LG monitor stopped working with MacBook Pro via USB-C

Hi - appreciate any insights here! I use 2 LG HDR 4K monitors with my macbook pro (21 version). Until last week they were working fine - one with USB-C that also charges, the other via HDMI that can't charge. Last week I moved the screen and laptop from one room to another - short distance - and when I plugged back in, the USB-C version had stopped working. On the monitor, you can see the dark background screen that you see when it's about to connect, but nothing comes up and after a few moments it shows 'no signal' message. On the mac, it's as though it keeps trying to reconnect - charging goes on and off every few seconds and something rapidly flashes up in the background then disappears, on repeat.

  • HDMI monitor is fine
  • Same monitor when i connect via HDMI is also fine
  • My husband has the same laptop and he can get it to connect via USB-C although had a moment when he initially tried when it didn't - he closed the laptop lid and reopened and then it connected fine for him. So it's not the wire or the USB port on the monitor
  • I upgraded my software to Sonomo 14 and I can now see the background screen from the mac on the monitor, but this jumping around thing still happens where my laptop shows a different screen popping up every few seconds rapidly and then disappears. Like it's trying to connect to the monitor.
  • No sign of the monitor on the displays panel - have tried closing and restarting many times, including with the wire plugged in and taken out, every possible combination.
  • Tried all the mac USB C ports plus plugging it into an adaptor and no change. USB ports all work as normal with other devices

Has anyone else experienced this? At a bit of a loss with it now - and it's relatively new!


Thanks for any advices!


MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 13.5

Posted on Oct 16, 2023 12:27 AM

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Posted on Feb 14, 2024 2:42 PM

I have a similar problem with my LG monitor and 2020 MacBook Pro connected by USB-C. It started sporadically at first but today was unfixable. Tried swapping cable ends, restart MacBook, power-off monitor, detect displays in settings.


With further research, I found advice to:

  1. unplug the LG Monitor and let it power down,
  2. then plug in again with the MacBook on.


That worked to get the LG monitor to connect to my MacBook. But I haven't done further testing.


SOURCE: https://mactrovert.com/lg-32un880-b-display-issues-with-m1-mac-mini-when-using-usb-c/

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Question marked as Best reply

Feb 14, 2024 2:42 PM in response to EJH76

I have a similar problem with my LG monitor and 2020 MacBook Pro connected by USB-C. It started sporadically at first but today was unfixable. Tried swapping cable ends, restart MacBook, power-off monitor, detect displays in settings.


With further research, I found advice to:

  1. unplug the LG Monitor and let it power down,
  2. then plug in again with the MacBook on.


That worked to get the LG monitor to connect to my MacBook. But I haven't done further testing.


SOURCE: https://mactrovert.com/lg-32un880-b-display-issues-with-m1-mac-mini-when-using-usb-c/

Apr 2, 2024 5:07 AM in response to EJH76

Please excuse the duplication of this reply previously posted in the MacBook” forum.

I had a similar issue with the latest Sonoma update 14.4.1 on my MacBook Pro M1. I was using “pass through power” via a USB C hub that had my HDMI, 1 x 4TB SSD, 1 x 5TB spinning disk & supplying power to a USB C Port for syncing iPads. They all failed to work once the update was applied. A support call to Apple found that “Electron paramagnetic resonance“ was the blame. The latest patch will not let you use pass through power is the output of the hub is “questioned” by the OS. I went back to using the Mag Safe power adapter and the hubs now work. I also found out that Apple support was notified ~March 27th 2024 of this restriction.

Oct 17, 2023 12:12 PM in response to EJH76

Hello EJH76,


With only the one monitor not working reliably, particularly on two devices, that does lean towards the monitor being the concern. What we'd recommend doing is to review the steps at If your Mac doesn’t recognize an external display - Apple Support, which walks you through troubleshooting on Apple's side of things. If issues persist, then reach out to LG for additional assistance.


Thanks for using Apple Support Communities!

Oct 17, 2023 12:39 PM in response to EJH76

Later versions of MacOS are much more demanding, and can drop the connection to the display if the cable is not good enough and produces errors.


But your description of moving glosses over the idea that you likely powered off the displays, and it may not have retained certain settings. A review of the 'on-screen display' settings would be appropriate after such a move.

Apr 2, 2024 7:00 AM in response to EJH76

Cables and cable/adapters required to run a high-end, high resolution display over USB are limited in length.


The cable length should be ONE Meter or less for reliable operation.

if using a cable/adapter, the length of USB wiring from the computer-end to the adapter electronics should be under one meter. AND the length of the cable from the adapter electronics to the display should be under one meter.

LG monitor stopped working with MacBook Pro via USB-C

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