How To Mirror Your Mac Laptop To a PC Monitor.
A Mac laptop can do a lot for you, and displaying your Mac laptop on a PC monitor is one of the more unique features you can take advantage of.
Screen mirroring is a way to stream content from one device to another. This allows you to enjoy this content on a large display such as a TV or monitor. Most smart entertainment devices allow this, but native streaming is not supported by all content sources.
Whether you want to watch Netflix, Hulu, or Prime, view your work on a large display, or give a presentation to others in the room, screen mirroring from your Mac makes it easy.
How to mirror your Mac laptop to a computer screen using a cable (direct wired)
Connecting a laptop directly to a PC monitor is a legacy way to mirror your Mac to a PC monitor. If you have a Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter for your Mac, connect it to a monitor, then follow these steps to mirror your Mac’s screen.
- Check the ports on your Mac as they will determine if you need an adapter or not. You will need an adapter when the cable from the external device is not compatible with the USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 port on your Mac. To find the right adapter or cable for your Mac, identify the connector on the end of the cable from your display.
- Then check the number of displays your Mac supports. To do this, click the Apple menu and choose About This Mac.
- Click Support Specifications. On the web page that opens, go to the Video Support section to find out how many displays your Mac supports.
4. On your Mac, click the Apple logo to open the menu and choose System Preferences.
5. Click Displays.
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6. Then click “Location”.
7. Check the box next to Mirror Image to select it.
Note. You don’t need to have your Mac laptop display open (also known as closed display mode or closed clamshell mode) to use an external monitor. If you have an external mouse or keyboard, you can use it with an external monitor. However, if you need a keyboard on a laptop, you will have to keep it open.
On the Layout tab, you can position the displays or change the primary display and move the displays to the desired position. A red border will appear around the display whenever you change its position.
To set your PC monitor as your primary display, simply drag the menu onto that display.
How to mirror your Mac laptop to a PC screen using Broadcast and Software
With Apple AirPlay, you can display your Mac laptop on your PC monitor. However, this will require at least two AirPlay-compatible devices connected to the same Wi-Fi network and some additional software.
Some software you can use to add AirPlay to your PC monitor includes AirParrot, which unofficially provides an alternative way to implement the AirPlay protocol so you can mirror to Chromecast and Apple TV. It can also display another app on your Apple TV while you’re still using your Mac laptop screen for other purposes.
To use AirParrot, download, install and run it on your Mac laptop. Click the AirParrot icon and select Extend Desktop.
This will then display your Mac’s screen on your PC monitor or your preferred mirror receiver, and you can drag and drop your apps to any screen you want.
Other similar tools you can use include X-Mirage, which lets you record whatever appears on your screen, including sound. You can also display multiple devices at the same time on a single monitor using Reflector, AirMyPC, or free stand-alone programs like LonelyScreen They allow you to receive AirPlay streams from other devices.
How to mirror your Mac laptop to your PC monitor using Chromecast
Google Chromecast is a standalone dongle that can be used with a Mac laptop to wirelessly stream audio or video to a TV or PC monitor.
- Connect and set up your Chromecast device, and then open the Chrome browser on your Mac laptop. In Chrome, click View in the menu bar.
- Select Cast.
- You will see a list of available Google devices. Select the one you want to stream. If you want full screen mode, click on “Remote Screen” and your content will appear on your PC monitor. From here, you can stream anything from Netflix movies to presentations, albums from Google Photos, or display a Google Meet call on your PC monitor.
Note. If you want to cast a Chrome browser tab to Chromecast, open your browser and go to the tab you want to cast to your PC monitor. Find the Chromecast icon in the menu bar and click it. Select your Chromecast device from the list of available Google devices and your tab will appear on your PC monitor.
Mirroring your Mac is easy
We hope these methods and steps helped you learn how to mirror your Mac laptop to your PC monitor. If you have other methods not mentioned in our list, or have any questions about the steps listed above, please share them in the comments section below.
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