Want to find a way to use iMac as a monitor? While Apple’s Target Display Mode is limited to 2009-2014 iMacs, luckily there are several other options for using that nice big screen on your iMac as a monitor.
Target Display Mode is an Apple solution for using the iMac as a monitor with another Mac in a wired setup. It was a hugely popular feature for years, but when Apple launched its Retina iMacs in late 2014, support was dropped.
The good news is that even if you don’t have an iMac older than 8 years that supports Target Display Mode, you can still use the iMac as a monitor with a variety of different options. Let’s take a look at your 5 options…
Use iMac as a monitor: 5 solutions
Luna Display or Duet Display
To get the same functionality that Target Display Mode offers with Mac-to-Mac support (and even get PC-to-Mac and iPad-to-Mac support), Luna Display and Duet Display are two of the best options.
We’ve used both here at 9to5Mac and found them to be great products that see regular updates.
Use iMac as a monitor with Sidecar
Of course, that doesn’t offer Mac-to-Mac support, but if you want to use a newer iMac as a monitor with an iPad, Sidecar is a great free solution. And it works wired or wireless.
- On macOS Monterey or Ventura, click Control center (two pills icon) in the menu bar > screen mirror > choose your iPad.
- Once logged in, under System Preferences/Settings, you can choose whether the Mac or iPad is the primary display
Sidecar has been built into Mac and iPad since macOS Catalina and iPadOS 13. If you’ve never tried Sidecar before, check out our full guide here:
AirPlay to Mac
This feature does not work if you want to extend your iMac or iPad’s desktop space, but you can mirror from iPhone, iPad or iPod touch directly to a newer iMac or any other compatible Mac .
However, this requires a newer Mac. Learn more in our comprehensive guide:
Pair iMac with an external monitor
It might seem obvious, but another choice is to pair your iMac with an external monitor and choose which one you want to use as your primary display and secondary display.
For a closer look at some of the best monitors on the market, check out our guides:
And an affordable 32-inch 4K monitor that matches the aesthetics of the iMac M1 is Samsung’s M8 Smart Monitor.
Target display mode
If you have an older iMac, you might be able to use Target Display Mode, but it will also need to be running macOS High Sierra or earlier – the same goes for the secondary Mac. Here’s what you’ll need to use iMac as a monitor with the original solution.
Requirements by Apple for 2011-Mid 2014 iMacs:
- The iMac used as the display must have macOS High Sierra or earlier installed.
- The other Mac you connect it to must have been introduced in 2019 or earlier and have macOS Catalina or earlier installed.
- The cable connecting the two Mac computers must be a Thunderbolt
Requirements for 2009-2010 models to use iMac as a monitor:
- The iMac used as the display must have macOS High Sierra or earlier installed.
- The other Mac you connect it to must have been introduced in 2019 or earlier and have macOS Catalina or earlier installed.
- The cable connecting the two Mac computers must be a Mini DisplayPort
If you have two Macs that meet these requirements, Apple says:
- Make sure your iMac is turned on.
- Make sure the other Mac is started and logged into a macOS user account.
- Connect the two computers using the appropriate Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt cable.
You can use multiple iMacs as a display, if each iMac uses a Thunderbolt cable to connect directly to a Thunderbolt port on the other Mac (not the other iMac). - Press Command-F2 on the iMac keyboard. You should now see the other Mac’s desktop.
- To exit target display mode, press Command-F2 again. Or unplug the cable or restart either Mac.
Thanks for reading our guide to using the iMac as a monitor!
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