The resolutions that
letterbox your screen?
You never see them.

PixMode switches your display resolution from the macOS menu bar. It leaves out every mode whose aspect ratio doesn't match your display, so you won't pick one, see black bars appear, and switch back.

Download (free) GitHub

macOS 14 or later / Universal (Apple silicon & Intel) / No purchase, no account

FinderFileEdit

100%15:04

Click the menu bar icon and this is what opens. The letterboxing modes aren't in it.

What macOS lists

132 modes

3024 × 1964✓
1920 × 1080bars
1800 × 1169✓
1680 × 1050bars
1600 × 900bars
1512 × 982✓
1440 × 900bars
1352 × 878✓
1280 × 720bars
…123 more

What PixMode lists

9 modes

3024 × 1964current
1800 × 1169✓
1512 × 982✓
1352 × 878✓
1147 × 745✓
1024 × 665✓

Only the modes whose ratio matches survive. Shown for a 14-inch MacBook Pro, abbreviated.

78 of 132 modes put bars on screen

Counted straight from what CoreGraphics returns, including the modes System Settings never shows you.

132 modes CoreGraphics returns Every combination of resolution, refresh rate and HiDPI flag.

78 modes that letterbox Their aspect ratio doesn't match the panel, so black bars fill what's left.

9 modes PixMode shows Duplicates folded together, leaving the ones worth choosing.

Measured on a 14-inch MacBook Pro (native 3024 × 1964). The numbers differ by model and by the displays you have attached.

Why the bars appear

Every panel has its own aspect ratio: 1.54 : 1 on a 14-inch MacBook Pro, 1.78 : 1 on an iMac, 2.39 : 1 on an ultrawide. Choose a resolution that doesn't match, and the leftover area is painted black. The macOS list makes no distinction — the mismatched modes sit there looking exactly like the rest.

3024 × 1964 — ratio matches

When the ratio matches, you get the whole panel.

1920 × 1080 — ratio doesn't match

Put 16 : 9 on a 1.54 : 1 panel and the top and bottom stay black.

PixMode reads each display's native ratio at runtime and drops the modes that don't match it. Nothing is hard-coded, so the same test works on external displays and ultrawides.

What it does

One click from the menu bar

It lives in the menu bar only — no Dock icon, no app switcher entry.

Survives a restart

The mode is written permanently, so quitting PixMode or rebooting the Mac won't revert it.

Keeps the 1× modes

Non-Retina modes stay in the list, marked as such — they're the only way to gain real screen space. Hide them in settings if you'd rather not see them.

Notices displays coming and going

Plug in or unplug an external display and the list is rebuilt. Nothing to refresh by hand.

11 languages

English, Japanese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Russian.

Updates itself

It notices new versions on its own, and only installs builds notarized by Apple.

It never touches your other apps

At one point PixMode also adjusted font sizes in Finder and Terminal to match the resolution. Writing those settings right after a mode change overloaded Finder and froze it, app and all. The convenience wasn't worth the risk, so that feature is gone.

As a result PixMode asks for no accessibility permission and no automation permission. Install it, launch it, and you'll never see a permission dialog.

Install

Open the DMG and drag PixMode to your Applications folder. It's notarized by Apple, so the first launch goes through without a warning.

Download (free) Source code

macOS 14 or later / Universal (Apple silicon & Intel)

Questions

Is it really free?

Yes. No paid tier, no feature limits, no expiry, no account.

Does it ask for permissions?

No. It has no feature that controls other apps or records the screen, so accessibility and screen recording permissions aren't needed.

Does it work with external displays?

It does. Each display's native ratio is measured separately, so ultrawides get the same treatment. Connecting and disconnecting is detected automatically.

Does the resolution stick after a reboot?

It does. The mode is written permanently, so it survives quitting PixMode and restarting the Mac.

Where are my settings stored?

On your Mac, and nowhere else. PixMode sends no data out. It reaches the network only to check for updates.

Why are non-Retina modes in the list?

macOS only provides HiDPI up to 1800 × 1169; anything wider exists at 1× only. Since that's the only way to actually gain workspace, those modes stay in the list marked “non-Retina”. You can hide them in settings.