Connecting Additional Monitors To Your Macbook Air: A Step-By-Step Guide

If you want to hook up another monitor to your MacBook Air, you have a few options. You can either use a display cable or connect wirelessly using AirPlay. First, you'll need to identify the type of video ports your MacBook has, how many displays it can support, and whether you have the right cables. Then, you can connect your chosen display to your MacBook, adjust the display settings, and configure your display settings.

Identify your MacBook Air's video ports

To identify the video ports on your MacBook Air, you can refer to the following information:

Thunderbolt / USB 4 Ports:

The MacBook Air models introduced in 2020 and later feature Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports. These ports support video output, allowing you to connect a single external display. You can use either a Thunderbolt 3 cable or a USB-C cable for the connection.

HDMI Port:

If your MacBook Air has an HDMI port, you can connect to HDMI displays and TVs using an HDMI cable.

Thunderbolt 3 Ports:

Intel-based MacBook Air models introduced between 2018 and 2020 are equipped with Thunderbolt 3 ports. To connect an external display, you can use either a Thunderbolt 3 cable or a USB-C cable.

Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 Ports:

MacBook Air models introduced between 2011 and 2017 feature Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 ports. These ports are used for connecting displays and other devices using a Thunderbolt cable.

Mini DisplayPort:

MacBook Air models introduced between late 2008 and 2010 have a Mini DisplayPort. This port is used for connecting displays using a Mini DisplayPort cable.

It's important to note that the specific ports available on your MacBook Air may vary depending on the model and year of introduction. To get detailed information about your MacBook Air's ports, you can refer to the Apple Support article "Identify the ports on your Mac."

Check how many displays your MacBook Air can support

The number of displays your MacBook Air can support depends on your Mac model and the resolution and refresh rate of each display.

For MacBooks with the M3 chip, you can connect two external displays simultaneously when you close the lid of your MacBook Air. The first display will be the primary display, supporting up to 6K resolution at 60Hz (or 4K at 144Hz). The second display will be the secondary display, supporting up to 5K resolution at 60Hz (or 4K at 100Hz).

For Mac computers with the Apple M1 Chip, you can connect a single external display to your Mac. If you have a Mac mini with an M1 chip, you can connect a second display to the HDMI port.

For Mac computers with Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C), you can connect a single display to each port. If you connect multiple Thunderbolt devices to each other, the Thunderbolt 3 display must be the last device in the chain.

For Mac computers with Mini DisplayPort, you can connect up to two displays. A DisplayPort device must be the last device in a chain of connected Thunderbolt devices.

For Mac computers with Thunderbolt, or Thunderbolt 2, you can connect up to two displays. If the displays themselves have Thunderbolt ports, you can connect one display to another, and then connect one of the displays to a Thunderbolt port on your Mac. If your Mac has two Thunderbolt ports, you can connect each display to separate Thunderbolt ports on your Mac.

For Mac computers with Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) and HDMI ports, you can connect up to eight external displays to your Mac, depending on your Mac model.

Get the right cables and adapters

To connect an external monitor to your MacBook Air, you'll need to get the right cables and adapters. Here's a detailed guide to help you through the process:

First, identify the video ports on your MacBook Air. This is an important step as the ports will determine what type of external displays you can connect and how you connect them. Your MacBook Air may have Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C), Thunderbolt / USB 4, or Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports. Older models may have Thunderbolt 1 or 2, or Mini DisplayPort.

Next, check how many displays your MacBook Air can support. If you have a MacBook Air with the Apple M1 Chip, you can connect a single external display. For MacBook Airs with Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C), you can connect one display to each port. MacBook Airs with Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt/Thunderbolt 2 can connect up to two displays. The latest MacBook Airs with Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) and HDMI ports can support up to eight external displays, depending on the model.

Now, let's get the right cables and adapters. If your external display comes with cables that match the ports on your MacBook Air, you can use those. If not, you'll need to get the appropriate cables. For example:

• To connect to a Thunderbolt/USB-C display, use a Thunderbolt/USB-C cable.
• For a DisplayPort (DP) display, use a USB-C to Display Port 1.4 cable with a Thunderbolt port.
• To connect an HDMI display, use an HDMI cable with the HDMI out port on your MacBook Air. You can also use an Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter with a Thunderbolt / USB4 port.
• For a VGA display, use a USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter with a Thunderbolt port.

If the cables for your display don't have connectors that match the ports on your MacBook Air, you may need to use an adapter. Apple offers a range of adapters, such as MiniDisplay-to-DVI, MiniDisplay-to-VGA, and HDMI-to-DVI adapters. You can purchase these adapters from apple.com, your local Apple Store, or other authorised resellers.

Remember to review the documentation that came with your display or check with the manufacturer to ensure you're choosing the right cables and adapters.

Connect the display to power and your MacBook Air

To connect a display to your MacBook Air, you'll first need to identify the video ports on your MacBook. This will determine what kind and how many external displays you can connect, and how you connect them.

Once you've identified the ports, you can determine whether you have the right cables to connect your displays to your MacBook. If you don't, you may need to purchase an adapter.

Now, you can connect your display to power and your MacBook Air:

Connect the display to power

Use your display's power cable to connect the display to a power source.

Connect the display to your MacBook Air

Use your display's video cable to connect the display to your MacBook Air. You can connect it to a Thunderbolt or HDMI port, for example. If the video cable requires a port that your MacBook Air doesn't have, you may be able to use an adapter with the video cable, or replace the video cable with one that doesn't require an adapter.

Make sure you connect the display to the correct port on your MacBook Air. Different ports may look similar, so it's important to identify the port correctly.

Turn on your display and MacBook Air

Now, turn on your display and MacBook Air.

Select the proper video source on the monitor

If your video has more than one video input port, press the button on the remote or monitor that says "Source", "Input", "Video In", or something similar. Then, select the number of the port you connected your MacBook Air to.

Open your Mac's System Settings

Click the Apple menu at the top-left corner of the screen, then choose System Settings. If you haven't upgraded to macOS Ventura, click the Apple menu and select System Preferences instead.

Click Displays

In System Settings, click Displays. If you're using macOS Ventura or later, you'll see this in the left menu. On earlier versions, click the monitor icon.

Detect Displays

Click the Display tab at the top of the Displays window. If you're using macOS Ventura, skip this step. Then, press and hold the Options key. This will display a "Detect Displays" button in the lower-right corner of the window. Click it, and your MacBook will scan for connected displays.

Adjust your display settings

Once you have connected your monitor to your MacBook Air, you can adjust your display settings to use it as an extended, mirrored, or primary display.

Using a cable

If you have connected your monitor to your MacBook Air using a cable, follow these steps:

• Open your Mac's System Settings by clicking the Apple menu at the top-left corner of the screen, then choosing System Settings.
• Click Displays. If you're using macOS Ventura or later, you'll see this in the left menu. On earlier versions, click the monitor icon.
• Click the Display tab. It's the first tab at the top of the Displays window. If you're using macOS Ventura, skip this step.
• Press and hold the Options key, then click Detect Displays in the lower-right corner of the window. Your MacBook will scan for connected displays.
• Click the Scaled option to select a screen resolution for your monitor. By default, your MacBook will try to detect the best resolution for both your displays.
• To change the resolution of your MacBook display, select "Scaled" without holding the "Options" key.
• Select a resolution for your monitor. A higher resolution can display smaller icons and more room on the screen. A lower resolution can display larger icons but less room on the screen. Some apps and windows may not fit on the screen with a smaller resolution. If it's an HD monitor, select up to 1900 x 1080. If it's a 4k or more display, select up to 3840 x 2160.
• To use the monitor as an extended display, click on the Arrangement tab, then click to uncheck the checkbox next to "Mirror Display". It's in the lower-right corner of the Display window.
• To change your primary display, click and hold the white bar at the top of the current monitor icon, then drag the white bar to the other display icon in the Arrangements tab. Both monitors will flicker on and off for a second to adjust to the new preferences.

Using AirPlay

If you have connected your monitor to your MacBook Air using AirPlay, follow these steps:

• Open your Mac's System Settings by clicking the Apple menu at the top-left corner of the screen, then choosing System Settings.
• Click Displays. If you're using macOS Ventura or later, you'll see this in the left menu. On earlier versions, click the monitor icon.
• In the Display window, check the box next to "Show mirroring options in the menu bar when available". This displays the AirPlay icon in the menu at the top of the screen.
• Click the AirPlay icon in the menu bar. It's the icon that resembles a monitor with a triangle at the bottom, and it's in the upper-right corner of the Menu bar.
• Click the monitor you want to connect to. This displays two display options in a pop-up window.
• Click Mirror Built-in Display if you want the monitor to display what is on your MacBook display. If you want to use it as a second display, click Use as a Separate Display. This connects your MacBook to the monitor using AirPlay.

Frequently asked questions