Can I Use My Macbook As A Monitor

Every time Apple introduces a new MacBook, they amend the display. Whether it be the pixel density, brightness, or support for colors, the MacBook brandish gets better almost every twelvemonth.

Many don't bother with the born screen much, instead opting to treat their MacBooks every bit desktop computers tethered to an external monitor or two. Who could arraign them? The MacBook monitor may exist one of the best attached to a laptop, but even the largest size is underwhelming stacked next to a big desktop brandish.

Desktop monitors come in a ton of sizes, orientations, and support far more features than a MacBook screen tin (or should). Depending on your utilize case or needs, connecting your MacBook to a monitor may exist the perfect desktop environment for you lot.

Here we'll talk over how to connect MacBook Air to monitor, why a second monitor for MacBook Pro is a great option and how to connect MacBook Pro to monitor of your choosing, and how to keep your Mac running shine no affair what your setup is.

How to connect an external monitor to a Mac

Before yous connect MacBook to monitor, its best to know which MacBook external monitors y'all can use. Not all monitors work with all MacBooks, so arranging your perfect setup may require you to reconsider which monitor (or monitors) you use.

Here'southward how to bank check which monitors your MacBook supports:

From your Mac carte du jour bar, select the Apple logo at the top left corner
Select "Well-nigh This Mac" from the menu
Choose the "Back up" tab from the pinnacle of the window that appears
Tap on "Specifications" adjacent to Mac Resources

connect macbook to monitor

This opens a webpage with details on the number of displays your MacBook supports nether the "Video Support or Graphics" section.

Apple notes that MacBooks with Apple Silicon fries are currently limited to one external display linked via i of the Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports; a happy feature for those who wish to connect MacBook Air to monitor every bit you tin can use whatsoever port. The Mac Mini can back up a second external display via its HDMI port. (We await this volition alter every bit Apple Silicon matures and finds its way to the MacBook Pro.)

In one case you lot sympathize just which monitors – and how many – you tin connect, simply make sure your external monitors are continued to a ability source (if necessary) and connect them to your MacBook via the wired connection available to you depending on the year your MacBook was fabricated.

Configure your external monitor

Whether you're using an external monitor equally your only monitor or in conjunction with your MacBook monitor, at that place are a few things to proceed in mind:

You can conform your MacBook monitors however you like. In the steps beneath, we outline how to arrange your MacBook and external monitors. Once y'all know how to connect a MacBook to a monitor, configuring them is the adjacent step.
Shut your MacBook and keep working. Once you connect MacBook to monitor, you tin can choose to shut its lid to make the external monitor your merely brandish. This will keep your MacBook powered on and awake – just retrieve to make certain information technology'south continued to a power source, or is throughput charging via the monitors connected to power.
Y'all volition have the same options and settings. Display brightness, warmth, and Nighttime Shift are all customizable when yous connect an external display or two.
The monitor's settings are also bachelor. Monitors that support features like in-plane switching (IPS) and other features will as well be available.

Here'south how to configure your external monitor for utilize with whatever MacBook:

Plug in your external brandish to a ability source
Plug your external display into your MacBook
Ensure the external display (or both, if you're able to employ 2 displays) is active and on
From your Mac menu bar, select the Apple logo at the peak left corner
Choose "System Preferences" from the drib down menu
Select "Displays"

macbook display configuration

This is where things become dynamic. With more than one external monitor connected, your MacBook screen volition open multiple windows. In the screenshot beneath, we're using two external monitors with the MacBook airtight; this makes the 2 external monitors our only monitors.

external monitor macbook

Your MacBook will e'er be the 'principal' display when information technology's open and available. If you have an external monitor connected, it volition open up up a second menu that is unique to that monitor; only your chief monitor will have the "organisation" and "Night Shift" options available. Because a 2nd monitor is how to extend screen on Mac, Night Shift settings will be reflected there every bit it's a system wide characteristic.

Organisation is controlled via the primary monitor because how you suit monitors is always dependent on their relationship to that primary monitor. You can have them side by side, or stacked. If you drag 1 monitor over the other in the system field, information technology will mirror the displays.

However you lot arrange them, know your mouse or trackpad cursor will follow that organization; a side by side arrangement, for case, will let you to elevate your cursor off one screen and onto the other bundled next to it. This helps an external monitor experience like a true extension of your MacBook screen, or for two external displays to piece of work in unison.

Using an external monitor can cause your MacBook to work harder than it'southward used to. All the pixels being pushed around and colors changing tin can exist taxing on your machine. This is why you lot need iStat Menus.

iStat Menus for Mac makes its home in your Mac'southward carte bar, only actualization when you click on its icon. From there, it surfaces a handy driblet-downward carte that gives you lot details on your network, CPU, retentiveness, and sensor operation. Hover over whatever section and iStat Menus will provide even more particular on what's happening with your Mac.

You tin hover over any section in that sub-menu to bring up even more than data most your Mac, as well! iStat Menus lets you lot dive as deep as you lot like into your Mac's performance without bothering you lot. If your Mac was running slow subsequently linking a monitor up, the CPU sub-card with its handy GPU information may provide yous with data on whether the monitor is to arraign or not.

istat menus mac

Which port to use on my Mac

This is dependent on both your Mac and the monitor y'all have.

Modern MacBooks use Thunderbolt connections, which accept the USB-C connection. Any monitor that works via a USB-C cable should work with your MacBook.

To connect to your MacBook, a skillful rule of pollex is to utilise the port (or ports) closest to the rear of the MacBook. These are considered 'power' ports and were designed to support external displays. Some lower-end displays may work on the other ports as well.

For a Mac Mini, iMac, or Mac Pro, other connexion types like HDMI may be bachelor.

Adapters to use to connect the monitor to a Mac

There are a wide diverseness of adapters that may be available to you. HDMI to USB-C, USB-C to DVI, VGA to USB-C, USB to USB-C, USB-C to DAV – the possibilities seem endless.

Be sure to purchase any adapters from respected retailers. Read the reviews; someone may annotation their adapter wouldn't work for the aforementioned purpose you need information technology for. Not all adapters are created as, and so try to discover one with cracking reviews and user feedback that's positive.

Yous may want to try a dissimilar cable, too. Instead of an adapter, search for cables that may piece of work for your monitor to Mac setup instead.

Common problems

There are a few common issues with using an external monitor with your MacBook:

The monitor doesn't plow on. Recollect to attempt dissimilar ports, and default to the ones at the rear of your MacBook.
The monitor isn't where yous want information technology to exist. If your monitor physically sits to the left of your MacBook and you lot want to extend the display in that arrangement, retrieve to follow the steps above to go into System Settings and arrange your displays properly.
The MacBook won't work when you close the lid. Think that your MacBook only supports an external monitor being the simply display when it's connected to a power supply. Yous may be able to proceed it continued to power via your monitor, but that'due south not a sure bet.

There may likewise be some settings keeping your external monitor from working properly. This is why information technology'southward a neat thought to download CleanMyMac X.

CleanMyMac 10 keeps your Mac working in perfect condition, and has a deep clean function that resets arrangement settings for you lot. If there's something blocking your monitor from working with your Mac, chances are CleanMyMac X can find and ready the issue.

Beyond monitor settings, CleanMyMac Ten is excellent at ensuring your Mac stays gratuitous of unwanted or unnecessary files, provides a way to delete apps from your Mac completely with a few taps, identifying and removing malware, viewing your storage in a visual graph, and optimizing your Mac for speed. It's the app every Mac possessor should accept.

clean my mac

No matter how many monitors you have, the carte du jour bar will display on each screen. Why non keep information technology squeamish and tidy with Bartender?

Bartender hides your menu bar icons behind a single three-dot card, allowing you to rearrange those icons still yous similar. If you're a keyboard warrior, Bartender supports hotkey switching, and the ability to navigate through apps using the keyboard arrow keys. You can too gear up commands to launch your favorite apps with a few keystrokes!

Conclusion

CleanMyMac X, Bartender, and iStat Menus are three of the over 200 great Mac apps available for free during a week-long trial of Setapp.

During your trial, y'all can use all of the apps in the Setapp catalog for gratis. When your vii day trial menstruum ends, continued access to the massive (and growing) Setapp suite is only $9.99 per calendar month. It's an amazing bargain, so don't wait – attempt Setapp now!