use imac as second monitor for macbook pro

Use Your iMac as a Monitor with Target Display Mode Requirements Select your iMac from the list.Īfter clicking Accept, your MacBook’s screen will display on the iMac. Next, if your MacBook is running Big Sur or later, click on the Control Center icon in the top right corner of your screen and click on the Screen Mirroring button. Connect your iMac to your MacBook Pro with the cable and follow the same steps below. You can also “AirPlay” from Mac to Mac using a USB-C cable, but this option obviously is limited to Macs with USB-C ports. For best results, connect the laptop to the same Wi-Fi network to which your iMac is connected. Check out the FAQs below for more details.Įnsure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled on your MacBook Pro. Note: Apple only officially supports AirPlay Receiver in 2019 or newer iMacs, but it is possible to enable this feature on older iMacs. Once you see the green dot next to AirPlay Receiver in System Preferences, then you know your iMac is ready to serve as a monitor for your MacBook Pro. This adds another layer of protection to help prevent unauthorized access to your Mac. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi must both be enabled on both sender and receiver for this method to work.Įven though AirPlay requires you to enter a four-digit code displayed on the AirPlay receiver Mac, it still might be a good idea to tick the Require password box and enter a password. The former requires both devices to be on the same Wi-Fi network. MacBook Pros older than 2018 can only connect if Anyone on the same network or Everyone is selected.

Use imac as second monitor for macbook pro