Can I plug my MBP into my iMac?

[gadgetgirl85]

Currently have a M1 iMac which I will upgrade to M4 next year. I was wondering - am I able to plug my M3 MBP into it and use it as a second monitor as well or vice versa? I sometimes do tasks that require two screens

 

[russell_314]

No, the iMac is unable to be used as a monitor. I believe there is a way to remotely access the desktop on another Mac or PC but you cannot use it as a monitor

 

[kitKAC]

You can use AirPlay to extend one Mac onto the screen of the other.

 

[gadgetgirl85]

You can use AirPlay to extend one Mac onto the screen of the other.

Thank you

 

[gadgetgirl85]

No, the iMac is unable to be used as a monitor. I believe there is a way to remotely access the desktop on another Mac or PC but you cannot use it as a monitor

This might be a silly question but could you do it the other way around?

 

[gadgetgirl85]

No, the iMac is unable to be used as a monitor. I believe there is a way to remotely access the desktop on another Mac or PC but you cannot use it as a backup
Sorry saw response - I don’t mind which computer is the ‘main’ one but I guess it can’t be done

 

[russell_314]

This might be a silly question but could you do it the other way around?

I don’t think so. With the really old iMacs, you could use them for an external monitor, but I think that was the extent of it.


As the poster above, said you could use AirPlay to extend the screen and I know there’s something similar to that where if you have the iMac on the same desk as your laptop, you can use your mouse and keyboard for both. When you move your mouse it just moves over to the iMac. That may be the same thing as AirPlay, but I’m not sure. I’ve never done it because when I got my MacBook Air, I sold my iMac because I was never using it.


If you really want your desktop and laptop as the same computer, you could get the Apple Studio Display. You would just plug in a USB-C cable to your MacBook Pro. You could mirror it, using the MacBook in clamshell mode or use it as a second display. Also it’s 27 inches so bigger than the iMac and the same quality of display as the iMac. That’s a big factor because once you start using an iMac or another Apple display, you don’t want to go back to some other display. I haven’t looked at the price lately, but I’m sure it’s somewhere around the price of a lower spec iMac, but it’s a bigger screen.

 

[rm5]

You can use AirPlay to extend one Mac onto the screen of the other.

In a pinch, that’d work, but I wouldn’t personally recommend that. Too unreliable in my experience.

 

[mystery hill]

Universal Control - Use one keyboard and mouse to control Mac and iPad