How to use Mac laptop as second monitor

Find out how to connect another display to your Mac.

How to use Mac laptop as second monitor
 

Find out how many displays you can connect

You can connect one or more external displays depending on your Mac model. To find out how many external displays your Mac supports, check its technical specifications page: 

  1. Choose Apple menu  > About This Mac, double-click your serial number, then press Command-C to copy it.
  2. Go to the Tech Specs page, click the Search Tech Specs bar, press Command-V to enter your computer's serial number, then click Search.
  3. Click the specs page for your Mac. The number of displays that your Mac can support appears under Video Support or Graphics.

Mac computers with Apple silicon

On Mac computers with Apple silicon, you can connect up to 5 displays depending on the chip in your Mac. To find out which chip your Mac has, choose Apple menu  > About This Mac. 

If you're using a Mac Studio with M1 Ultra:

  • You can connect up to five external displays to your Mac using the Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) and HDMI ports on the front and back of the computer.

If you're using a Mac with M1 Max:

  • On MacBook Pro, you can connect up to four external displays to your Mac using the Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) and HDMI ports.
  • On Mac Studio, you can connect up to five external displays to your Mac using the Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) and HDMI ports on the back of the computer.

If you're using a Mac with M1 Pro:

  • You can connect up to two external displays to your Mac using the Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) and HDMI ports.

If you're using a Mac computer with the M1 or M2 chip:

  • On MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac mini, you can connect one external display using either of the Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports. On iMac, connect your display to either of the ports with the Thunderbolt symbol 
    How to use Mac laptop as second monitor
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  • On Mac mini, you can connect a second display to the HDMI port.
  • Using docks or daisy-chaining devices doesn't increase the number of displays you can connect.

Connect your display

Connect your display to a power source, then connect your display to your Mac. Check the ports on your Mac to find out whether you need an adaptor. If you're using a USB-C or Thunderbolt adaptor to connect your display, the adaptor must be compliant with DisplayPort Alt Mode, or Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4.

If you're using an external keyboard and mouse with your Mac notebook, you can close the built-in display after you've connected your external display. You may have to press a key or click your mouse to wake the external display. To use your Mac with the display closed, you need to connect your power adaptor or connect an external display that also charges your Mac, such as the Apple Studio Display or 23.7-inch LG UltraFine 4K Display.

If your external display doesn't turn on after you've connected it to your Mac, connect your display while your Mac is turned off, then wake or turn on your Mac.

Use AirPlay

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Published Date: July 01, 2022

For each display, securely connect a video cable (and adapter, if necessary) from a video output port on your Mac to the video input port on the display. See About the video ports.

You can connect one or more external displays, depending on your Mac.

  • For Mac computers with the Apple M1 Chip: You can connect a single external display to your Mac. Docks don’t increase the number of displays you can connect. On a Mac mini with M1 chip, you can connect a second display to the HDMI port. See the Apple Support article Mac computers with Apple silicon.

  • For Mac computers with Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C): You can connect a single display to each port. If you connect multiple Thunderbolt devices to each other, the Thunderbolt 3 display must be the last device in the chain. If your Thunderbolt 3 display has USB ports, those can be used for data and power.

  • For Mac computers with Mini DisplayPort, Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2: You can connect up to two displays. If the displays themselves have Thunderbolt ports, you can connect one display to another, and then connect one of the displays to a Thunderbolt port on your Mac. If your Mac has two Thunderbolt ports, you can connect each display to separate Thunderbolt ports on your Mac. A DisplayPort device must be the last device in a chain of connected Thunderbolt devices. See Connect a display, TV or projector to Mac.

  • For Mac computers with Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) and HDMI ports: You can connect up to four external displays to your Mac, depending on your Mac model. See the Apple Support article Connect a display to your Mac.

Note: Only the device directly connected to your Mac receives power from the computer’s Thunderbolt port. The other devices in the chain must be powered by separate power adapters.