Connecting a projector to your MacBook can help you easily share your screen with an entire room of people for presentations, movies, and more. Here’s what you need and how to set it up.
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Connect an HDMI cable to the MacBook and the projector. (You may need an adapter). Turn on the projector and open the lens. Check Apple’s support pages if you don’t know which ports your Mac has or which adapter you need. Go to your Mac’s display settings to complete the setup.
Identify the ports on your Mac before connecting the projector to a Mac PC
The key to connecting your MacBook to a projector is to understand the ports on your computer. Many MacBooks don’t have a built-in HDMI port, but you can still connect with HDMI using a port adapter.
Apple publishes user guides for its products so that you can see which ports and adapters you will need. You can also look at the Apple Port Shapes and Symbols Guide or enter your Mac’s serial number on Apple’s Tech Specs page as a guide. Here is an overview of the types of ports found on Macs.
- HDMI Port- If you have an HDMI port on your Mac, you can connect directly to a projector with the projector’s HDMI cable without using an adapter. The HDMI cable is probably included with the projector.
- MiniDisplay Port- A MiniDisplay port looks a bit like a smaller version of an HDMI. You’ll likely need an adapter, but your projector may have one.
- USB-C or Thunderbolt Port- You can choose Apple’s Official USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter or any other product with a USB-C socket on one side and an HDMI port on the other.
Most MacBooks released after 2017 only have two USB-C/Thurderbolt ports.
How to connect your MacBook to a projector
Once you have the cables and adapters you need, you just need to connect your projector to the MAC. Turn on your computer and projector and connect them so they can “see” each other.
If your projector has a lens cover, slide it to open it. Once the two are connected, your Mac should automatically detect the projector and display its display on it.
How to customize the display from your MacBook
Once the projector is connected to your MacBook, you can adjust some image settings in System Preferences. Here’s where to find them.
Screen settings may vary depending on the projector manufacturer and model.
- Click System Preferences in the Apple menu on your MacBook.
- Select Display.
- A window opens with your device name at the top. Next to Optimize for, choose this device or the integrated display to change the resolution of both the MacBook and the projected image, if they are different.
- You may also see rotation settings, which allow you to change the orientation of both your MacBook and the projection in 90-degree increments.
- If there is a delay in projection, you should also be able to adjust the refresh rate using another menu.
- The Underscan setting allows you to adjust the relative size of the display in the projected image. To make the screen smaller, drag this slider to the right.
- You can also decide whether the projector shows exactly what’s on your MacBook or acts as an extension of it. This setting is useful if you have extra windows that you don’t want to broadcast to a group.
- To change this setting, click the Arrangement tab at the top of the window.
- To use the projector as a second desktop, uncheck the box next to Mirror Display. You may also see this option on your MacBook’s Touch Bar.
- You can drag the two icons on the desktop to adjust their relative positions. The one with the white bar at the top represents your MacBook screen.
