Better Touch Tool Different Settings For External Monitor

If you have an external monitor connected to your Mac, you might want to customize its settings to suit your preferences and workflow. For example, you might want to adjust the resolution, orientation, brightness, or color of your display. Or you might want to use different gestures, shortcuts, or actions to control your external monitor.

One of the best apps that can help you do that is BetterTouchTool, a versatile and feature-packed app that lets you configure many gestures, shortcuts, and actions for your external monitor, as well as your Magic Mouse, trackpad, keyboard, Touch Bar, and more.

In this article, we will show you how to use BetterTouchTool to customize your external monitor settings on Mac. We will cover how to:

• Set up BetterTouchTool and connect your external monitor to your Mac
• Configure your external monitor settings with BetterTouchTool
• Use gestures, shortcuts, and actions to control your external monitor
• Troubleshoot common issues with your external monitor and BetterTouchTool

By the end of this article, you will be able to use BetterTouchTool to enhance your productivity and creativity with your external monitor on Mac.

How to Set Up BetterTouchTool and Connect Your External Monitor to Your Mac

Before you can use BetterTouchTool to customize your external monitor settings, you need to download and install the app on your Mac. You can get BetterTouchTool from its official website or from Setapp, a subscription service that gives you access to hundreds of Mac apps.

BetterTouchTool is a shareware app that offers a 45-day free trial, after which you can choose to pay for a license that gives you two years of updates ($9) or a lifetime of updates ($21). Alternatively, you can use Setapp to get BetterTouchTool and other apps for $9.99 per month.

After you have installed BetterTouchTool, you need to connect your external monitor to your Mac. Depending on the type of monitor and Mac you have, you might need an adapter or a cable to connect them. For example, if you have a monitor with an HDMI port and a Mac with a Thunderbolt 3 port, you will need a Thunderbolt 3 to HDMI adapter or cable.

To connect your external monitor to your Mac, follow these steps:

• Plug one end of the cable or adapter into your monitor and the other end into your Mac.
• Turn on your monitor and your Mac.
• Your Mac should automatically detect your monitor and show your desktop on both screens. If not, go to System Preferences > Displays and click Detect Displays.
• Press the Option key and click the Scaled button to see the available resolutions for your monitor. Choose the one that suits your needs and preferences.
• You can also adjust the brightness, color, and rotation of your monitor from the Display preferences.

How to Configure Your External Monitor Settings with BetterTouchTool

Once you have connected your external monitor to your Mac, you can use BetterTouchTool to customize its settings with gestures, shortcuts, and actions. BetterTouchTool allows you to create different presets for different scenarios, such as working, gaming, or watching videos. You can also assign different settings to different apps, such as Safari, Photoshop, or Spotify.

To configure your external monitor settings with BetterTouchTool, follow these steps:

• Launch BetterTouchTool and click the Preferences icon in the menu bar.
• In the Preferences window, click the + button at the bottom left to create a new preset. Give it a name and a description.
• In the left sidebar, click the + button next to Select Application and choose All Apps or a specific app that you want to customize.
• In the right panel, click the + button next to Select Trigger and choose a trigger type, such as Keyboard Shortcut, Trackpad Gesture, or Mouse Button. You can also use the search field to find a specific trigger.
• In the popup window, enter or select the trigger that you want to use, such as Command + F1, Three Finger Swipe Up, or Middle Mouse Button. Click Save.
• In the right panel, click the + button next to Predefined Action and choose an action type, such as Display Brightness, Move Window to Next Monitor, or Launch Application. You can also use the search field to find a specific action.
• In the popup window, enter or select the parameters for the action, such as the brightness level, the window size, or the application path. Click Save.
• Repeat steps 4 to 7 to add more triggers and actions to your preset. You can also drag and drop the triggers and actions to reorder them.
• To activate your preset, click the BetterTouchTool icon in the menu bar and choose the preset from the dropdown list. You can also assign a keyboard shortcut or a gesture to switch between presets.

How to Use Gestures, Shortcuts, and Actions to Control Your External Monitor

After you have configured your external monitor settings with BetterTouchTool, you can use the gestures, shortcuts, and actions that you have created to control your external monitor. For example, you can:

• Use a keyboard shortcut to change the resolution of your monitor
• Use a trackpad gesture to adjust the brightness of your monitor
• Use a mouse button to move a window from one monitor to another
• Use a Touch Bar button to launch an app on your monitor
• Use a Siri Remote to control the volume of your monitor

To use the gestures, shortcuts, and actions that you have created, simply perform them on your Mac. For example, if you have assigned Command + F1 to change the resolution of your monitor, press Command + F1 on your keyboard. If you have assigned Three Finger Swipe Up to adjust the brightness of your monitor, swipe up with three fingers on your trackpad.

You can also use the BetterTouchTool HUD (heads-up display) to see the triggers and actions that you have assigned to your monitor. To enable the HUD, go to BetterTouchTool Preferences > Basic Settings > General and check the box next to Show HUD Overlay. You can also customize the appearance and position of the HUD from the same menu.

How to Troubleshoot Common Issues with Your External Monitor and BetterTouchTool

Sometimes, you might encounter some issues with your external monitor and BetterTouchTool, such as:

• Your monitor is not detected by your Mac or BetterTouchTool
• Your monitor is blurry, flickering, or distorted
• Your monitor is not showing the correct colors or brightness
• Your gestures, shortcuts, or actions are not working as expected
• Your BetterTouchTool preferences are corrupted or lost

To troubleshoot these issues, you can try the following solutions:

• Check your cables and adapters and make sure they are properly connected and compatible with your monitor and Mac.
• Check for updates for your Mac, monitor, and BetterTouchTool and install them if available.
• Restart your Mac and your monitor and see if the issue persists.
• Reset the NVRAM (non-volatile random-access memory) and the SMC (system management controller) on your Mac. These are components that store and control settings related to your display, keyboard, mouse, and other peripherals. To reset the NVRAM, shut down your Mac and then turn it on and immediately press and hold Option + Command + P + R for about 20 seconds. To reset the SMC, follow the instructions on this Apple support page.
• Reconfigure your external monitor settings from System Preferences > Displays and BetterTouchTool Preferences > Display.
• Delete and recreate your BetterTouchTool presets or restore them from a backup. To delete a preset, go to BetterTouchTool Preferences and click the – button next to the preset name. To restore a preset, go to BetterTouchTool Preferences > Manage Presets and click Import Preset.
• Contact the BetterTouchTool support team or the Mac or monitor manufacturer for further assistance.

FAQs on Better Touch Tool Different Settings For External Monitor:

Conclusion

BetterTouchTool is a powerful app that lets you customize your external monitor settings on Mac with gestures, shortcuts, and actions. You can use it to adjust the resolution, brightness, color, and orientation of your monitor, as well as to control it with your mouse, trackpad, keyboard, Touch Bar, or Siri Remote. You can also create different presets for different scenarios and apps, and switch between them easily.

To use BetterTouchTool to customize your external monitor settings, you need to:

• Download and install BetterTouchTool on your Mac
• Connect your external monitor to your Mac
• Configure your external monitor settings with BetterTouchTool
• Use gestures, shortcuts, and actions to control your external monitor
• Troubleshoot common issues with your external monitor and BetterTouchTool

We hope this article has helped you learn how to use BetterTouchTool to customize your external monitor settings on Mac. If you have any questions or feedback, please let us know in the comments below.