Use an iMac as a monitor: How to create a Mac-to-Mac, PC-to-Mac, or iPad-to-Mac setup

Using an iMac as a Monitor: 5 Solutions

Luna Showcase or Duo Showcase

To get the same functionality Target Display Mode offers with Mac to Mac (or even PC to Mac and iPad to Mac) support, Luna Display and Duet Display are the two top options.

Duet Display doesn’t require any hardware, but Duet Air starts at $25 per year (for Mac-to-Mac, PC-to-Mac, and iPad-to-Mac support). One bonus here is that Duet Display offers a free trial.

We've used both here at 9to5Mac and found them to be a great product with regular updates.

Using an iMac as a display with Sidecar

This does not provide Mac to Mac support of course, but if you want to use an iMac as a display for an iPad , Sidecar is a great free solution. It can work wired or wirelessly.

• On macOS Monterey or Ventura, click Control Center (two pill icons) > Screen in the menu bar Mirroring >Select your iPad.
  • After connecting, under System Preferences/Settings, you can select whether your Mac or iPad is the primary monitor

Airplay to Mac

This feature doesn't work if you want to expand your iMac or iPad's desktop space, but you can mirror directly from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to an iMac or any other compatible Mac.

Pairing your iMac with an external monitor

This may seem obvious, but another option is to pair your iMac with an external monitor and then select which monitors you want to use as the primary and secondary monitors.

Target Display Mode

If you happen to have an older iMac, you can use Target Display Mode, but it will also need to be running macOS Catalina or earlier — as will the second Mac. Here's what you need to use your iMac as a display for your original solution.

Apple requirements for iMacs from 2011 to mid-2014:

• iMac used as a monitor must have macOS High Sierra or earlier installed.
• The other Mac you want to connect to must be from 2019 or earlier and have macOS Catalina or earlier installed.
• The cable connecting the two Mac computers must be a Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 cable.

Requirements for 2009-2010 models using an iMac as a monitor:

• iMac used as a monitor must have macOS High Sierra or earlier installed.
• The other Mac you want to connect to must be from 2019 or earlier and have macOS Catalina or earlier installed.
• The cable connecting two Mac computers must be a Mini DisplayPort cable.

If you have two Macs that meet these requirements, Apple says:

1. Make sure your iMac is powered on.
2. Make sure the other Mac is powered on and logged in to your macOS user account.
3. Connect the two computers using an appropriate Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt cable.
   You can use multiple iMacs as monitors if each iMac connects directly to a Thunderbolt port on the other Mac (not another iMac) using a Thunderbolt cable.
4. Press Command-F2 on the iMac keyboard. You should now see the desktop of the other Mac.
5. To exit target display mode, press Command-F2 again. Or disconnect the cable, or restart either Mac.

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