05-10-2021

How To Use Imac As Monitor For Ps4

  • Part 1: How to Use iMac As Monitor for PC
  • Part 2: How to Use iMac As an External Monitor for MacBook
  • Part 3: FAQs of Using iMac As Monitor
FoneLab Screen Recorder

Capture video, audio and more with ease.

  • Screen Recorder
  • Mac Video Recorder
  • Windows Video Recorder
  • Mac Audio Recorder
  • Windows Audio Recorder
  • Webcam Recorder
  • Game Recorder
  • Meeting Recorder
  • Messenger Call Recorder
  • Skype Recorder
  • Course Recorder
  • Presentation Recorder
  • Chrome Recorder
  • Firefox Recorder
  • Screenshot on Windows
  • Screenshot on Mac

iMac is equipped with a larger screen and can work as an HDTV display being used with DVD and Blu-ray players. It carries a Target Display Mode feature to provide a secondary display for other devices. If you have both an iMac and a MacBook, you can use iMac as external monitor. In that case, you can get a bigger screen for the display.

What if you only have an iMac and want to use iMac as monitor for PC? Do you know how to use your iMac as a display for a Windows computer? Here in this post, we will show you 2 detailed guides to use iMac as monitor for PC and MacBook.

Guide List

Also, you need to make sure if your PC has a Mini Display or a USB Type-C/Thunderbolt port. If not, you can make use of an HDMI or Display port with a suitable adapter. Now follow the steps to use your iMac as Monitor for your PC. Turn off your iMac and the PC. Then, you need to connect them together with a Thunderbolt cable. Plug one end of the cable into the HDMI, Display Port, or the Thunderbolt port on your Windows PC or laptop. In order to use Target Display Mode, both Macs must be turned on and must be awake (ie: not in sleep mode). In my examples, throughout this tutorial, I shall use one iMac, an external Mac mini and a cable. Though my equipment uses Mini DisplayPort, this example could be Thunderbolt-equipped Macs and a Thunderbolt cable if those are available.

1. How to Use iMac As Monitor for PC

When you want to use iMac as monitor for PC, you should make sure both your iMac and Windows PC have some hardware support.

The 27-inch iMac with Mini DisplayPort, iMac with Thunderbolt port, PC with a Mini DisplayPort and a supported video cable, and PC with HDMI port and a HDMI to Mini DisplayPort converter can make the connection and use iMac as monitor for PC. The Retina 5K iMac can't be used as Target Display Mode display.

Step 1To iMac as external monitor for PC, you need to connect them together with a Thunderbolt cable. So your PC should have a Thunderbolt port. Here you need to plug one end of the cable into the HDMI, Display Port, Thunderbolt port on your PC and plug the other end into your iMac.

Step 2Back to your iMac, and press Command + F2 (Command+ Fn + F2) on the keyboard to put your iMac into the Target Display Mode. Under this mode, your iMac can be be used as a secondary display. Then you can see the content of your PC screen display on your iMac.

Great Screen Recorder for Mac/PC you may like

If you want to record anything displayed on your iMac or Windows PC, you can rely on the professional video audio recording software, FoneLab Screen Recorder.

FoneLab Screen Recorder

FoneLab Screen Recorder allows you to capture video, audio, online tutorial, etc on Windows/Mac, and you can easily customize size, edit the video or audio, and more.

  • Record video, audio, webcam and take screenshots on Windows/Mac.
  • Preview data before saving.
  • It is safe and easy to use.

2. How to Use iMac As an External Monitor for MacBook PC

If you want to use iMac as external monitor for MacBook, you need to rely on a Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt cable to connect two Apple devices together.

Step 1First, you need to make sure your iMac is running OS X v10.6.1 or a later version.

Step 2Turn on your iMac and MacBook, connect them with a Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt cable. Ensure both computers are turned on and awake.

Step 3Press Command + F2 (Command+ Fn + F2) on the keyboard of your iMac to put it into the Target Display Mode. Now you can use iMac as monitor for the MacBook.

If you want the iMac to play audio and video from your MacBook, here you need to choose Apple menu > System Preferences > Sound > Output to confirm the operation.

3. FAQs of Using iMac As Monitor

Question 1. What is Target Display Mode?

Target Display Mode (TDM) was introduced in 2009 with the release of the 27-inch iMac. It allows Mac users to use iMac as external monitor by plugging a compatible device into iMac’s Mini DisplayPort. Then users can gain exclusive use of the iMac’s display. Target Display Mode can accept DVI and HDMI sources from the DisplayPort. That means, besides Apple products, any computer, game consoles, or video devices using these standards can work with Target Display Mode and use iMac as a monitor.

Question 2. Can I use my 2015 iMac as a monitor?

In general, you can easily use an old iMac as external monitor. But some newer iMac models like the iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) and later iMac models can't be used as Target Display Mode displays.

Question 3. How to mirror iPhone screen to iMac?

When you have the need to mirror your iPhone screen to Mac, you can rely on the QuickTime Player. You can connect your iPhone to iMac or MacBook with a lightning USB cable and then open the QuickTime Player on your Mac. Click File and then choose the New Movie Recording option from the drop-down list. Click the pop-up Options menu and then choose Your Connected iPhone. By doing so, you can see your iPhone screen appears on the Mac computer.

After reading this page, you can handily use iMac as monitor for PC and MacBook. Also, you can learn some basic information about the Target Display Mode. If you still have any questions about using iMac as external monitor, don’t hesitate to contact us.

  • Record Online Meetings – How to Record Audios, Videos and Webcam Screens
  • Can Join.me Record a Conference Call on Your PC and Mac? – Here is the Answer You Should Know
  • How to Record a Google Hangouts Meeting with Video and Audio

Mac computers that have any of the following ports can connect to HDMI devices. Learn how to identify the ports on your Mac.

  • HDMI port: Connects directly to HDMI using an HDMI cable.
  • USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) port: Connects to HDMI using an adapter, such as the Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter.
  • Mini DisplayPort: Connects to HDMI using a third-party Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter or cable.

Mac computers that have an HDMI port comply with HDMI 1.4b and support:

  • At least 1080p video over HDMI, and some Mac models support higher resolutions when connecting to 4K displays, 5K displays, and Ultra HD TVs
  • 8-channel/24-bit audio at 192kHz, Dolby Surround 5.1, and traditional stereo
  • HDCP-encrypted playback from iTunes and QuickTime Player (version 10). Safari in macOS Sierra or later also supports HDCP-encrypted playback, if the web page is HTML5-enabled and the content is FairPlay Streaming-enabled and delivered using Media Source Extensions or HTTP Live Streaming.

If using an adapter, check the specifications of the adapter to learn about supported resolutions and other details.

After making the connection

If your Mac doesn't recognize your HDTV, display, or other HDMI device after making the connection:

  1. Turn off the HDMI device while your Mac is turned on.
  2. Unplug the HDMI cable from your Mac, then plug it in again.
  3. Turn on the HDMI device.

How To Use Mac As A Monitor For Ps4 Without Remote Play

If the video on your HDTV or display extends beyond the borders of the screen, open Displays preferences and adjust the Underscan slider for a better fit. Use any of these methods to open Displays preferences:

  • Choose Apple () menu > System Preferences, then click Displays.
  • Press Shift-Command-A to open the Applications folder. Then double-click System Preferences, then click Displays.
  • If your keyboard has brightness controls, press Option–Brightness Up or Option–Brightness Down.


Use Old Imac As Monitor

If your HDMI device isn't receiving audio from your Mac:

  • Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Sound. In the Output pane, make sure that your HDMI device is selected.
  • If you're connecting using a Mini DisplayPort adapter, make sure that your Mac can send audio over Mini DisplayPort.
  • If you're connecting from a Mac mini, unplug any audio device that is plugged into your computer's Audio-Out port.

Can Imac Be Monitor For A Pc

How to use imac as monitor for ps4 mini

If your Mac goes to sleep while a video is playing or paused, you might see an HDCP error. Quit the app that is playing the video, then open the app again. If the issue continues, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Energy Saver and adjust the settings so that your display doesn't turn off.

How To Use My Mac As A Monitor For Ps4

Learn more

How To Use Imac As Monitor For Ps4 Mini

  • If your Mac has an HDMI port, you can use the Apple HDMI to DVI Adapter to connect to a DVI display.
  • Mac computers don't support using CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) to control HDMI devices.