Identify which Apple adapter and cable you need to connect the Mac and the monitor by following the guidance in the Which Port section below.

The steps are relatively simple, but as you will see the first step is the hardest! Luckily once you know what wire you need to connect your MacBook to your monitor it should be plain sailing.

That’s even before you have studied the ports on the back or the display to work out what connector is required there. This is one of those things that should be easy, but because over the years Apple has changed the ports on Macs it can be difficult to know what connectors you actually need in order to connect a monitor to your Mac. How to connect an external monitor to a Mac You may also be interested in how to use an old iMac as a second display. To find out more see: How to use the same mouse and keyboard with two Macs.Īnother thing to bear in mind if you were hoping to add two external displays to your Mac is that while some Macs can support up to five additional displays, the M1 Macs, including the MacBook Air and 13in MacBook Pro can only support one additional display – although there is a workaround, read: How to connect two or more external displays to Apple M1 Macs.

In Monterey Apple added the ability to use one keyboard and mouse with two Macs, or a Mac and iPad, which could suit your new way of working. We look at how to use your iPad as a screen for your Mac in a separate article, along with which iPads and Macs support the feature. This may suit you if you don’t already own an external screen, but note that you do need a supported Mac and iPad.

It is also possible to use an iPad as a second screen – an option that Apple added in macOS Catalina, and then enhanced in macOS Monterey.

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