2013 iMac 27 Target Display Mode not working with 2018 MacBook Pro 15 Mojave 10.14.4

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2013 iMac 27 Target Display Mode not working with 2018 MacBook Pro 15 Mojave 10.14.4

When I connect my 2013 iMac 27 to my 2015 MacBook Pro 15 using a thunderbolt 2 cable, Target Display Mode works perfectly.

However, when I connect the same 2013 iMac 27 to my new 2018 MacBook Pro 15 using the same thunderbolt cable and Apple's thunderbolt 2 to usb-c adapter, Target Display Mode does not work. When I pressed Command-F2, nothing happened. The screen did not go black or flicker. Nothing noticeable happened at all. Both machines are running Mojave 10.14.4. I restarted both machines, but nothing changed.

I have read a lot of help articles and supposedly this set-up should work. Am I missing something? Any pointers are greatly appreciated.

iMac 27", macOS 10.14

Posted on Apr 6, 2019 12:52 PM

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Answer 1

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nightowl_nc Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 6, 2019 7:34 PM in response to nightowl_nc

I found the solution!

The problem was that I connected the iMac to a usb-c port on the right of the MacBook Pro.

The system information of my MacBook Pro

Apple menu > About This Mac > Overview > System Report > Hardware > Thunderbolt

shows that the Thunderbolt ports are receptacles 1 and 2. They are located on the left side of the MacBook Pro.

When the usb-c to thunderbolt 2 adapter was plugged into one of the usb-c ports on the right side, the system information window showed "No device connected". When the same adapter was plugged into one of the ports on the left side, the system information window showed that my iMac was connected. Just like before, Command-F2 on the keyboard connected to the iMac activated the Target Display Mode.

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Answer 2

Tesserax

Level 10

148,471 points

Apr 6, 2019 1:15 PM in response to nightowl_nc

Apple only states that you can use a Mid 2011 to 2014 iMac for Display Mode if the cable between the devices is Thunderbolt. No adapters are mentioned.

Ref: Use your iMac as a display with Target Display Mode - Apple Support

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2013 iMac 27 Target Display Mode not working with 2018 MacBook Pro 15 Mojave 10.14.4

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