How to Connect an M1/M2 Apple Macbook Air to an External Monitor 

Haha - I have that exact Mac and that exact dongle. Now I just need that shirt.

You have no idea how much money you just saved me because I almost bought a new laptop. Thank you.

This is literally the exact video I was looking for! I have Macbook Air M1 and just bought an Asus external monitor. Excellent explaination.

That cables makes me irk. Lol i wish theres wireless connection.

This video is very well explained thank you very much

EXCELLENT tutorial. Straight to the point and simplified. Thanks!

I am a MacBook novice new to the world of Apple computers. This video helped show how I would hook up my MacBook M2 to an external non-apple monitor. I have a dongle I had ordered by mistake thinking it could be used as a docking station and now will come in handy to link both components. Very helpful video. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks. You saved me from frustration. It turns out order of operation matters! Plug in the USB-C first then the monitor.

I just set up an external monitor. Everything was simple. Thanks for walking me through this. I will make a note to my fellow goofballs: To mirror the screens you have to stack one over the other like you would playing cards.. Not over as in above. It took me a minute to process. 😅

I think, You shouldn't charge your M1 through external dongle/adapter. Because it will brick your M1's battery and eventually dead

Thanks. I have a question: is there a convertor (from HDMI to USB C) that can be plugged into the monitor, to provide a USB C connection? This will make it easy for me to use my Mac Air M2 with my living room TV without carrying the dongle around with my Mac. (Hope you answer my question).

When I did this, display and everything worked fine, but I couldn’t have sound coming from my monitor in the sound settings it was greyed out and couldn’t raise my volume, I don’t know why??

great video. the only problem is the apple makes it (almost) impossible for the secondary display to show good resolution. If you know a workaround for it to show 4k or better on the second display, do let me know! again, great video.

it's not working for me... i want to connect my macbook air m1 2020 to a 2010 asus monitor through an hdmi cable and with a dongle like one in the video. but, even though it recognises the monitor on the Display tab on the mac's Preferences, it keeps showing "no signal" on the monitor

Now can you do a video on doing this with monitors if different resolutions, such as 1080, 1440, 4K? All the current videos all seem focused on gaming monitors but all I need is general use and light weight video editing. Thanks

I’ve tried this hdmi to usb cable on 3 monitors and it’s still not working for me

Thank you for this video! I have a unique situation I want to run by you. I have 3 thunderbolt displays that I'm trying to connect to an M2 Pro Mac mini. The first two displays run great off two of the USB-C ports in the back of the mini. The third display is supposed to be connected via the HDMI port. I've tried a couple of adapter, but so far nothing is working. Any suggestions?

I have a problem after connecting my MacBook Air to a monitor... everything is so small! I realized the scaling feature in the "Displays" setting is available only until the laptop has connected to the monitor. After connecting, all I can change is the resolution, but changing it just makes everything blurry. Do you have any suggestion on how to change the size of everything after connecting to a monitor?

Hi, friend! Could you help me? I bought an HP monitor that is FULL HD to use with the Macbook Air (2020). The problem is that I notice that the image on the monitor is not completely clear. I notice it in the letters, they don't look completely sharp. I use Canva to design and when I zoom out the letters look distorted but if I zoom in it looks fine. That doesn't happen on the Macbook. Any suggestions? I have tried all the resolutions that the system gives me and the problem persists. Thanks in advance! 🙏🏼

I know we get the bigger screen to look at our timlen, What are rhe other benefits of using external display while video editing ? Will external monitor reduce the work load of MacBook?

Can I use one usb-c port of the M1 Air for charging and the other usb-c port to plug a dongle which will connect to the monitor? I'm afraid charging through the dongle will damage the dongle and the battery.

Hey dont you play guitar too? for InTheBlues channel?

Shane, I thought I recognized you! Helping my son set up an external monitor and I'm like it's Shane from In the Blues! I play and have enjoyed your videos, even though you are a southpaw😜

Super helpful - this was absolutely everything I needed to know! Cheers,

Hello, I recently bought a macbookair M2, to connect it to my EizoCG223w equipped with DVI and DisplayPort ports I bought a USB-c -> Display port cable. Unfortunately the mac does not recognize the monitor the cable is not suitable. Can you recommend a cable that will surely solve my problem and avoid wasting money? Thanks for the support.

All of that dongle should be in the laptop. What a primitive mess Apple has created by not providing a range of ports on the Macbook Air! I constantly lose connection using my iPad's Screen Mirroring, via bluetooth, to Apple TV, then to my 65"Apple TV. It's the signal break when RU-vid breaks to play advertisements. The system fails to reconnect. Disconnection happens in Thailand and Australia. Cables stay connected but my desk is a mass of cables.

Will this port support max resolution with max frames ? Like my monitor has higher frame rate like 144hz with 2k resolution. So does this device got any bottlenecks related to this?

I found a run over MBA m2. It works ..screen is toast ..need help on using external hdmi blindly with keyboard commands…backlit works sound works all keys intact have MagSafe charger…. Have an mba m1 ..so I have a tool to work with

I ordered an original screen from ebay for a Macbook Air M1 2020, after the change screen is black. Diagnostic test says: "There may be an issue with the display" code VFD001. Can you please help?

does it affect the battery life of Mac?

Thank you great video

Thank you sooo much I was trying to figure out how to display the bottom portion to the monitor 😅😊

I have an iMac 2017 and im planning to buy the macbook pro 2024 if I want to use the iMac for display because of it size then wich cable will I need to connect? thank you : )

my portble monitor came with a usbc to usbc cable cn i use that instead of hdmi? it works with my macbook pro but not air

Thanks is a good device. With a similar device, I am able to connect the power source to my M2 device through the device, also able to connect an external monitor, but the device does not detect my external 4Tb hard drive. So I am unable to make a backup of my internal hard disk through Time Machine. Would appreciate if you can make a test of your device if you are able to do it.

Can someone answer this easy question for me? I have a 2021 Macbook Pro 14 inch. I already have a HDMI port on my laptop. Every video they seem to need a dongle for it. Makes sense for the air since it doesn't have one. But I have not found any videos that show my model. So do I even need to buy the dongle ?

On my Alienware monitor , my MacBook does come up but the colors are very different . How do I fix that ?

Thank you, you make it so simple. I was missing one simple step.

Wait….. don’t you have a guitar channel? Or am I going crazy?? Looking at new macs. My two 2012 MacBook pros cannot upgrade IOS anymore and recording music is getting tedious and editing video for our RU-vid channel is taking longer than it used to. I’m pretty sure I’m subbed to your guitar channel lol

Una mac book air 2017 puedo conectarla a un. monitor externo ASUS?

Hello. Is 8G RAM enough for a M1 MacBook Air to run effectively 2 screens? (build in + a 4k exernal) Thanks

Do you think a mac mini hooked up to a monitor is better value than using a laptop (I already have a keyboard and trackpad) thanks!

How do I just use the External Monitor only and not have it plugged it to do so? On my Windows Laptop it can be setup that when I plug it into my external monitor the laptop screen goes off. It does this even on battery mode. I wish Apple could do that same. All I have read is that you have to plug it in and then close the laptop lid. That makes zero sense and also adds unnecessary heat to the internals and the laptop. Does anyone know another option? I am thinking of just getting a Mac Mini at the office to avoid all of this non-sense.

Thank you so much!!! This video saved me!

thanks. most easiest explaın ever ı saw. thanks

So helpful and straightforward!! 😭 thank you sir!

hello, I am about to buy a mac book from other person who had a problem with it. The problem was DISPLAY NOT WORKING . Can i use it as my CPU by extending with monitor ?

Is it posible to conect my macbook air 2021 as a second monitor to a pc(windows 10) using a hdmi cable? for video editing

I did all this and I get a blank screen. Any idea why? I'm using an Asus Pro Art monitor.

Can I turned on MacBook Pro and connected to external monitor 24/7 without harm the MacBook Pro ?

Possible to use 2 external Monitors? I dont want to buy the pro for that. And doesent want seperat software.

Very good Video, I have a question I have a MacBook Air M1 (2020) and I just bought a monitor for it (Philips 276E8VJSB 27") It's a 4K 27" monitor, but, I have to connect it with my MacBook Air with HDMI cable. When I turn on the display setting (3840 x 2160 pixels 4K UHD) after connecting via , everything looks very small and is not scalable at all. This thing is troubling me a lot, please tell me any solution to this, I will be very grateful to you.

This is so helpful! I kept getting an error message and I found out why in less than 60 seconds

If you connect a 4K tv with HDMI for streaming services like Netflix etc will you get full resolution and surround sound through the tv? Obviously the TV gets connected to a sound bar or home theatre. I use the Optical out for that.

GREAT VIDEO!! BUT, I AM DISAPPOINTED. I CANNOT SAVE THIS VIDEO TO MACBOOK PLAYLIST.

How can I get my dvr camara connect through hdmi show in my macbook pro the same you have use as a monitor

So...when I plugged my new monitor into my macbook air M1 - the screen did not automatically turn on. There is only a VGA port on the Dell monitor so my dongal is VGA to USB 3.0. I do have a hub similar to yours. Nothing is turning on on the new monitor - plugged in blinking blue powerlight (standby mode). Can you help???

It's better to use usb-c to displayport for daisy chaining.

So i have the macbook pro 2017 13in and it's screen just turned off (the flexgate issue) ...the repair is costing too much and I don't wanna spend ...so I was thinking if I could just use an external monitor...but the screen of my Macbook is turned off so how will I change the display settings is there something you can help me with ...or I have to get the screen fixed or get a new laptop

I have a new MBA and am on my 3rd dongle for USB C to HDMI. Everything works through the dongle; audio, power, except for the ex screen. No ex screen shows in the system preferences at all on all three dongles. I think I't time to call Apple. This makes no sense.

Hi, I have a MacBook Pro M1. Recently for no apparent reason the audible sound cuts out because it keeps on automatically switching the sound from the built in speakers to the headphones ..... even though no headphones are plugged in. What is wrong? What should I do to fix this?

I heard plugging your power cord into one of these thing and then into your Mac can fry it.

I'm watching this thinking why does he sound like the guitar guy ?

I've got a superlight external monitor without power cord nor battery, so the power must come via the USB-C, will it work? (ASUS MB169C+) thank you so much for your time

I'm having trouble extending to an external monitor - my MacBook Air mirrors to my external monitor, but when I go into displays, the external monitor is not there to select. Only my macbook display shows up there. Any suggestions?

Hi guys when connecting my MacBook Air M1 to TV to use as an external monitor the picture on the TV is like having a magnify sheet over my laptop meaning I don’t get any additional real estate but the picture is simply enlarged which is what I want. However when doing the same with a PC monitor it uses it’s native resolution and doesn’t do the same. What’s the solution 😞😞

I appreciate this a lot. It's been a big help! Thank you!

My dongle is the one that has the 2 USB C that fit in the Macbook and i cannot get this to work.

OMG, when a guitar guy looking for computer solutions, here is the best place, hahaha great job!!!

Any advice, I have my monitor switched on, HDMI connected to my Mac but nothing displays. If i go to display on my settings there is no "display settings"?

Video chapters and links to the donges are down below. I hope this video is helpful. :) 🛒 Walmart USA - bit.ly/46vTGWP 🛒 All USB-C to HDMI (B&H) - bhpho.to/3ROxEb1 🛒 Yeolibo USB-C to HDMI (mine) eBay - ebay.us/tZNluS 🛒 USB-C to HDMI (Simple/Affordable) - ebay.us/AZwiLm 🛒 USB-C to Display Port - ebay.us/FMMwBQ (affiliate links) Video Chapters: 0:00 - About & Older Macbooks 0:21 - External Monitor Ports 0:51 - USB-C to HDMI Dongle (link below) 1:18 - Macbook Air to Monitor Setup 1:41 - Display Settings and Orientation 2:51 - Closing the Lid or External Keyboard & Mouse 3:23 - My list of dongles (links below) Please leave a thumbs up and comment if you found this helpful. Cheers!

Should my laptop be charging to use it in clamshell mode?

Hi, my external monitor doesn't appear in the display menu? I'm using a macbook air m1 with the latest OS. Does anyone know how to solve it?

Can the mac mini or mac studio with M2 be connected to the apple thunderbolt display or is there incompatibility? Do I necessarily have to use the Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter? Or should we proceed another way? Should I use the same display cable or another one? Or is it possible with the mac M1 but not with the M2?

Can you please tell difference between running external display on Macbook Air vs Mac Mini in terms of performance assuming both have M2 chip?

Thanks for the help, well done

hi can you help. my external monitor screen keeps shivering after 5 mins of use. i am using a benq monitor. macbook air m2 and belkin usb-c hub. thanks in advance

Why is my wireless (hama w a usb stick) mouse lagging when i use my samsung monitor? I simply connected it to my macbook air with an hdmi cabel. Sometimes (aka yesterday) my mouse worked just fine but now it’s worse than ever

Quick question. Which input has the highest resolution. HDMI or display port

What if my MacBook Air has a cracked screen (internal) and goes to black once it turns on? I guess I wouldn’t be able to operate the system preferences? So I’m stuck in this situation? lol

Hi, I have a M2 Pro mackbook Pro. If I use the HDMI port and close the lid to the computer. the screen turns off when I close the lid. I'm not sure how to fi that. It does not do this with the USB-C cable. It turns on and off

Which dongle would you recommend that does not yield to the one you displayed but also can read from a CD. The M1 doesn't have a place for a CD? Thanks.

We all know why we here. Shitty Apple screens :( HAHA

Is there a way to connect a macbook to an external monitor wirelessly?

Bloody brilliant video. Thanks. Saved me a lot of tears to be honest. Have been able to have an ASUS Pro-art working with my M1 MacBook Air for the last 6 weeks, I do a software update on the Mac, then use my Mac on the job (so disconnected from the ASUS) and suddenly I couldn't use the ASUS screen when I reconnected. It would show an image of my mac's home screen but the mouse would only work on the Mac, not on the ASUS. I'd pull all the plugs, turn everything off and on, and then the mouse would work on the screen but couldn't open any apps as they're on the Mac, only faded out on the screen and unusable. Yes, it's impossible to explain so trying to get customer service over the phone or even via email wasn't working. I watched your video and learnt about how to mirror the screen etc. A little trial and error and then all of a sudden, it's working, you li'l rippa! Thanks heaps.

What about HDMI out of the dongle to Display Port on the monitor? Can’t seem to get mine to work, it flashes as if detected but then disconnects

I bought M3 and I have MSI external monitor there are times that my monitor keeps on and off please help it inly take some seconds but it’s annoying

if my monitor is 144hz, when a 60hz screen MacBook Pro is connected, what will be the frame rate I experience on the monitor?

just needed a quick refresher, perfect, thanks

Can you go out from the usb-c port of an M2 MacBook to the Hub and then connect by HDMI to monitor that only has HDMI and DP connections?

so. there's nothing different to the m3? my partner is a day trader and im trying to understand which model to get so she can work on multiple displays.

Hi, quick question. In the same configuration, is it possible to add a 3rd screen? Will the M1 Air allow it?

Thanks! Very straightforward and clear explanation!

Can you do this exact thing but from an m2 mac air to an m1 imac. I've been searching for hours and I feel like no one has a solution for that

Nice video. I now have a Mac studio in addition to my m1 MacBook Pro. I currently have a 27" monitor connected to my Mac studio. I connected my MacBook Pro to my Mac studio for a second monitor. In the system preferences I can connect my MacBook pro but every time I wake them I have to reconnect my MacBook Pro and set the sound back to my Mac studio. Any thoughts how to fix this?

My macbook screen is broken, it still turns on and shows up on the monitor. Problem is I cant do anything bc i cant see the screen displayed on the mac

Does this also work for audio? I'm a teacher and I need to be able to use a second screen for both picture and audio. Any recommendations?

What if I have two external monitors.. same dongle? Currently, I’m only able to get one external monitor to show?

Don’t know what I’m doing wrong every time I connect my pc to MacBook MacBook goes to blank screen and that’s it

Can you use any monitor? Including and old Mac monitor?