Can I switch one display between grayscale and normal output with a shortcut?

Yes. On a supported Apple silicon display connection, use BetterDisplay’s Display Framebuffer Mode action in macOS Shortcuts. Select the display and choose Grayscale Appearance. Create a second Shortcut with Standard Appearance to return to normal output.

Assign each Shortcut a keyboard combination if desired. These actions set a specific appearance, so repeating the grayscale action keeps grayscale enabled. BetterDisplay must be running.

If you prefer shell commands, the same operations are available through the CLI:

/Applications/BetterDisplay.app/Contents/MacOS/BetterDisplay perform -name="Desk Display" -grayscaleFramebuffer

/Applications/BetterDisplay.app/Contents/MacOS/BetterDisplay perform -name="Desk Display" -standardFramebuffer

Replace Desk Display with the intended display’s name and adjust the app path if installed elsewhere. You can run either command from a Run Shell Script action in Shortcuts.

The display must be connected through a compatible framebuffer. Some display connections do not support this action, even on Apple silicon.

The action changes how the framebuffer displays colors. To choose RGB or YCbCr signal encoding instead, use the Color Mode action.

Standard Appearance removes the framebuffer grayscale or inversion remapping. It does not reset other image adjustments or the monitor’s own picture settings. See Color Mode for the available display operations and CLI integration for command setup.