If you find that the external display doesn't turn on after you connect it, try connecting your display while your MacBook is turned off, then switch your MacBook on. If you're using an external keyboard and mouse, you can close your MacBook's in-built-in display once you're connected – you might have to press a key or click your mouse to wake up the external display. Plug your monitor into the power, then connect your display to your Mac. Once you've got the right cable and an adapter if you need one, you're ready to connect.

Make sure you choose a cable that's long enough to go from the back of the display to your port on the Mac. MacBook Pros from 2017 to 2019 also have Thunderbolt 3 ports so the same applies to those. Again you can use an adapter or a dock if you have a monitor that doesn't support this connection type. You can connect just one external display using either a Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C cable. The 2020 M1 MacBook Pro 13 doesn't have an HDMI port but has either two or four Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C ports. You can also use the HDMI port to connect an external screen – particularly useful if you want to connect to a TV to set up an entertainment centre. The Thunderbolt 4 cables are backwards compatible and can be used to connect to a display using a Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C cable. If you have a monitor that doesn't have a USB-C port, see our guide to the best USB-C monitors to find one or use an adapter or dock as required. The latest M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro 14 and 16 (released in October 2021) have Thunderbolt 4 ports and an HDMI port, so you have two options to connect a monitor.

The 2021 MacBook Pro 14 and 16 have an HDMI port and two Thunderbolt 4 ports you can use to attach an external display (Image credit: Apple)

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