Pull the plug.
Without the plug.
A tiny, free menu bar app that turns your external displays off and on with a single switch.
$ brew install --cask iltekin/tap/unplug
Try the switches.
One job, done properly.
Unplug doesn't dim the screen or cover it with a black window. It disconnects the display, so macOS treats it exactly as if you had pulled the cable.
A real disconnect
The monitor gets no signal and goes to sleep. Your windows move to the screens that are still on.
Never left in the dark
Your built-in screen always stays on and the last active display can't be switched off.
Restart brings it back
Changes last for the current session. Log out or restart and every display is back on.
Lives in the menu bar
No Dock icon, no windows. It launches at login and stays out of your way.
Universal & lightweight
A single small native binary for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. No background services.
Free & open source
MIT licensed, signed and notarized by Apple. Read every line on GitHub.
Up and running in a minute.
Install with Homebrew or download the app directly.
Install
Run brew install --cask iltekin/tap/unplug or download the zip and move Unplug to Applications.
Open it once
Unplug appears in your menu bar and from now on starts automatically when you log in.
Flip a switch
Click the two-displays icon and turn any external display off or back on.
Questions
Short answers to the things people ask most.
How is this different from dimming or turning the brightness down?
Dimming keeps the display connected, so windows can still end up on it and the monitor keeps drawing power. Unplug disconnects the display in software: macOS stops sending it a signal and removes it from your desktop until you switch it back on.
Can I turn off my MacBook's built-in screen?
No, on purpose. If the built-in screen were off and you unplugged your external monitor, you'd be left with no screen at all. Unplug only controls external displays.
What happens if I unplug a monitor that Unplug turned off?
It simply disappears from the list. Plug it back in and it shows up again.
Why isn't it on the Mac App Store?
Disconnecting a display relies on a private macOS function (CGSConfigureDisplayEnabled) that App Store apps aren't allowed to use. Unplug is signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple instead, so it opens without warnings.
How do I stop it from launching at login?
Remove Unplug in System Settings → General → Login Items. To uninstall completely, run brew uninstall --zap unplug or drag the app to the Trash.