It’s easier than you think to connect a Mac to a TV. With the right cables, an Apple TV, or a TV that works with AirPlay, you can mirror your Mac to any TV screen in no time.
You can play movies from your Mac on your TV, stream shows from services like BBC iPlayer and Apple’s new Apple TV streaming service, or even show off your gaming skills on a bigger screen. Many companies now use big-screen TVs in the boardroom instead of projectors, so this is also a helpful tip for those who have to give presentations.
It’s easy to connect an Apple Mac to a TV, but there are a few different techniques to choose from. These can be broken down into three main strategies:
- Using an adapter and cable to connect your Mac to a TV.
- Using an Apple TV to mirror your Mac’s screen Mac on a TV.
- Use AirPlay 2 to connect to an AirPlay 2-compatible TV (see this list of TVs that work with AirPlay)
In this feature, We’ll look at these options in turn, from how to use Apple TV to mirror your Mac’s screen to a variety of adapters and cables you can use to connect your Mac to your TV. Plus, with the news that several TV manufacturers have announced that they will soon support AirPlay 2 on their new TVs, along with Roku and Amazon Fire TV, it’s going to be even easier to share your Mac (and iPhone and iPad) screen. to your TV!
If you’re having trouble playing Mac audio on a TV, we’ve got you covered here.
How to connect Mac to TV with Apple TV</h2
You don’t have to use a cable to connect a Mac to a TV; you can connect an Apple TV to your TV and connect wirelessly.
Apple TV connects to your TV via HDMI and uses AirPlay to connect to your Mac. You can stream content from your laptop or Apple desktop to your TV, as well as use Apple TV to stream other content from the web.
To share your Mac or MacBook screen with your Mac using Apple TV, follow these steps:
- Connect your Apple TV to an HDMI port on the back of your television.
- Make sure your Apple TV and Mac are on the same Wi-Fi network; both must be connected to a Wi-Fi network for the connection to be established (which is frustrating if there is no Wi-Fi network!)
- Click the AirPlay icon in your menu at the top top of your screen (a rectangle with a triangle below it).
- Find your Apple TV in the section below AirPlay 2 – it may be named after the room it’s in, depending on how you set it up . Click on it.
- You will now see your mirrored screen on the TV. You can change this if you prefer to use the TV as a second screen, for example. You can also change the resolution and other settings. If you want to make changes, open System Preferences.
- In System Preferences, click Displays
If you have a Roku or Amazon Fire TV, you’ll also be able to use AirPlay 2 to stream content from your Mac to a TV screen as soon as a software update is available for those devices (expected this summer). ).
If you have an eligible TV or a Roku or Amazon Fire TV, you can view your Mac screen on your TV by following these instructions.
- Your TV or device Roku/Amazon and your Mac will probably need to be on the same WiFi network.
- Click the AirPlay icon in your menu at the top of your screen (a rectangle with a triangle below it).
- Find your TV/Roku/Fire in the section under AirPlay 2 and click on it.
- Once selected, you should see your Mac screen mirrored on the TV.
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- Follow the steps in the previous section if you want to change your display settings.
If you want to use a second display with your Mac and not have your Mac display on read: How to turn off the screen on a Mac.
How to connect a Mac to a TV without Apple TV
There is a third way to connect your Mac to a TV that does not require an Apple TV TV or a TV or device equipped with AirPlay 2. You can buy a cable that runs from your Mac to the TV. You just need to set which port you have on your Mac and which port you have on your TV. We’ll discuss the different options below.
Step 1: Find out what type of connection your Mac has
Your Mac will have one of the following connections that can be used with your TV:
HDMI
If you have HDMI on your Mac, this is a good option, as it’s commonly found on modern TVs and will transfer video and audio over a single cable.
Everything you want you need an HDMI cable and one of the following Macs that have HDMI ports:
- Mac mini (Mid 2010) and later (2018 model offers HDMI 2)
- MacBook Pro with Retina Display (Mid 2012 to Early 2015)
- Mac Pro (Late 2013)
If your Mac doesn’t have an HDMI port (from the line currently only the Mac mini and Mac Pro do), you can buy an adapter. We’ll look at those options below.
Thunderbolt
There are three generations of Thunderbolt ports. The first two look like this:
</p The following Macs have Thunderbolt 2 ports:
- MacBook Air – Thunderbolt 2
- Mac mini – Thunderbolt 2
- Mac Pro – Thunderbolt 2
If your Mac has a Thunderbolt 2 port, you can use a Thunderbolt or Mini DisplayPort adapter since the port has the same shape.
Since 2016, Apple has been introducing Thunderbolt 3 ports. The Thunderbolt 3 port (below) resembles USB Type-C, so you can use an adapter that works with either standard.
The following Macs have Thunderbolt 3.
- iMac : from June 2017
- iMac Pro
- Mac nini – from October 2018
- MacBook Pro – from October 2016
- MacBook Air – from October 20 18
USB-C
The 12-inch MacBook doesn’t offer Thunderbolt 3, but it does offer USB-C. For that reason, you can use the USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter here as well.
- MacBook 12-inch – 2015 new
Mini DisplayPort
If your Mac is older than the ones listed above, it probably has a DisplayPort connection. This can be a bit confusing since Thunderbolt 2 looks the same as the DisplayPort port. But you’ll need a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter to connect to your TV, as a Thunderbolt connector won’t work.
As long as your Mac isn’t older than 2010, you should be able to get audio and video through the Mini Display Port. Some older Macs can only provide video through the Mini Display Port, so if you have a pre-2009 Mac, chances are you won’t be getting audio through your TV speakers. Learn more about getting sound through your TV speakers below.
Micro-DVI Port
Again, this will likely only show up on much older Macs, such as the original MacBook Air. . It is smaller than the Mini Display Port. Apple no longer sells these adapters, but you might be able to find one on Amazon or eBay.
Step 2: Find Out What Kind of Connection Your TV Has
You need to find out what your port is. TV video input is. If it’s a modern TV, it probably has an HDMI port; this type of port will transfer audio and video from your Mac to your TV. If your TV has an HDMI port it will look like this:
If your TV is older, it may have a DVI port. DVI connections do not transfer audio, so you will need a separate solution for that. They look like this:
If your TV is really old, you might need a composite adapter. We think you’re unlikely to want to connect your Mac to such a display, especially since it’s easy-to-use low-cost TVs with HDMI ports.
Step 3: Buy an adapter to connect your TV and Mac
Now that you know what ports your Mac and TV have, you need to you need to buy an adapter to connect them. We discuss each type of adapter below.
If you have an HDMI-compatible TV and Mac, then all you need is an HDMI cable. You can get a 10-foot HDMI cable from Amazon Basics here for £6.49 (you can get cheaper, shorter cables, but you’ll have to leave the Mac next to the TV).
The other options are USB-C to HDMI or Mini DisplayPort to HDMI (Since it will work with the Thunderbolt port.) We’ll cover those options below.
USB-C to HDMI Adapter
If your Mac has USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 (which works with USB-C adapters) there are plenty of adapters available to connect this to your HDMI equipped TV.
Apple make a USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter, £75 / $69 which will give you will allow you to connect your Mac to an HDMI TV or display.
If you’re looking to achieve the same results but aren’t looking to spend as much, Choetech has an adapter for £16.99, it can be found on Amazon US for $22.89. The adapter can mirror your Mac at 4K at 60Hz.
Once you have the adapter, it’s as simple as connecting the adapter through your USB-C connection to your Mac, then using an HDMI cable from the adapter to your TV. You’ll need to buy an HDMI cable, though if you’re like us you probably have an HDMI cable lying around the house.
Keep in mind that any adapter will slowly drain your MacBook’s battery, so make sure you don’t leave the adapter plugged in when not in use.
Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter
If you have the older Mac, in other words, one that doesn’t have Thunderbolt 2, Thunderbolt 3, USB-C or HDMI; you will need to purchase a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter.
Apple does not make a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter, despite making several other cables (such as Lightning to Digital AV and Mini DisplayPort to VGA). However, there are options from other manufacturers.
One option is Belkin’s Mini DisplayPort to HDMI 4K Adapter, £25.23. This cable will allow you to connect your Mac to an HDTV. But please note that audio support is only available on MacBook computers released after mid-2010. Older MacBook computers need a separate 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable for audio.
You can also choose this Proxima Direct Mini Displayport adapter to HDMI (£4.95). Please note that you will also need an HDMI cable. If you don’t have one, you can choose the official Apple HDMI to HDMI cable (£19) or a non-Apple brand for a little cheaper at £6.49.
All you have to do is connect the MiniDisplayPort to HDMI adapter to the Thunderbolt on your Mac, connect the HDMI cable to the adapter, and finally the HDMI cable to the TV.
Step 4: Organize your audio setup
If you have an HDTV and your Mac has an HDMI or Thunderbolt port, you should be able to send audio from your computer to your TV via the cable.
If your Mac only has a Mini DisplayPort (not Thunderbolt) or an older port it is You may not be able to send audio to your TV, so you’ll probably need to use an AUX cable to connect your Mac and laptop in addition to the other adapter.
To check if your Mac will be able to send audio without a separate cable, you can click the Apple Logo at the top left, choose About This Mac