Use imac as a monitor for macbook air

Your macbook air comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a oneyear limited warranty. For example, if you have a macbook pro you could use an imac as the display and for playing audio. You have an old imac that has a perfectly good display. This gives you a bigger screen without needing to buy. 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.

The macbook sees the ipad running air display as a regular second monitor, so the os x settings work as. Wouldnt it be great if you could use it as a second monitor with your new macbook air. Compatible devices include the 2016 macbook, 2018 macbook air or later, 2016 macbook pro, 2018 mac mini, 2015 imac, 2017 imac pro, or 2019 mac pro, running macos catalina. You can, but you may be underwhelmed by the results. 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. Designed with an ultrathin display, the apple macbook air features 66 x 768 resolution on the 11 and 1440 x 900 resolution on the. How to use an old imac as an secondary monitor for macbook. When it comes to excellent 4k monitors, the benq ew3280u is hard to beat, with excellent bang for your buck. Choose apple menu system preferences, click displays, then click the arrangement tab. There are several options but none as good as target d. Pushed by apple, this lg monitor is being endorsed as the preferred companion to your macbook pro and for good reason.

Similar to target disk mode, where one macs internal hard drives can be. 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. As a macbook air owner, youre going to stick with usbc primarily. How to use an imac as an external monitor for a macbook. How to use old imac 20092014 see details in description as secondary monitor for a new imac duration. Use your imac as a display with target display mode system requirements. Both the macbook and ipad must be connected to the same wifi network to use wirelessly. Macbook pro how to use external monitor right from boot. With a large and vibrant screen, imac can work as a great external monitor for pc and macbook. What i need is this strange layout i want to be able to control my imac with my macbook. Youll need a mini displayporttodvi adapter or to vga, hdmi or whatever youre using as the input on your monitor, but dvi is probably the most common. 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. However, with two usba and two hdmi ports also available, you have the flexibility to use the monitor elsewhere.

Your macbook will then see the imac as nothing more than another monitor, and you can use it as you see fit. The best usbc monitor for macbook pro and windows laptops. 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. Monitor compatibility with macbook hp support community. With target display mode, it is possible to use some compatible imac, such as 27inch imac in late 2009, mid 2010, as monitor for macbook pro air. Hi, im currently using my imac 27 as a monitor for my late 20 mbp. I have experienced an issue with a previous monitor that worked with my macbook air but not my macbook hence my query before i purchase.

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. These are some of the toprated options compatible with thunderbolt 3 or usbc, in. This makes total sense and is possible with pretty much any laptop, including the macbook air. Apple originally hinted at the imac being used with dvd and bluray players as an hdtv. 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. 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. Comments computers operating systems software os x 10. Macbook airs do not have hdmi ports without the use of adapters. Since it can charge your macbook, macbook air, or inch macbook pro, and it also features two usba ports, two hdmi ports, a display port, and a headphone jack, making it not only a fantastic monitor but a whole hub for connectivity. I also want to be able to share my ima screen to my. Can i use a mid 2011 27 inch imac thunderbolt as a.

If you have a 27inch imac with a mini displayport, any other mac with a mini displayport or. Now that target display mode is no more, are there. Can i use my macbooks monitor as an external display to a. With apple tv, you can mirror the entire display of your mac to your tv, or use your tv as a separate display.

Using a macbook air as a second monitor apple community. You can view the desktop of your mac on the display of some imac models using target display mode. Restart your system and then close the lid so the lid sensor acknowledges the lid is closed your external display should automatically become the primary display. Combined with the led backlighting, colors appear bright and vibrant from almost any angle, making the macbook air ideal for anyone editing photos, creating a presentation or just watching a movie. Previously with my macbook air i used target display mode and a thunderbolt cable to use the imac as a display. Use an external display with your macbook air apple support.

Some newer imac models cannot be used as external monitor for another mac. If you pump up the configurations, apples 15inch macbook pro laptop and 27inch imac allinone desktop are among the most powerful and. Screen sharing from macbook 12 to imac jessica suttles medium. Apple originally hinted at the imac being used with dvd and blu ray players as an hdtv. Since the new mbp only have usbc connectors does anybody know it this combination will still work and if yes, what adapters hubs may be needed. Connect a macbook to an imacs display with target display. More specifically, youll need at least a 5thgeneration ipad, an ipad air 2, and ipad mini 4, or any ipad pro. Its not very hard to set up a dual monitor desk with a macbook. Smart new features like sidecar, powerful technologies for developers, and your favorite ipad apps, now on mac. Use a 27inch imac with a mini displayport as an external display. Theyre identical to the methods you use for nonapple monitors, and well look at those next. From basics to pro tips, get more out of your new mac with the help of a specialist. I have an imac and i also happen to have a macbook air. You can use an external display, a projector, or an hdtv with your macbook air.

Also, it would be nice to be able to use my bluetooth mouse and keyboard connected to my imac as my equipment while using my imac as a display for my macbook air. How to add a second screen to your mac or macbook macworld. How to use your ipad as a second monitor digital trends. How to set up multiple monitors with your mac cnet. You could probably use a tool like splashtop to extend your pcs desktop over onto the mac.

Learn how to use target display mode to make your imac into a second monitor for your macbook, in a stepbystep process. Ugreen mini displayport to hdmi vga adapter converter 4k thunderbolt 2. The usbc ports on your macbook air support video output. If this fails you may have something deeper here than just a messed up lcd. Buy the right type of displayport adapter cable for your. Connect my 2015 macbook pro to my 2019 imac as an external. 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. Ive had the aluminum imac for a while in the home office and recently upgraded to the aluminum macbook 2. My 11 year old enjoys his monitor he used to play on tv so this monitor is kind of a upgrade. Dual monitors can be very useful, speed up productivity, and all around be fun to use. How to turn your imac into a secondary display the mac. Use the ipad air as a second monitor for mac and windows. It still works on preretina imacs with thunderbolt.

Were also impressed with lgs decision to add multiple ports on this monitor. Target display mode iswas a macos and osx system function that allowed an imac to become a display for another mac. I can use screen sharing via wifi but that is not what i am looking for. The same speediness cant be said about other monitors on the market.

Use a usbc vga multiport adapter to connect the display to a thunderbolt 3 usbc port on your macbook air. Connecting a nonapple monitor to a macbook the easiest nonapple monitor to connect to an air or pro is one with an hdmi output, since most recent mac laptops have an hdmi port. Once you do that, your machine will identify and use the second monitor. I am wondering how i can use my imac 27inch, late 2009 as a external display monitor for my macbook air inch, mid 20. This will not work since target display mode is a feature only available on imacs since 2009. 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. I would like to connect my older macbook air as a second monitor using a thunderbolt cable. If a macbook pro is your primary computer, youre probably going to want a bigscreen monitor for your desktop.

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. 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. Simple ways to connect a macbook to an imac with pictures. How to connect pc monitor to macbook airpro youtube. With target display mode, it is possible to use some compatible imac, such as 27inch imac in late 2009, mid 2010, as monitor for macbook proair. Make sure that the mirror displays checkbox is selected. The best external monitors for your thunderbolt 3 macbook.

Target display mode can turn your 2009 or later imac into a monitor for use with other macs. I suspect my thunderbolt bridge is not configured properly. You can use the lg ultrafine 5k display with these mac models at full 4k resolution. Well, its the biggest cousin that lets you use a macs hard drive like an external drive on. With target monitor mode you can connect two macs together and use one as a second display.