To connect a portable monitor to a Mac, you must identify the connector you need to pair the two. The cable depends on the port on the model of your Mac and portable monitor. This article will discuss different ways to connect a portable monitor to Mac.
4 Ways Of Adding A Portable Monitor To Mac
Apple has changed connectivity ports on Macs over the years. This makes it challenging to know which connectors you need to connect portable monitors to Macs. But once you know the ports and the cable you need, adding a portable monitor to Mac is without problems.
Here are different ways to add a portable monitor to Mac.
1. HDMI to HDMI
Many portable monitors have HDMI ports, and so are some macs. In that case, you need an HDMI to HDMI cable to display the contents of your Mac to a portable monitor.
Macs with HDMI ports include;
- Mac mini
- 14in and 16in MacBook Pro (2021)
- Mac Studio (2022)
- Mac mini and the MacBook Pro from mid-2012 to 2015
HDMI ports do not support power transfer. Thus, you need to charge your monitor using a wall charger or USB-C port.
2. USB-C to Thunderbolt 3 Display
Most modern portable monitors feature the USB-C port, allowing display and power transfer. Some Macs have the thunderbolt 3 port, which looks and functions the same way as a USB-C port. So, you can connect a portable monitor with a USB-C port to your Mac with Thunderbolt 3 port.
Macs with a Thunderbolt 3 port include:
- 13in MacBook Pro (2020)
- MacBook Air (2020)
- 24in iMac (2021)
- Mac mini M1 (2020)
- Macs from the end of 2016 onwards
3. USB-C to Thunderbolt 4 or USB 4 display
The latest Macs have Thunderbolt 4 or USB 4 ports. The USB 4/Thunderbolt 4 is no different from the USB-C port. Thus you can add a USB-C portable monitor to a Mac with Thunderbolt 4 or USB 4.
Macs with the thunderbolt 4 port include:
- 14in and 16 in MacBook Pro (2021)
- Mac Studio (2022)
Macs with USB 4 include:
- Mac mini M1 (2020)
- MacBook Air (2020)
- 13in, 14in, and 16inc MacBook Pro (2020) (2021)
- 24in iMac (2021)
- Mac Studio (2022)
4. Adapters
Adapters connect portable monitors and Macs which do not have compatible ports. If your portable monitor does not have the USB-C/thunderbolt 3 or 4 port but has HDMI or DisplayPort. Or you own a Mac released between 2011 and 2016 that only features Thunderbolt 1 and 2 ports. Or, Macs released by the end of 2018 with the Mini Display port only.
In such cases, you need an adapter for a successful connection. Common portable monitor and Mac adapters include:
- USB-C/Thunderbolt to HDMI – connects a Mac with Thunderbolt 3 port to an HDMI portable monitor.
- USB-C to Mini DisplayPort/Thunderbolt/2- Connect portable monitors with USB-C ports to Macs with Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt/2 ports.
- Mini Display/Thunderbolt to HDMI- connects portable monitors with the HDMI port to Macs with the mini display or Thunderbolt output.
For adapter connections, you need a separate HDMI to HDMI cable to connect the adapter to the monitor. You can buy the adapters from Apple or online stores like Amazon.
Wrap Up
Apple uses different ports on different models of Macs. But adding a portable monitor to a Mac is easy if you know the ports and connectors required. Check out the ports on the side of your Mac and get a portable monitor today. Check out Lepow online store for a range of portable monitors.
