Use an external display with your MacBook Pro
You can use an external display, like the Apple Studio Display, or a projector or high resolution TV with your MacBook Pro. The HDMI and Thunderbolt ports on your MacBook Pro support video output.
Before you begin
Connect your display to power before you connect it to MacBook Pro.
Use the correct cable for your display. Check the documentation that came with your display and make sure you have the correct cable to connect your display.
Identify the ports on your MacBook Pro. Before you connect a display to your MacBook Pro, it’s useful to know what ports your Mac has. To familiarize yourself with the ports on your MacBook Pro and where they are located, see Take a tour of MacBook Pro. To learn more about different types of ports and what they do, see Identify the ports on your Mac.
Connect a display to MacBook Pro
MacBook Pro with M3. You can connect one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60 Hz using the Thunderbolt port or HDMI port.
When you want even more space to work, MacBook Pro with M3 chip can support up to two external displays when the laptop lid is closed. The primary display can support up to 6K resolution at 60 Hz or 4K resolution at 144 Hz, and the secondary display can support up to 5K resolution at 60 Hz over Thunderbolt or 4K resolution at 100 Hz over HDMI. To use MacBook Air with two external displays, you must have the lid closed, be plugged into power, and be connected to an external keyboard and mouse or trackpad. For more information, see the Apple Support Article, Use dual monitors with your MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with M3 chip.
MacBook Pro with M3 Pro. You can connect up to two external displays in the following configurations:
Connect one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60 Hz using a Thunderbolt port and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144 Hz using the HDMI port.
Connect up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60 Hz using the Thunderbolt ports.
You can also connect a single display with up to 8K resolution at 60 Hz or up to 4K resolution at 240 Hz using the HDMI port.
MacBook Pro with M3 Max. You can connect up to four external displays in the following configurations:
Connect up to three external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60 Hz using the Thunderbolt ports and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144 Hz using the HDMI port.
Connect up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60 Hz using the Thunderbolt ports and, using the HDMI port, either one external display with up to 8K resolution at 60 Hz or one external display with up to 4K resolution at 240 Hz.
To learn more about using an 8K display with your MacBook Pro, see the Apple Support Article Use an 8K display with your Mac.
If you’re not sure how many external displays your MacBook Pro supports, check Technical Specifications. Open System Settings, choose Help > MacBook Pro Specifications, then locate Display Support.
Connect a display or projector to your MacBook Pro. You can connect several different types of displays and projectors to your MacBook Pro. If the display cable has a connector that doesn’t match the Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports on your MacBook Pro, you can use an adapter (sold separately) to connect the display.
USB-C display: Connect the display to a Thunderbolt port on your MacBook Pro.
HDMI display: Plug a cable from your HDMI display directly into the HDMI port on your MacBook Pro.
VGA display or projector: Use a USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter to connect the display or projector to a Thunderbolt port on your MacBook Pro.
If the cable for your display has a connector that doesn’t match the port you want to use, you may be able to use it with an adapter (sold separately). To learn more about adapters for your MacBook Pro, see Adapters for your MacBook Pro and Adapters for the Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, or USB-C port on your Mac.
To purchase an adapter, you can visit apple.com, your local Apple Store, or other resellers for more information and availability. Review the display’s documentation or check with the display’s manufacturer to make sure you choose the right product.
Note: The MacBook Pro can support both Apple Pro Display XDR and Apple Studio Display. To set up, see the Apple Support articles Set up and use Apple Pro Display XDR and Set up and use Apple Studio Display.
Use Apple TV with AirPlay. If you have an HDMI display connected to Apple TV, you can use AirPlay to mirror your MacBook Pro screen on your TV screen. See Stream content on a larger screen with AirPlay for details.
After you have connected your display
Adjust and arrange displays. After you connect an external display or projector, go to System Settings and click Displays in the sidebar to set how the displays are arranged, choose which to use as your main display, and adjust resolution and refresh rate (Hz). If you increase the refresh rate for your display, you should select a lower resolution for best performance.
If you connect two displays to your MacBook Pro with M3 chip, the display you connect first is the primary display. To change the primary display, disconnect them, then reconnect in a different order. When you have two displays connected to your MacBook Pro with M3 chip and you open the lid, the laptop screen replaces the second display.
If you want to mirror your screen, click the display that you want to act as a mirror, then choose the mirror option from the “Use as” menu.
Use a display while MacBook Pro is closed. After you connect an external display to your MacBook Pro, close the lid. You can continue to use your MacBook Pro with the connected display, as well as any connected accessories. To connect an accessory, see Use accessories with your MacBook Pro.
Troubleshooting. To troubleshoot an issue with an external display, see If your external display is dark or low resolution.