Can someone enlighten me about the potential of using target display...I just bought a new Macbook Air (M5). Can I possibly use my old iMac desktop (macOS Catalina, version 10.16.7) as an external display somehow by getting a Thunderbolt to USB-C connection? Is this a worthwhile pursuit or should I break down and just buy a new display?
MacBook Air 15″, macOS 26.6
Sorry, Target Display was phased out several years ago. Newer Macs do not support it, and while your iMac may be able to be used as a dispay for older Macs it will not work with a newer Apple Sillicon Mac running macOS Tahoe.
click here ➜ Use iMac as a display with target display mode - Apple Support
Requirements for the Mac connecting to the iMac display
You should get a separate display if you need one for your MacBook Air.
Sorry, Target Display was phased out several years ago. Newer Macs do not support it, and while your iMac may be able to be used as a dispay for older Macs it will not work with a newer Apple Sillicon Mac running macOS Tahoe.
click here ➜ Use iMac as a display with target display mode - Apple Support
Requirements for the Mac connecting to the iMac display
You should get a separate display if you need one for your MacBook Air.
Thank you for the info. Yep, I think getting a new display -- sadly-- is probably what's needed here.
As Phlil says, NO more Target Display.
There is a way you can get the Primary MacBook Pro screen to appear 'in a window' on the iMac running older macOS, by using Screen Sharing. This would be a mere shadow of the responsiveness of a "real" display.
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what model-year and screen size on your iMac?
There MIGHT be a way you could get the iMac to act as a low speed secondary display using Universal Control
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if you need full motion Video, the ONLY alternative as a "real" display.
Got it! Thank you so much. I figured the solution was probably buying a new separate display.
external display
