You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

User profile for user: MariaLaskova
MariaLaskova Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

SCREENS connection

Hello

I have 21.5'' iMac, 2017 and MacBook Air M1, 2020. Those two devices I need their screens to be connected as part of my job. My workload increased significantly an I need to work on the two devices at the same time and have available 2 screens for more convenient work with documents

HOW TO DO THAT????

I asked few IT people already and Google - it is only silence

Please give me advice??

the 2 devices has ports for thunderbolt 2 ... I spent fortune on cables and adapters and IT advices and they are still not connected

WHY IS THAT???

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 12.0

Posted on Feb 11, 2022 8:15 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: Allan Jones
Allan Jones
User level: Level 9
72,380 points

Posted on Feb 11, 2022 8:51 AM

The stringent hardware and software limitations of the now-deprecated Target Display Mode are clearly laid out in this Apple article:


Use your iMac as a display with target display mode - Apple Support


Both your devices are too new. The last iMac that could serve as an external monitor for another Mac was discontinued in Late 2014; the last Mac of any kind the could use a support iMAc as a monitor were made in 2019 and had to be running macOS 10.15 Catalina or older.



View in context

Similar questions

5 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: Allan Jones
Allan Jones
User level: Level 9
72,380 points

Feb 11, 2022 8:51 AM in response to MariaLaskova

The stringent hardware and software limitations of the now-deprecated Target Display Mode are clearly laid out in this Apple article:


Use your iMac as a display with target display mode - Apple Support


Both your devices are too new. The last iMac that could serve as an external monitor for another Mac was discontinued in Late 2014; the last Mac of any kind the could use a support iMAc as a monitor were made in 2019 and had to be running macOS 10.15 Catalina or older.



Reply
User profile for user: rkaufmann87
rkaufmann87
User level: Level 10
144,102 points

Feb 11, 2022 8:21 AM in response to MariaLaskova

You do not get it to work, Target Display Mode ( Target Display Mode ) is dead. If your MBA needs an external display, please buy one. That is the only solution that will work with your new MBA.


Please remember that iMacs are computers, they are not external displays for other devices including other Macs. Return the expensive cables and use that to buy an external display.


Best of luck.

Reply

SCREENS connection

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.
Learn more Sign up