How to Use Your Old iMac as an External Monitor

hi guys this is Mike here at Mac Observer and today I'll show you how to use your old iMac as an external monitor Apple products have a reputation for lasting longer than others no matter what eventually you will have to upgrade to a newer machine but what if your iMac is still working we will explain how to repurpose your old iMac as an external monitor all you need is an old iMac that supports Target display mode Apple added the feature on iMac sold after 2009. the caveat is that Apple retired the target display mode with Retina displays however there is a Nifty workout just for this we have listed the basic system requirements in multiple ways to use the old iMac as an external monitor if you are looking to use your iMac as a secondary display you will need a few things to prepare your entire setup what are those things the source Mac must be running Mac OS Catalina 10.15 or earlier the 27 inch iMacs which are display mode compatible usually feature a thunderbolt port or a bi-directional Mini DisplayPort so depending on which Port is present in your iMac you will need the Thunderbolt or the Mini DisplayPort cable to facilitate the connection between the two Max the Mac OS on the iMac should be High Sierra 10 13.6 or earlier the source Mac must be running Mac OS Catalina 10.15 or earlier the iMac models released over the years 2011 and 2014 are all compatible with functioning as a secondary display 2009-2010 27-inch Mac that has a Mini DisplayPort 2011 to 2014 iMac that has a thunderbolt Port the target display mode feature TDM allows specific iMac models that have Thunderbolt or Mini DisplayPort interface to function as an external secondary monitor for another Mac the ladder Mac models do not have this feature because the power and Port sustainability was becoming an issue with an increase in display quality let me show you how to enable Target display mode and use your iMac as a secondary display follow the steps below to connect the two Max and set up Target display mode turn on both the display iMac and the source Mac connect the 2 max with either Thunderbolt or a Mini DisplayPort cable usually the connection happens automatically if it doesn't then press command plus F2 to manually enter into TDM you will then see the screen contents of your Mac being displayed on the iMac if you need a second display monitor temporarily or on an urgent basis using your iMac as a second display monitor is a great option but if you are looking for a more permanent solution then I will advise getting a separate monitor for your requirements if you continue using an iMac as a secondary monitor for prolonged period you will be wasting both power and the Computing abilities of the iMac old iMac monitors are decent and good for a non-demanding workflow the iMac will serve well as an external monitor instead of scrapping it as E-Waste do note that we don't recommend using newer iMacs as external monitors since it is better used as a standalone computer don't forget to like And subscribe at Mac Observer for more intuitive guides tips and Apple news this is Mike here see you next time

Channel: The Mac Observer

Views: 42,001

Keywords: imac, macbook, macbook pro, external monitor, how to use, old Imac, how to, guide

Id: qTaNLLfJg-o

Length: 3min 6sec (186 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 07 2023