How to use an inexpensive tv set as a monitor for your mac. Simple ways to connect a macbook to an imac with pictures. Use an imac as a monitor or extended display for your macbook pro. With target monitor mode you can connect two macs together and use one as a second display. How to use a second screen with a mac, connect a monitor. Target display mode is a feature thats designed specifically for those who own two or more macs, as it allows you to use your imac as the. I cant find a compatible usbc to displayport thunderbolt 2 cable or adapter. For the the second external monitor 2007 imac i just shared the primary screen of the laptop, then connected to that laptop from the imac, and wow, there it is. You can view the desktop of your mac on the display of some imac models using target display mode. After connecting the computers and turning on target display mode, the external display mac acts like any other external display. However, before we begin, you need to make sure that the imac is compatible with your pc.
If youre looking for a simple monitor for occasional use, the lg 29um69gb is the best budget macbook pro monitor that weve tested so far. The 27inch imac has a bidirectional mini displayport or a thunderbolt port depending on the model that can be used to drive a second monitor. I like the portability of the macbook pro but love the display of the imac 5k. Ive had the aluminum imac for a while in the home office and recently upgraded to the aluminum macbook 2. How to turn your imac into a secondary display the mac. It can be annoying to use flash drives to transfer content, so youll be pleased to know mac has provided an inbuilt feature to connect devices that are on. Wouldnt it be great if you could use it as a second monitor with your new macbook air. Hi all, new imac user here, spec as per my signature. How to use an old imac as an secondary monitor for macbook.
You can, but you may be underwhelmed by the results. Connecting another mac to your imac the 27inch imac has a bidirectional mini displayport or a thunderbolt port depending on the model that can be used to drive a second monitor. Step 2 plug one end of the compatible cable into the hdmi, display port. If an airplay passcode appears on your tv screen, enter the passcode on your mac. As i said, the easiest way to hook up an external monitor or a tv to your macbook would be to run an hdmi cable from either a monitor or tv directly to your mac. Target monitor mode to use an imac as an external monitor target monitor mode is a feature introduced by apple in the latest versions of the operating system. If your imac has a mini displayport or thunderbolt port, you can use it as an external display for another computer. Use imac monitor for macbook display by alma3000 dec 28, 2010 11.
How to add a second screen to your mac or macbook macworld. How do i connect an external monitor to my macbook air because the macbook air and the imac use the same apple mini displayport technology to connect to external monitors, the process of connecting an external monitor to a macbook air is nearly the same as connecting a dual monitor to an imac. The processes shown in activity monitor can be user apps, system apps used by macos, or invisible background processes. For example, a macbook pro could use a 27inch imac as the display and play its audio on the imac as well. Is it possible to use macbook as a display for mac pro. To use imac as second monitor for pc, first you should make sure that your imac can be used as a display. I want to use my imac 2017 running mojave as a second monitor for my macbook pro mid 2012 running yosemite. Now that target display mode is no more, are there. Here are the imacs that can be used as a second monitor. How to use an imac as a monitor for pc tech junkie. If you want to try and maintain the same level of definition as your current display, here are the best 4k monitors for your mac. The best usbc monitor for macbook pro and windows laptops.
Turn off your imac and pc and plug the cable into the thunderbolt, hdmi, or display port on your windows laptop or desktop. If you pump up the configurations, apples 15inch macbook pro laptop and 27inch imac allinone desktop are among the most powerful and. This wikihow teaches you how to use your imac as a monitor for a macbook, as well as how to share files and printers between both computers. Use a 27inch imac with a mini displayport as an external display connect the mini displayport cable to the ports on each mac.
Connect my 2015 macbook pro to my 2019 imac as an external. You can use one to charge the laptop and the other, with an. If you have both a macbook and an imac, you can use the imac as a display for the macbook, or use an imac as a display for another imac. Target display mode can turn your 2009 or later imac into a monitor for use with other macs. At this point, your imac should recognise the digital video signal, and enter target display mode automatically. How to use an imac as an external monitor for a macbook. Step 3 plug the other end of the cable to mini displayport or thunderbolt connector on your imac. This gives you a bigger screen without needing to buy. Press commandf2 on the keyboard of the external display imac.
The cost of a macbook pro and a nice display is pretty comparable to a. Use an imac as an external monitor or extended display for your macbook pro. Its not well known, but, for example, a macbook proair can connect to and drive a 27inch imac display either as an additional display or mirror mode using whats called target display mode tdm. It has a smaller, 29 inch screen, and a simpler 2560x1080 resolution, so it isnt as wellsuited as the lg 32ud99w or dell u3818dw for multitasking. Pushed by apple, this lg monitor is being endorsed as the preferred companion to your macbook pro and for good reason.
This wikihow teaches you how to use your imac as a monitor for a macbook, as well as how to share. If you have an imac made in mid2011 or later, then one thing you can do with it is to use it as an external monitor. There are several options but none as good as target d. Mirror your display or use your tv as a separate display. If you want to see the content on your macbook on a large imac screen, or work on some file stored in your imac while on the go, you might want to connect your imac to your macbook pro. I have read so many forum pages with conflicting views that i am now pretty confused on hopefully a simple matter. Ive got a 15 macbook pro 2018 and i want to use an old 21. With target display mode you can use the imac as a display for the macbook, or use an imac as a display for another imac. Mac pro using 2007 imac as secondary display macrumors. It is possible with the help of an adapter and cable. Use the five category tabs at the top of the activity monitor window to see how processes are affecting your mac in each category. How to use activity monitor on your mac apple support. Using an imac late 2012 as a monitor fo apple community. Based on this, we consider the lg 27uk850w the best monitor you can currently buy for the apple.
And with that, some users are asking if they can use imac as a monitor for pc. Learn how to use target display mode to make your imac into a second monitor for your macbook, in a stepbystep process. When it comes time to purchase an external monitor for your macbook air, there are several things to keep in mind, including display performance, size, and price. Each year at imore, we look at the newest monitors and put them through the paces. How to use my imac as a display monitor for my ps4 quora. Is there an accessory which can connect my macbook to my imac in target display mode. Note that on most macs, the fkeys are assigned to a system function by default, so you will either have to revert this in the keyboard system. Aside from that, you can also make use of the target display mode for you to be able to connect your macbook to some other versions of mac such as the ones that are in late 2009 or a version that is in the mid2010. My 11 year old enjoys his monitor he used to play on tv so this monitor is kind of a upgrade. Your mac or macbooks display is already gorgeous, but if youre in the market for a second display or even something larger than what you have, a 4k monitor is a massive step in the right direction. Using imac as an external monitor to my macbook pro. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. With your external display s connected, launch system preferences displays. Use your imac as a display with target display mode system requirements.
Similar to target disk mode, where one macs internal hard drives can be. If your laptop is a current macbook pro or macbook air then this isnt a problem because you have two usbc ports on your computer. Hi i have a 20 imac and im wondering if i can use it as a monitor to my macbook pro 2017 inch. System requirements a mac notebook or desktop with a mini displayport or thunderbolt port. If you want the imac to play audio as well as video from. Click and hold on a display to show a red outline on the corresponding monitor. You have an old imac that has a perfectly good display. A quick and easy way on how to use imac as monitor for pc. It still works on preretina imacs with thunderbolt. I just answered by a verified mac support specialist.
I need to use a dell laptop work purposes and i would really like to reduce my. Well, its the biggest cousin that lets you use a macs hard drive like an external drive on. Hey guys, im a designer looking to get a new setup. I remember when thunderbolt came out there was a lot of discussion of how it had interesting magical bidirectional capabilities. Examine the video ports on the imac and the mac computer you plan to use as. Apple doesnt make a usbc to mini displayport adapter, so you wont be able to connect a 2016 or later macbook pro to the apple cinema display, or any other monitor that uses a mini display port. In some cases, you can also use target display mode to play the sound from your mac called the primary mac on the speakers of the external imac. I know this is really many months after the original post question, but i.
For example, if you have a macbook pro you could use an imac as the display and for playing audio. If your mac has thunderbolt 3 usbc ports, you can connect it using the apple thunderbolt 3 usbc to thunderb. If you have an imac made in mid2011 or later, here is how you can use it as an external monitor. You can use it as a secondary monitor for your mac with apples. I have an macbook pro that i am running most of my programs on and wondered if i can hook it up to my 24 inch imac. Some newer imac models cannot be used as external monitor for another mac. It is simple to connect an imac monitor to a macbook, but you will need to get some things ready before you can use imac as monitor for pc. How to connect an imac to a macbook pro toms guide forum. If it doesnt enter this mode automatically, theres a few fixes you can try. How to use my imac 2017 as a second monitor for my macbook. Still, it can be quite compelling to see your mac mini making use of your older 27inch imac as a display, or for troubleshooting an imac having display issues. Target display mode iswas a macos and osx system function that allowed an imac to become a display for another mac.
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