Many Displays: Zero-Click Restoration of Mac Window Layouts

Mac users often face this frustration: after closing the lid to sleep, unlocking the screen, or reconnecting a monitor, all window positions and sizes get scrambled—especially when using multiple monitors of the same model, which macOS may even randomly swap. Many Displays, ranked #6 on Product Hunt, aims to solve this pain point—no saving layouts, no naming schemes, no clicks needed; windows automatically return to their places.

Core Feature: Effortless Window Position Restoration

The design philosophy of Many Displays is to "quietly remember each window's position (monitor, coordinates, size) and automatically restore it when the Mac wakes, unlocks, or reconnects a monitor." Users only need to grant Accessibility permission once, and after that, no further action is required.

Unlike traditional window management tools that require manual saving and naming of layouts, Many Displays runs entirely in the background and offers no "save" or "load" buttons. The official description emphasizes "nothing to save, no layouts to name, no buttons to click"—this zero-interaction design is very appealing to efficiency-focused users.

Solving Real Pain Points for Multi-Monitor Users

Window management in multi-monitor environments has always been a hassle. After monitors are reconnected, macOS often stacks windows onto the main screen or shuffles their assignments between screens. When users have two identical monitors, the system cannot reliably distinguish them, causing windows to jump randomly between the two screens.

Many Displays specifically addresses this scenario: it distinguishes identical monitors through hardware information such as port, ensuring windows return to the correct physical screen. For laptop users who frequently plug and unplug monitors, or desktop users with multiple external monitors of the same model, this feature directly hits the need.

macOS distinguishes monitors based on EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) and monitor serial numbers, but some manufacturers (especially for batch products of the same model) write identical identification information, preventing the system from reliably mapping physical screens to logical display numbers. Many Displays instead reads the port path to which the monitor is connected (e.g., USB-C/Thunderbolt port location) as an auxiliary identifier. This information can be obtained through CGDisplay-related APIs in macOS's IOKit framework, thereby establishing a more stable screen identity mapping outside the system level.

Privacy and Pricing: Local Operation, One-Time Purchase

Many Displays emphasizes no cloud sync, no account system, and all data kept locally. This aligns with some users' preference for privacy and offline tools, and also means it works without an internet connection.

Pricing is a one-time purchase of $19, with a 14-day free trial. Compared to subscription-based tools, the one-time purchase model is more friendly to long-term users. The product received 90 upvotes on Product Hunt, ranking #6 for the day, with category tags including Mac, Productivity, GitHub, and Menu Bar App.

Accessibility API is a highly sensitive permission in macOS's privacy protection system; once granted, the app can read and manipulate other apps' windows, controls, and input events. Many Displays needs this permission to enumerate window coordinates and sizes and perform position adjustments, so users must manually check it in "System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility." For users with strict permission management, they can periodically review this list or disable authorization when not needed, but disabling it will make the automatic restoration feature ineffective.

Differences from Similar Tools

There are already window management tools like Moom and Rectangle on the market, but most require users to manually trigger layouts or set shortcuts. Many Displays differentiates itself through fully automatic restoration and specialized optimization for identifying identical monitors. If the user's core need is "do nothing and windows come back on their own," this tool is worth trying. However, since it relies on Accessibility permission, it may pose a barrier for users with strict permission management.

Who It's For

MacBook users who frequently move between their desk and meeting rooms and need to repeatedly plug and unplug monitors; creators using dual or multiple screens with monitors of the same model; and efficiency enthusiasts who want to reduce window organization time and focus on work. If you only occasionally connect an external monitor, the system's built-in memory feature may suffice, but with multiple screens + same model combinations, Many Displays' value becomes more apparent.

One-line Summary

Many Displays automatically restores Mac window positions with zero interaction, specifically addressing multi-monitor and same-model screen disorder issues.

Paragraph Summary

Many Displays is a window management tool for Mac that automatically restores each window's monitor assignment, coordinates, and size after lid-close sleep, screen unlock, or monitor reconnection. Users only need to grant Accessibility permission once, and it runs in the background. It targets the pain points of macOS stacking windows onto the main screen in multi-monitor setups and randomly swapping identical monitors, using hardware information such as port to reliably distinguish physical screens. The product has no cloud sync, no account system, keeps data local, and is priced at a one-time $19 purchase with a 14-day trial. Unlike tools like Moom and Rectangle that require manual triggers, its differentiation lies in fully automatic restoration and optimized identification of identical monitors, suitable for MacBook users who frequently plug and unplug monitors and multi-screen creators.