2017 iMac and 2018 MacBook Pro - Display Connect

Question

2017 iMac and 2018 MacBook Pro - Display Connect

I recently purchased a 2017 21.5" iMac and would like to use it as an external monitor. I read that the Thunderbolt cords do not work for these models. My Apple mouse and keyboard work between both monitors but I cannot pull my screen over to the iMac. So the cursor can be pulled into either computer when they are next to each other but the screens cannot be pulled over from the MacBook to the iMac, as you would use a normal external monitor.

Any advice?

MacBook Pro 13″, OS X 10.11

Posted on Apr 18, 2023 11:09 AM

Reply

Answer 1

BDAqua

Level 10

239,693 points

Apr 18, 2023 11:22 AM in response to olivialeonard

I haven't tried it, but Turn any Mac or iPad into a second display...

https://lunadisplay.com/

https://www.duetdisplay.com/

Duet - Remote Desktop, Second Display, Drawing Tablet, and More (duetdisplay.com)

Review by NAK005, you may not be happy with it…

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251259038?answerId=252422503022#252422503022

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Answer 2

den.thed

Level 9

77,536 points

Apr 18, 2023 1:43 PM in response to olivialeonard

Those Mac’s do not Support Target Display Mode over a Thunderbolt cable.

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

You’ll have to use one of the other solutions that BDAqua has offered.

Reply

Answer 3

Allan Jones

Level 9

69,104 points

Apr 18, 2023 4:11 PM in response to olivialeonard

The last iMacs that could act as a monitor for another Mac were discontinued in late 2014. There are also stringent macOS limitations. It is all in the article that BDAqua linked

Apple started the deprecation of TDM in Late 2014 and threw the last shovel of dirt in it face in early 2020.

Like BDAqua, I has seen recent posts about the cost of the third-party workarounds as well as poor performance. For the cost of some solutions you can buy a decent external monitor that is far easier to connect and manage.

As for Target Display Mode...