Can I use my 2017 iMac as a display for a Mac Mini M2?

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Can I use my 2017 iMac as a display for a Mac Mini M2?

I have a 27" 5K iMac from 2017. The screen is still fantastic, but the computer is inordinately slow these days and can't run the latest version of macOS. Upgrading to a new iMac would mean shrinking the screen size and resolution, which I don't want to do. Would it be possible to use it as a monitor if we got a new Mac Mini or Studio? If so, what's the best way to do this? From what I've seen, the iMac is too new to be used in Target Display Mode, but perhaps too old to be used with AirPlay. Some solutions that involve screen-sharing with a laptop or other all-in-one also might be hard to reproduce on a computer without its own monitor.

iMac 27″ 5K, macOS 13.6

Posted on Nov 12, 2023 01:30 PM

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Answer 1

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Servant of Cats

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Nov 12, 2023 05:24 PM in response to Brian Green4

Brian Green4 wrote:

Thanks. Does this mean that I would still have to use it with a laptop, another iMac, or another separate monitor?

It's odd... my iMac can mirror its screen to my 2018 MacBook Pro, but the MacBook Pro's display settings don't offer the option to mirror it to the iMac.

System requirements for Continuity features on Apple devices - Apple Support

Set up your Mac to be an AirPlay Receiver - Apple Support

AirPlay to a Mac is a fairly recent feature. A MacBook Pro introduced in 2018 or later, running macOS Monterey or later, meets the requirements to be an AirPlay receiver for AirPlay to Mac. A 2017 iMac does not.

AirPlay from a Mac has been around for a long time.

That probably explains why the GUI controls are as you describe, and why you can mirror in one direction, but not the other.

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Answer 2

Brian Green4 Author

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Nov 12, 2023 02:04 PM in response to dialabrain

Thanks. Does this mean that I would still have to use it with a laptop, another iMac, or another separate monitor?

It's odd... my iMac can mirror its screen to my 2018 MacBook Pro, but the MacBook Pro's display settings don't offer the option to mirror it to the iMac.

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Answer 3

dialabrain

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133,445 points

Nov 12, 2023 02:06 PM in response to Brian Green4

Brian Green4 wrote:

Thanks. Does this mean that I would still have to use it with a laptop, another iMac, or another separate monitor?

You're welcome. You would need some kind of monitor in order to download, install and run the third-party apps. The bottom line is, you do need a monitor. You could use the iMac as a second screen.

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Answer 4

Brian Green4 Author

Level 1

70 points

Nov 13, 2023 08:56 AM in response to dialabrain

Thanks. One more thought—if I got the third-party connectivity package and a Mac-compatible TV, could I hook the TV up to a Mini M2, start mirroring the screen on the 2017 iMac, and then just keep using the iMac as the Mini’s sole monitor while putting the TV somewhere else?

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