitor going from VGA to HDMI. One monior plugged into the HDMI port and one into the USB-C via the hub.

It's only 24.99 and if it doesn't work, that seller offers free returns. Shoot, even if it DOES work, apple might fix it with 11.2 and you'll want to return it anyway. It might be worth a shot. I wonder what others in here might think.

Basically, you just need to try a different connection to see if it works. This whole thing is frustrating... but I suspect apple will address it in the next OS update.

For the wake from sleep issue, I have a partial workaround. I set a hot corner in top right to trigger display sleep. After I wake up the mini, I push my mouse to that corner then move away; the display then wakes up properly.

Dudes, things with the HDMI and USC-C ports are in a weird state right now. If you're to do returns easily, you should just go ahead and buy a different adapter and see if it works. This way, if it doesn't you can just return it. My experience was: VGA cable to USB-C multipart adapter and HDMI port combination did NOT work for dual displays. Even though others were having problems with it, I opted to try out an HDMI multipart adapter to USB-C and again regular HDMI to the HDMI port. It worked for me. That setup didn't work for others. Like I said, given the strange state of compatibility right now, just buy the other type of adapter and try it out... just make sure your seller offers free returns. Try that small hub I pointer to in an earlier port. It's a USB-C hub with a VGA and DVI port on it. It's only $25 bucks and it might work.

*or* you can also just use one monitor until apple gets its act together.

11.2 is available now. Would be great to get some feedback from you guys if it solves the flickering and all of the other display issues for all of you. I want to make sure before I re-order the mini again ;-)

OK this is more of a specific response, mainly to anyone attempting to connect TWO Apple 30" (maybe other sizes too?) Cinema Displays to an M1 Mini. I am writing this all to document for anyone else in the hopes that they don't have to jump through all the hoops I did, also for my own reference later as the issue is not resolved!

Bought a new M1 mini (16Gb of RAM) in January; after reading SOME threads and watching a couple YT videos (like the one where the dude hooks up 6 monitors), I was confident that it would take some trials but all I had to do was figure out the right set of adapters and I'd be golden.

My monitors are the older ones, not Thunderbolt, so already were running to my 2013 Mac Pro via the expensive dual-link minidisplayport to DVI adapters. I tried this HDMI cable before my mini even came, no dice so I sent it back.

Then came the onslaught of attempted cables, some using the minidisplayport adapter and others including the Startech USB adapters that have their own GPU card.

Didn't work: this this this this and this

These 2 USB-C/Minidisplayport adapters DO work, at least in connecting ONE of the monitors:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N4FQNYW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08B7FSVTL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Finally discovered Apple had an HDMI-DVI adapter, so had to try that, right? No dice, sent it back.

Then I moved to the DisplayLink software route, trying this Startech adapter as well as a single display adapter(using another adapter in the middle, which seemed to work but then would fritz out. Then it really just wouldn't work.

Oh also forget trying to sleep the computer and then hoping the displays would wake up too, I would always have to re-plug in the cords to get anything to show up. I spent time in Safe Mode, Recovery mode, tried changing the desktops (now there's this new adaptive desktop that changes sunlight throughout the day, could that be it?--eventually figured out, no that's not the issue). Note that this is pressing option while changing the resolution in Displays system prefs to toggle different things here and there, trying all kinds of combinations and forgetting which ones I'd tried and then trying them all again. Oof.

Then I read that 11.2 fixed the displays problem! Oh, the problem was actually in the OS?! I guess I had given Apple too much credit and assumed it was the adapters. So I pre-emptively rebought that Apple HDMI-DVI adapter, giddily updated, and upon hooking it up--it... didn't work.... but now I COULD get the HDMI-connected display to come on in lower-res mode, at least on startup.

I kept reading more and more, but could not get the 2 displays to come online at once, ever, for more than 5 minutes. So I finally scrapped the notion of even trying for 2, but then read this article about resetting the color calibration, so I tried it.

I had already tried creating new calibrations settings (I thought), but wth ok, I gave it a shot: and lo and behold, the 2nd display (connected via HDMI) would come on! ...so long as I left it in 1280x800. Tried a lot of other things to no avail, and FINALLY called Apple.

Got escalated, and spoke with a tech who spent some time looking through Engineering notes. Came up with the pronouncement that 2 Cinema Displays will NOT work with the M1 mini, at all. !! Wait what? I told him that I was seeing the second monitor, so long as it was in 1280x800 (or less), and it did appear stable. He said that according to Engineering the company is surprised by that. We ran through a number of alternatives most of which I had tried, but apparently the company believes I should not be seeing ANYTHING on the 2nd monitor. Welp. OK, he wrote it down, said they may call me back, and here I am, still enjoying these monitors and hoping for an 11.3 fix (not holding my breath).

So, to recap, I am using one display connected via USB-c to minidisplayport to minidisplayport-DVI adapter, and the other is Apple's HDMI-DVI adapter right to the DVI connection (with all USB 2 cables plugged in too). I sent back the DisplayLink gear after the tech I spoke with said that it was a dead-end, that anything with an external GPU was uncharted or dangerous waters in terms of the M1 chip. And I have 1 and a half working displays. (OH btw I DID try using a different monitor via an HDMI cable, it worked fine 1920x1080 so at this point I think the dual-display issue (so long as it's not 2 ACDs) is solved in the 11.2 update, at least as far as I can see with a basic TV monitor via HDMI along with the aforementioned USB-C connection to my ACD)

I'm sure I forget a whole set of attempts to fix this, but I hope this helps someone. Or Apple to fix whatever the bug is. Til then I'll limp along with my half monitor and consider buying a new one (but I LOVE these old LCD monitors! so little glare!). Good luck.

The Mac mini M1 does support two monitors but seems to have issues with adaptors or long leads. My Mac mini m1 works fine. I have 2 benq monitors running without issue. HDMI to hdmi on one and I connect the other monitor with mini display cable to the back of an owc thunderbay 4.

The thunderbay 4 is connected to the Mac Mini via thunderbolt and holds four drives.

If you having troubles with duel screen try shorter HDMI Cables i was having troubles then put in 6 foot cables and it works well

11.2 fixed my Dual Monitor issues with my main monitor bring 1080p HDMI cable and my 49 inch 4K monitor over a usb-c cable which the monitor sees it as a display port connection.

Hello bertrandFromClamart,

I have just tried what you proposed, but it did not work for me.

I have connected one of my displays with a USB-C--> HDMI cable and the other display with a USB-C--> Displayport cable.

The HDMI port of the Mac mini was left empty in this setup.

What happened was, that one display was working fine (no flickering) and the other one stayed dark (not working at all).

This makes sense to me, since apple says it's not possible to drive two displays via the two thunderbolt ports on the (Mac mini) M1.

"Direct" dual display setups (without any external display link adapters or such thing) are only possible using one of the two thunderbolt ports and the HDMI port of the Mac mini M1.

I’m seeing the same thing.

Cannot test VGA with my setup but confirmed HDMI cables, swapping in adapters, and messing around with settings doesn’t

seem to fix the issue.

I have a MBP running OSX 10 and with the exact same setup using both displays is flawless.

IMO this is a Big Sur issue.

Are both monitors set to 4K (3840 x 2160)? Mine will only retain settings at 2K (2560x1440), although they work fine at 4K as long as they aren’t allowed to sleep. Mac Mini M1 upgraded to 11.1 beta3.

I updated to 11.1, even did another OS reinstall after the update. Problem persists. Called in to apple tech today, got escalated to level 2 tech. Did the screen share thing with them and I was able to reproduce the problem. I even showed them this thread. They recored my screen, took notes and we scheduled a phone call for this Saturday. She told me it's better when everyone having the problem calls in to apple to make them away and possibly get a faster fix. So yeah, you should probably visit apple support and schedule a call so they can call you back.

I have been following this issue in several threads across Reddit and the web and am still having consistent issues. I have brand new dual 4k 28" monitors (BENQ EL2870U) and have tried everything I've seen suggested to fix the problems without success.

DUAL MONITOR ISSUES I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING

1. One monitor will flicker lightly (usually the thunderbolt to DisplayPort)
2. The display arrangement in Mac OS will get reset constantly. The system can’t remember the order of the two displays. This happens all the time on restart, or if the Mac mini wakes from sleep. It will also stop showing me the arrangement tab in the display preferences sometimes so I can only select the “Display” or “Color” tabs after this happens.
3. Sometimes the BENQ EL2870U display profiles under the “color” tab in preferences are not present and it only shows a custom profile called “SD 170M-A” or a similar HD version.
4. Both monitors will show a black desktop and FLASH (not flicker) about every 3-5 seconds together. Sometimes I can go to the display preferences and change the settings or enable HDR and it stops (functions normally for a while)
5. Sometimes I will see very slight vertical pixel lines on one of the displays after using it for a while successfully.

I started on Mac OS 11 with Big Sur and was using the stock HDMI cable that came with the monitor along with a USB-C to HDMI cable to run the second display. However, I quickly realized that I needed to use an HDMI cable for one display, and a thunderbolt (USB-c) to display port on the other display for it to work properly, so I purchased 4 different cables to make sure it wasn’t a single brand of cable causing the problems.

I have settled on the following two cables and am currently using these..

1. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RZ8V78S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
2. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CL31FR6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I upgraded to Mac OS 11.1 and it was still happening so I moved to Mac OS 11.2 (beta) and it’s STILL HAPPENING. I would argue it’s actually worse on 11.2 after upgrading and now I’m considering rolling back to 11.1 but I don’t have much confidence that it will fix the issue because it didn’t work prior to the upgrade.

BTW it’s an M1 Mac Mini with 8GM RAM and 512GB HD. Both displays are in 4k @ 60 so they should work from everything I have read. I am considering returning it and trying the 16GB machine to see if it might help solve the issue, but that seems counterintuitive.

Has anyone actually solved this permanently? Anything I have missed here that you would try? It’s incredibly frustrating (to say the least). Not sure if I’ll just need to wait it out, or if I might have a hardware issue, etc.

Any help, tips, etc. is greatly appreciated.

Here is a video I just took of the issue after posting this. https://imgur.com/gallery/p7PVD47

If I use two HDMI cables, it would not work for me, even with the lastest patch. But if I use one HDMI and one DVI, it works fine. I settled for this as of now.

Even though we like Apple products and some of us are willing to be guinea pigs, if that's the word, I still think that at the end of the day, we are consumers and we paid for a product or service.

Basically, you have two monitors connected via HDMI, even though one of them is through the USB-C port. Use the latter port to connect to a monitor via either DVI or VGA. Either of them allowed me to connect to two monitors, with the other monitor connecting via HDMI on the M1 Mac Mini to HDMI on a TV set.

I suspect that two HDMI connections would require a Displaylink and a Displaylink driver, but will not know for sure until I get my hands on both. My goal is to connect three monitors for a Flight Simulator. I have had no trouble getting two to work.