External monitor not working? Try These 15 Fixes for macOS - Making Technology Easier (2023)

Using an external display with your Mac should be as easy as plugging in the cable, but what if nothing shows up when you plug it in? In this tutorial, we share all the solutions, tricks and techniques that you can try to fix the external screen not working on macOS. These tips apply to Intel-based and newer M1-based Mac computers.

Before you begin, are you sure everything is connected correctly?

First, let's get the obvious out of the way and make sure your external monitor and Mac are set up correctly. Follow the instructions here toMake sure the external monitor is properly connected.

If you've followed the instructions above and your external monitor is still not working properly, try the following solutions:

1. Disconnect and reconnect

Let's start with the simplest solution: turn it off and on again! There are a few different techniques you can try:

1. Disconnect the adapter for 10 seconds.
2. Reconnect or adapter.

If that doesn't work then:

1. Disconnect your adapter.
2. Shut down your Mac.
3. Reconnect your adapter.
4. Turn on the Mac.

Some users have also reported positive results turning the monitor on and off while the cable was removed and reconnected:

1. Disconnect the cable.
2. Turn off your monitor.
3. Reconnect the cable.
4. Turn on the external monitor.

Finally, if you're using a MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro, try disconnecting while closing your Mac:

1. Connect your Mac to the external monitor.
2. Select the "Apple" logo in your Mac's menu bar.
3. Click Restart and immediately close the lid of your Mac.

2. Check your cables

Just because a cable looks connected doesn't mean it's securely connected. Even a slightly loose connection can prevent your Mac from recognizing the connected display. If you're having trouble with an external monitor, it's always worth disconnecting and securely reconnecting the cable and adapter.

3. Don't rely on battery power

If you're running your MacBook on its internal battery, it may not have enough power to send pixels to an external display. Try plugging your MacBook into an outlet to see if that gives your laptop the power it needs to power an external monitor.

4. Make sure your operating system is up to date

If your operating system is outdated, you may be experiencing an issue that has already been fixed in a recent update. You should check if you are using the latest version of macOS.

5. Let your Mac take a nap

Similar to the power cycle method, you can initiate the connection by letting your Mac take a short nap:

1. Choose the "Apple" icon in your Mac's menu bar.
2. Select "Sleep".

3. wait a few minutes
4. Wake up your Mac by interacting with your trackpad or mouse, or by pressing any key on your keyboard.

6. Remove any chained adapters

You can't force a Mac to work properly with an incompatible external monitor by daisy-chaining multiple adapters together!

If you have a chain of adapters, e.g. For example, if you have a Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter daisy-chained with a DVI to HDMI adapter, you must replace that configuration with a single compatible adapter.

7. Check the brightness, contrast and resolution

Your Mac's brightness, contrast, and resolution settings can prevent your screen from being displayed on an external monitor.

To ensure these display settings do not interfere with the external monitor:

1. Select the "Apple" logo in your Mac's menu bar.
2. Go to "System Preferences -> Displays".

You can now search for or experiment with unusual or extreme settings by dragging the various sliders in the Display settings menu.

You can also check on your external monitor that the brightness is not reducedCheck+F2keyboard shortcuts.

8. Check external monitor compatibility

There are literally hundreds of monitors on the computer market, but not all of them are compatible with your Mac. This also applies if you are using supposedly compatible cables. An important note is that Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C ports are similar but not the same. Go to Apple -> About This Mac -> System Report and check what ports your computer has, then find a monitor with compatible ports.

9. Try a different monitor

If your monitor is glitchy, moody, or completely broken, no amount of tweaking your Mac settings will fix the problem! If you have access to a second external monitor, try connecting it to your Mac to see if that works. If yes, then this clearly indicates that the problem is with your external monitor.

10. Check your graphics card and drivers

If you are using a third-party graphics card, make sure the card is fully seated in the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) slot and has the latest version of all required drivers. New versions of macOS sometimes include driver updates, so you should also make sure you're using the latest version of macOS.

If macOS doesn't automatically detect your external display, you can try forcing the connection using the macOS Detect Displays feature:

1. Select the "Apple" logo in your Mac's menu bar.
2. Go to "System Preferences -> Displays".
3. hold the buttonPossibilityand the "Detect Screens" button should appear.
4. Choose "Detect Displays" to see if macOS recognizes the connected display.

12. NVRAM Reset - Erase your non-volatile RAM

Non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) is a small amount of memory in which macOS stores all the settings it needs for quick access, including some display-related settings.

If these settings get corrupted it can cause a variety of technical issues so resetting your NVRAM may solve the problems you are having with your external monitor.

Before you begin, please note that resetting NVRAM will also reset your system settings and preferences, so you may need to spend some time reapplying these settings after resetting NVRAM.

To reset NVRAM on Intel-based Macs:

1. Shut down your Mac as usual.

2. Turn on your Mac and immediately press thePossibility+Domain+PAG+RChaves.

3. Hold these keys down until macOS restarts, then release them.

M1 Macs do not have a keyboard shortcut to reset NVRAM. The system will automatically check if a reboot is required at startup. If you want to apply this check, shut down your Mac and restart it after a few seconds.

You have now successfully reset your Mac's NVRAM and can verify that macOS is working properly with your external display.

13. Try resetting the macOS SMC

The System Management Controller (SMC) is a chip that controls many of your Mac's physical components, so resetting the SMC may resolve some display-related issues. (You can skip this step if you have an M1 Mac as Apple Silicon Macs don't come with an SMC.)

To reset the SMC:

1. Make sure your Mac is completely shut down.
2. Connect the power adapter.
3. hold the buttonCheck+Exchange+Possibilityand the "Power" buttons for 10 seconds, then release all four buttons at the same time. If your MacBookhas the T2 chip, you must use theExchangeKey on the right side of your keyboard in addition to the other keys.
4. Restart your Mac as usual.

14. Do you use 4K? Make sure your Mac is compatible!

If you are using an external 4K monitor, there is no guarantee that your graphics card will be powerful enough to send all those pixels to the 4K monitor. Typically, most Macs made after 2013 support this resolution, but if you're not sure, you canCheck your Mac's specificationsFor more information.

15. Strange Colors? Switch to a different profile

You might have been able to get your external display to work, but the colors are noticeably different from what's shown on your Mac's built-in display.

Some external monitors have contrast and RGB (red, green, and blue) buttons for adjusting the monitor's color profile. Please note that this feature does not work on newer versions of macOS (Big Sur and Monterey).

If your external monitor doesn't have these buttons, you can often use the macOS Screen Calibration Assistant to troubleshoot color issues:

1. Go to "System Preferences -> Displays".
2. Look for "Color Profile" in the lower-right corner.

3. Choose "Calibrate..." to launch the macOS Video Calibration Wizard.

(Video) MacBook Pro 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Broken Screen or No Display External Monitor Workaround Fix

4. Follow the on-screen instructions to calibrate your screen.

Alternatively, you can experiment with different color profiles to see if one of these profiles works best for your external monitor. To choose a new profile, go to "System Preferences -> Display -> Color" and browse the different color profiles in the list.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are non-Apple adapters or incompatible adapters causing display issues?

While it may seem easy to choose from dozens of different adapters on Amazon, not all adapters are created equal. It's best to always choose a brand and something that you confirm is compatible, not just a $1.99 option. There are third party adapters that will work, lots of them, but this is definitely an area to explore if you're having screen issues.

2. Does the same advice apply when using an iPad as an external monitor?

In some cases yes, as things like having the right cables are still a factor in general troubleshooting. This also applies to basic tips like disconnecting and reconnecting and making sure that any necessary software updates have been performed. That being said, most of these tips are strictly for monitors and not iPads.