This sounds a great defibrillator style shock to keep my cherished late 2014 iMac alive. It really is too good to just recycle. It's such a high quality, thoughtfully designed piece of equipment I'm pleased to keep it alive and solve the vexing 'what monitor do I get for my new MacMini?'. $150 for Luna Display vs. $1500 for a new 27" Studio Display. No Brainer. I don't really need any more pixels. The 27" Studio Display is a lovely piece, but it's the same size as my old 2014. And the Pro Display XRD 32" is ridiculous money. Beautiful, but ridiculous.
Phil, my understanding is that it is possible to connect two macs together directly via an ethernet cable in order to reduce the lag, and I think it even says that on their website, so no need to connect both computer in to a router. I have a luna adaptor on order and I'm hoping that is the case, as neither my new Mac Mini or my (old) 27" iMac are close to the router.
You're right about connecting both Mac's via an Ethernet cable. There's a bit of setup required relating to sharing preferences on both Mac's, which is not necessary if connecting to a Router. It also prevents you from connecting to your router unless you somehow get another Ethernet port (perhaps via a converter). Good luck and thanks for the nudge!
The iMac goes to sleep and then Luna Display doesn't wake when moving the mouse or clicking on the keyboard. Is there a key bind that wakes luna display up? Or should sleep on the iMac be turned off?
Just a quick follow up, not sure if I missed it. The Sonoma option I have found, does not easily continue through when I switch users or log off -- likely because of the iCloud Component you mentioned. Will the Luna remain the primary display for a Headless device (Studio Display or Mac mini M-series) across sign-in sign-out. This is implied by your answer about only needing a physical display for the initial set-up. Thanks so much. The Vendor needs to put your videos in the Documentation area of their Website, IMHO!
Headless mode is a little temperamental. It should work across restarts, and if when User Switching, the Luna Display app is running. Keep a separate monitor available for the odd occasion you need it.
Hi Phil I am interested in using my late 2013 iMac screen as a primary with a new mini m2. One guy in Apple said yes it can be done. He said to use a thunderbolt to thunderbolt. The other reason I would like to do this is that I have a 4tb drive on the iMac that i would still like to use. I am maxed out with the Catalina o.s.
As my video shows Luna Display is the way to do it. Yes you can use a Thunderbolt cable between the two, but it's easier and cheaper to use an Ethernet between them if you don't connect directly through a router.
You can connect a Luna Display 'dongle' to any new Mac with a USB-C port. See this support page for USB-C compatibility. Follow the link to Luna Display and Adapters from this page: help.astropad.com/article/157-system-requirements? sca_ref=3948717.ToH2p0eo7q
I'm using an iMac 27'' mid 2010 with macbook air M3. Each device is plugged via ethernet through my router. I have no direct connection between the two computers Used as a main display it works very well. Used as an extended display, the imac is usually doing a good job, and indeed i can watch youtube videos while doing something else on the macbook air's screen. I do have to lower the resolution to 1920x1080 or lower on the imac screen though, or else I get too much lag.
Thanks Phil, can my iMac also be my main audio speaker too using Luna? It has pretty good sound as well as a 27inch 5k Retina display. Just got an Mac Mini M2 Pro and don't want to get rid of the old screen.
Hello Phil, thank you very much for your interesting video about Luna Display. For several years I have been using an iMac 5k 27" (late 2015) and an iMac 2K 27" (late 2011) as a second monitor via target mode. I'm planning on switching to Mac mini M2 and would like to use my iMac 5k as my main monitor. As I could see from your video, it seems to work with Luna Display. My question to you would be if you think I could still use the 2011 iMac as a second monitor? ...Do you think I can leave the current connection via Thunderbolt/Displayport between the two iMacs? ..or which setup do you think would make the most sense? Thank you in advance for your answer.
I completely understand your question, unfortunately there is no way to use a second iMac, your 2011 iMac, as the Luna Display only supports one and linking the other via thunderbolt won't work. This leads you to running your new Mac Mini with a separate standard screen, as i do right now! ... what to do with your 2011 iMac? perhaps sell it or use it as a spare with its' networked hard drive plus USB ports for charging etc.
You can use Luna display for the 2015 iMac, connect to MacMini, and use 2011 iMac in target mode, connect to MacMini. So the MacMini then has 2 monitors connected.
I wonder if that would work with a mid 2010 27'' imac? There's a display port, but that is not a Thunderbolt 1. Frankly, I don't see a difference between my 15 year-old screen and the 5k monitors, not being a pro user, so if I could use it as a main monitor for the mac mini, that would be great.
You don't need anything more than the USB-A port or an Ethernet/Network on your iMac. Presuming that your MacMini has an M-series processor you would be able to connect directly via one of its Thunderbolt/USB-C ports to the iMac using a USB-A to USB-C cable, or just use Ethernet...even WiFi/Peer-to-peer works well, though not as fast as using cables. I'm reviewing a 5K monitor with Luna Display right now, and in essence it just has a crisper view than the 2K screens.
@@HelpfulPhil Thank you for your prompt answer. I do think I got a bit confused. If I understand correctly, I plug the Luna dongle into a USB-c on the mac mini, and the ethernet ports (both on imac and mac mini) are just there to connect to the internet, am I correct?
@@TheVagaVid Your 'Secondary' iMac must be running macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later to be compatible with Luna Display. Direct connection using USB cables requires both Mac's to be running Mac OS10.15 or later. Ethernet ports connect to your router for internal networking as well as external 'Internet' (presuming your router is connected to the 'net). You can directly connect your iMac to your MacMini with an Ethernet cable, but then external networking must be via WiFi.
It can depend upon how many apps, and whether you have multiple video related apps running. Connect using cable and it should be good. I comfortably run my 5K iMac as the main monitor for my Mac Studio M1, and watch TH-cam videos on it too. What are you trying to run with it? What is your main Mac?
@@HelpfulPhil I have a 2017 27" iMac and at first, I thought the same thing. Then I grabbed a thunderbolt 2 cable and plugged it in on my New Mini M4 and then to a thunderbolt connection on the old iMac. After that the display responds like it did when using the iMac. Luna Display should see it as a USB connection.
Hello Phil, You say one can use the harddisk of the old iMac as a secondary drive to store thing on. My question is, do I have to migrate things from my old iMac to my new Mac mini or can I just let all data stay on the old iMac and use all this data from my new Mac mini. This saves spaces on my Mac mini.
Typically you will want to migrate all of your System based items, this will carry over apps, settings, passwords and other UI features. You won't need to transfer all of your documents, photos etc as they will be accessible from your old iMac. It is likely to take you some time to figure out what items you want to transfer to your new Mini and what you can leave on the iMac.
Hi Phil, I've an old IMAC mid 2011, can I make it as a second monitor for my Macbook pro M1 via an ethernet? Of course I'll use it with the ethernet adapter to USB C.
Thank you for your video, I would like to connect M2 MacBook with iMac late 2014 where are thunderbolts 2 for the external screen. I see that I should buy USB-C to USB-A cable, Is that correct? not USB-C to Thunderbolt or perhaps some adapters for the connectivity? Thank you!
I guess it's 'meant to work'. If not ask Dortainia! Here's the system requirements page link: help.astropad.com/article/157-system-requirements?sca_ref=3948717.ToH2p0eo7q
Hello Phil, thanks for making this very useful video. You mentioned in the video (around 05.25) that "there's no HDMI ports on any Mac's as far as I know." I have an M2 16`' MacBook Pro and it does have an HDMI port (according to Apple's Spec). Can this be used to connect my laptop to my 2017 iMac Pro using a physical cable? And if yes, will this improve the latency of connection between the two, e.g. cause less delay issues and increase the quality of the image on the iMac?
thanks for the comment, proves I don't know everything about all Mac's! No, you can't connect the iMac to your M2 using an HDMI cable. Only with Luna Display can you use the iMac as a screen. Any wired connection, ethernet-USB-Thunderbolt works best.
Hi phil, I have watched all your videos but am still unsure of the answer. To be specific, I have a 2017 27" iMac 5K retina and I want to use it as the primary (and singular) display for my Mac Studio. Can this be done with LUNA?
Yes, but make sure you watch my Headless mode video. I prefer to have a separate monitor which I use as a secondary. It makes the use of Luna display easier to work with as Headless mode is a little glitchy (Headless was designed for you to use an iPad as a screen).
Hi Phil, I have just recently bought the Luna Display to run my old iMac 27" 2014 as a secondary monitor to my MacBook Pro M3 but have found the mouse very laggy, is there anyway around this? Everything else works well.
Hi Phil, thx for your response. Another question, have used or currently using a Thunderbolt 4 hub/dock with the luna display and if so does it work out well at all?
Not using a Thunderbolt hub, but the Luna Display should be directly plugged into the Mac to be sure of it working. I'm sure a good hub would work too, especially if the hub specs support display port protocol.
Hi Phil thank you for the guidance with the Luna setting up. Any ideas why the notifications stop to display each time I am connected with Luna. Is there a fix for that? Thank you
I managed to solve this thankfully, apparently I had to enable the “Allow notifications when mirroring or sharing display” setting in Notifications panel. So I guess this could be a nice heads up to mention on your next video. Thank you for your time
If I want to use 2 iMacs as a main and secondary screen for a Mac Mini M2 do I need to plug in a Luna Display to each iMac or only on the Mac Mini? Thanks for a really informative video.
At this point in time I understand that you can only use Luna Display with one iMac (as a monitor). The Luna Display dongle plugs into the the main Mac (MacMini/Mac Studio).
If I put the luna display dongle into m3 Mac mini, and using 2017 MBP for primary display， can I use the MBP built in keyboard and trackpad FOR MAC MINI ?
Yes. In fact this is the recommended way of working as it will retain all of the functionality of the input devices. Your iMac's Keyboard and mouse can be used but you will find that some of their 'Special' features don't work, unless they are paired to your Mac Mini.
Thanks for a great, informative video. I just purchased this to connect my 2021 MacBook Pro to my 2017 iMac. Would I be able to see a 2nd monitor that is currently connected to my iMac? Hope that’s clear. Thank you.
Hi Phil. Is it possible to use an Ehernet cable attached to my old iMac late 2013 to a dongle switch adaptor attached to my M2 laptop (no ethernet connector). Here is the catch, can I connect it directly without using a router?
Hi Phil, I bought a iMac 27" late 2012 version 14.3 Sonoma, I already bought a Mac mini M1 about a year ago , can I use the Mac mini with the iMac , what do I need to just use both as one, or can I ? I don't want secondary screen, just one monitor? Thank u
I think you mean Headless mode. This video may help, but it's not an 'ideal' method of taking advantage of Luna Display. th-cam.com/video/Cp2uJAVjsuE/w-d-xo.html
Hi Phil, thank you so much for all your detailed info. Helped me a lot with the input o the cable connection and now I finally enjoy working on two screens with almost zero lag. My only problem for now is that since my new MacBook goes on the left side on my desk setup and second screen on the right, I have a compatibility issue when I try to use the Magic Keyboard of my Imac. Some of the keys function on the Magic Keyboard change and in some cases won't work making the workflow experience really not ideal. For instance the alt option key and the shift key doesnt seem to work once I am connected on luna display. Any idea why this is happening and if I can do anything other than spending 100 more euros on a new Magic Keyboard? Also in this case, are we 100% sure that the new Magic Keyboard work without facing the same issues? Thank you
The iMac keyboard and mouse will not have full functionality when using Luna Display. I suggest you connect the keyboard and mouse to your MacBook so that you can get the full functionalities you desire.
Hi Phil & thanks so much for all the info… I’d like to run my late 2015 27” 5k iMac as ‘primary’ screen for a new mac studio but to also use my apple 27” Thunderbolt Display as a ‘secondary’ screen. How would i connect my TB screen to be the ‘extended’ display of the iMac screen in Luna mode? Very many thanks again & best wishes. Subscribed ✅
Hi Phil, thx for your helpful vid! About to purchase a Luna Display, but just want to reconfirm: I bought a Mac Studio M2 and I want to use my iMac Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017 as a primary (single) screen. Will it work? Thx for your answer. Cheers from Holland.
Yes it will work but note that you need a second screen to set this up. It might be worth looking at my 'Headless Mode' video in the Luna Display' playlist too.
Hi Phil, great video and excellent Q&A. I have a question about the color profile on the Secondary iMac 4K machine, which color profile is best to use? Thank you.
Ideally you should make a custom color profile using a measurement device like a Spyder or i1 Display. Whichever profile you choose you should create it or select it on the iMac without Luna display being activated. This is because Luna Display is 'just' an application running on the iMac, therefore using the profile of the iMac. Profiling the main display should also be done without Luna Display running.
Hi Phil. I have a 2023 mac mini M2 and I want to connect it to an iMac mid 2011 model year running high Sierra 10.13.6.The mac mini does not have a usb-c port. It only has a Thunderbolt 4 port. Is it possible to use the Luna Display with this mac mini and this older iMac?
Hi Phil I have a 5k 27” iMac 2015 with 2 other screens benq and samsung and im going to get the m3promacbook if i connect the new mac to the old mac will all 3 screens still work. I want to use the external key board and mouse as well.
Apple's site suggest M3 Macbook Pro supports 2 external monitors, though strangely it has 3 Thunderbolt Ports. The M3 Max seems your best bet as it supports 4 external monitors.
@@philbinks Hi Phil Ended up with the 16 inch M3pro as that’s as far as the budget could go. It’s great, screen size is good so with the two others will be close to what I had before.
Hi Phil. Great video btw. My wife's new laptop has both usbc/thunderbolt port and HDMI. She wants to use her 2020 27" iMac as the display. Should I buy the HDMI version or the USBCT version? Will the graphics card in the laptop produce a retina-quality signal and thus use the retina display? Or shall I stick with the HDMI one (which she could use in her older laptop) and there will be little or no different to the quality on the iMac? Thanks!
Hey Phil, if I connect an M1 Mac Mini to an iPad Air 5 via a USB-C cable (Thunderbolt 3), would it allow me to charge my iPad while using it as a display? & you don't need WiFi right? Thank you!
Hi Phil and thank you for your excellent videos. My question is about connecting a Mac mini M2 and an old 27'' iMac - late 2012 as the main screen via a USB-C to Thunderbolt cable (may using an adaptor): is that possible ? does it allow to use the old iMac headphones ? and if so what would be the benefits of using Luna instead ? Thx
Finding a USB-C to Display Port styleThunderbolt cable may prove difficult! You will not be able to use any of the audio functionality on the old iMac whilst using Luna Display, nor will you be able to use the built-in FaceTime camera. Luna display is solely for making the external device (iMac) a monitor. You will however be able to access all of the folders and files on the iMac.
Hi Phil. Thank you for all your video’s The sound of the iMac is much better than the Mac mini. Is there a way to also use the speakers of the iMac ? Thanks Richard
No. Unfortunately there doesn’t appear to be an option to use your iMac speakers whilst using Luna Display. You'd need to acquire separate speakers for better sound.
Hi Phil. I have a late 2013, 27 inch iMac with 32gb ram and 3tb storage running Catalina. I now need to run the latest adobe creative suite apps on a more recent OS X so I am aiming to get an M2 Mac mini and use the iMac as a screen. I am not clear if I can keep all the information / documents I currently have on the iMac and access / edit them on the new M2 Mac mini? Also could I easily escape from the M2's control and continue to use my iMac with OS X Catalina as I do now? I'm a bit confused over this!
You can keep everything on the iMac as it is. You can't run the applications on the iMac when using Luna Display but why would you when you have the latest versions running on a new M-series. You can access the files and folders on your iMac - see my video on that, so no need to transfer that data to your new Mac Mini. Finally make sure you have good connection 'preferably wired', and you may find yourself opting for a separate display if you feel that the Luna Display/iMac screen isn't fast enough as a primary monitor. I highly recommend connecting a separate monitor to work alongside.
Hi Phil. Thanks so much for your reply. I now have my usb-c dongle and I am ready to go. But, another question I cannot see addressed, regards existing Time Machine back ups to the old imac- nearly 2.5tb of data. Will my external TM drive connected to the imac continue to backup new edits made to imac documents from the new M1 mac? Or is it possible to set up another external drive on the M1 mac to back up both computers? I also have backups via backblaze but I suspect I need to raise this question with them separately! If your videos have answered this please accept apologies - I could not see a reference. Stephen
@@cushioncap your Time Machine will continue to backUp your iMac. You'd need to configure backup of your new MacMini to either Time Machine or an external drive, your choice.
@@HelpfulPhil Thanks Phil, again most very helpful. I can see this more clearly now that I have installed Luna Display (LD). It was not immediately evident that the time machine back up on the imac would continue to work automatically in the background whilst the imac was operating LD and I will now be able to physically check that it does.Then have seperate TM to back up the Mac-mini.
it's unlikely that the response speed via Luna display would satisfy for gaming. Here's the specs for you to check. help.astropad.com/article/157-system-requirements?sca_ref=3948717.ToH2p0eo7q
Hi Phil, great info! I'm thinking about picking one of these up to use my 2015 iMac as a second monitor. Perhaps a silly question, I do my video and photo editing on my main computer, and often use my 2nd monitor to stream you tube or Netflix. Have you had any issues streaming videos on the second monitor? Or is there too much latency?
Thank you Phil for this video as I hope to be able to use my 21.5 inch 2017 imac as the main display for a future PC that I will use for photoshop and lightroom (I have been using Windows on the IMAC via Bootcamp for 5 years because it is an excellent display. I saw somewhere that I could use the luna display and connect the 2017 Imac to the new PC via ethernet to use the Imac as my primary display. Do you know anything about this?
Much as I think that using Windows on an Apple Mac is crazy!! my answer is yes, you can use a Windows computer to iMac. The Windows computer will need to have valid USB-C/Thunderbolt Display compatible port(s) (this is a given on any M-series Mac e.g. MacMini). It should work perfectly well, even better than 'Windows virtual desktops on a Mac'.
Bonjour (i'm french) how to install luna display on MacStudio, if I only have one screen (iMac 27 late 2013) thank you. I already use Luna display with a MacBook Air 2015 ( luna minidisplay port)
Bonjour. I presume you are considering buying the Mac Studio, or have one which you can't use ? You need to find a way of adding a monitor maybe with a HDMI converter to a TV for instance, or borrow one for the set-up. If you want to use the iMac as the only screen, that is possible in Headless mode, but needs to be set up using a separate monitor first.
@@HelpfulPhil Thank you for your response, I will indeed connect the Mac studio to a television via HDMI to install Luna display program… Congratulations for the vidéos
how I can improve the output quality ? to be honest, even I use C-C connect , Mac mini M1 to iPad Pro 2018, the quality not suitable for Video edit and video playing, only ok for base typing working .
this video is specifically relates to using an iMac as a screen, however my limited use of an iPad allows me to play videos from TH-cam very happily with my USB-C to Lightning cable.
Hi Phil, I've just bought a fully loaded Macbook Pro M3 Max and want to use my 2017 iMac Pro Intel chip 5k Retina as my main display. I would predominantly be using the display for video editing & animation.... do you believe that the lag / latency is noticeable ie will it be an issue?
I've just bought a 2015 5K iMac to test exactly that! I plan to release my test results video very soon (maybe this week). Suffice to say that early results are good. I recommend connecting via cable for the best results.
@@ShowMeTheSample Yes! either Ethernet or USB-C - USB-A cable...I use Ethernet directly to my router as this allows me to properly use both Macs on the network.
Hi, If i use the Luna Display for my MacMini M2 & iMac 27" 2014 . Can i also use the iMac cam and speaker for the MacMini? If Luna Display cannot support, is there any hardware or software can help? Thanks a lot.
You will not be able to use any other apps on your iMac whilst using the screen with Luna Display. It runs an app called Luna display Secondary which completely takes over the screen provinding the extended desktop from your MacMini M2. If you have an iPhone try Continuity Camera as your webcam, its way better than the camera in your iMac.
@@HelpfulPhil if the Luna Display also can take over use the iMac cam and the speakers will be perfect. I like to use the iMac for the single display for my Mac mini. So I no need to buy extra cam and speakers. I hope they can support in the future.
Phil, Thanks for your great videos and for your patience with us fellow Mac users. I am thinking of buying an M2 Mac Mini and would like to use my 2015 iMac 27 " in headless mode using Luna Display. In that configuration will applications running on the Mac Mini such as Zoom have access to the speakers and camera on the 2015 iMac? Or do I have to buy separate speakers and camera and connect them to the Mac Mini?
I meant iMac's, of course it will work with any Mac, but those lucky enough to have BOTH Macs running Mac OS Sonoma don't need Luna Display as they can use the Airplay receiver features of OS Sonoma.
I meant iMac's, of course it will work with any Mac, but those lucky enough to have BOTH Macs running Mac OS Sonoma don't need Luna Display as they can use the Airplay receiver features of OS Sonoma.
Luna Display is still the best solution against throwing away an old iMac, especially criminal if you have a 5K model! I still use it as my main display for 'everything', I am able to watch TH-cam videos & do video editing on my Luna Display 5K iMac. I've used Blender and other 3D software, though I wouldn’t try gaming with an Luna Display iMac screen.
@@HelpfulPhil There's definitely a place for it - I just had too much faith it would work just like it was a directed connected monitor (because in a way it is). I am more angry at Apple for not allowing something like this considering they're so against "ewaste" yet through greed make decisions that add to it.
I bought it a couple month ago to Connect my macbookpro M1 to my late 2015 Imac ... but I really found it too slow, it was impossible to use sadly. No ethernet on my macbook so I have to use the wifi ... I feel a little bit scammed.
*Great video, and great find,* that hopefully keeps my 2013 27" iMac and its beautiful display at work and out of the trash! I'm getting a refurbed M1 mac Studio box in a few days and got excited about marrying them and sidestepping getting a new display. I'm a little less excited now that it seems the wired connection between the two will be via the USB 2 port on 2013 iMac and the USB 3 on Mac Studio. Sad cuz USB 2 is slower than USB 3. Old iMac has Thunderbolt 2 but new Mac Studio is TB4 so they're incompatible even with apple TB adapter (which Luna Display won't like anyway). So only other wired connection option seems to be ethernet. We'll see what happens in a few days when Luna and Mac Studio arrive. Might need to get a newer old iMac ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
This sounds a great defibrillator style shock to keep my cherished late 2014 iMac alive. It really is too good to just recycle. It's such a high quality, thoughtfully designed piece of equipment I'm pleased to keep it alive and solve the vexing 'what monitor do I get for my new MacMini?'. $150 for Luna Display vs. $1500 for a new 27" Studio Display. No Brainer. I don't really need any more pixels. The 27" Studio Display is a lovely piece, but it's the same size as my old 2014. And the Pro Display XRD 32" is ridiculous money. Beautiful, but ridiculous.
It works with the M4 Mini as well.
Phil, my understanding is that it is possible to connect two macs together directly via an ethernet cable in order to reduce the lag, and I think it even says that on their website, so no need to connect both computer in to a router. I have a luna adaptor on order and I'm hoping that is the case, as neither my new Mac Mini or my (old) 27" iMac are close to the router.
You're right about connecting both Mac's via an Ethernet cable. There's a bit of setup required relating to sharing preferences on both Mac's, which is not necessary if connecting to a Router. It also prevents you from connecting to your router unless you somehow get another Ethernet port (perhaps via a converter). Good luck and thanks for the nudge!
The iMac goes to sleep and then Luna Display doesn't wake when moving the mouse or clicking on the keyboard. Is there a key bind that wakes luna display up? Or should sleep on the iMac be turned off?
Just a quick follow up, not sure if I missed it. The Sonoma option I have found, does not easily continue through when I switch users or log off -- likely because of the iCloud Component you mentioned. Will the Luna remain the primary display for a Headless device (Studio Display or Mac mini M-series) across sign-in sign-out. This is implied by your answer about only needing a physical display for the initial set-up. Thanks so much. The Vendor needs to put your videos in the Documentation area of their Website, IMHO!
Headless mode is a little temperamental. It should work across restarts, and if when User Switching, the Luna Display app is running. Keep a separate monitor available for the odd occasion you need it.
Hi Phil I am interested in using my late 2013 iMac screen as a primary with a new mini m2. One guy in Apple said yes it can be done. He said to use a thunderbolt to thunderbolt. The other reason I would like to do this is that I have a 4tb drive on the iMac that i would still like to use. I am maxed out with the Catalina o.s.
As my video shows Luna Display is the way to do it. Yes you can use a Thunderbolt cable between the two, but it's easier and cheaper to use an Ethernet between them if you don't connect directly through a router.
@@philbinks yes I Have my ethernet cable right now plugged into the router and then my iMac.
Hi Phil can you use Luna to connect 2 imacs as primary and secondary screens?
As far as I know you cannot connect 2 iMacs.
Hi Phil and thanks for all your infos. Is it possible to connect via luna display also the new Mac Mini M4 and M4 pro?
You can connect a Luna Display 'dongle' to any new Mac with a USB-C port. See this support page for USB-C compatibility. Follow the link to Luna Display and Adapters from this page:
help.astropad.com/article/157-system-requirements? sca_ref=3948717.ToH2p0eo7q
@@HelpfulPhil Crystal clear, as usual. Thank you so much
I'm using an iMac 27'' mid 2010 with macbook air M3. Each device is plugged via ethernet through my router. I have no direct connection between the two computers
Used as a main display it works very well. Used as an extended display, the imac is usually doing a good job, and indeed i can watch youtube videos while doing something else on the macbook air's screen.
I do have to lower the resolution to 1920x1080 or lower on the imac screen though, or else I get too much lag.
Thanks Phil, can my iMac also be my main audio speaker too using Luna? It has pretty good sound as well as a 27inch 5k Retina display. Just got an Mac Mini M2 Pro and don't want to get rid of the old screen.
No, you won't be able to use the iMac's speaker, camera or microphone whilst using Luna display.
Hello Phil,
thank you very much for your interesting video about Luna Display. For several years I have been using an iMac 5k 27" (late 2015) and an iMac 2K 27" (late 2011) as a second monitor via target mode. I'm planning on switching to Mac mini M2 and would like to use my iMac 5k as my main monitor. As I could see from your video, it seems to work with Luna Display. My question to you would be if you think I could still use the 2011 iMac as a second monitor? ...Do you think I can leave the current connection via Thunderbolt/Displayport between the two iMacs? ..or which setup do you think would make the most sense? Thank you in advance for your answer.
I completely understand your question, unfortunately there is no way to use a second iMac, your 2011 iMac, as the Luna Display only supports one and linking the other via thunderbolt won't work. This leads you to running your new Mac Mini with a separate standard screen, as i do right now! ... what to do with your 2011 iMac? perhaps sell it or use it as a spare with its' networked hard drive plus USB ports for charging etc.
You can use Luna display for the 2015 iMac, connect to MacMini, and use 2011 iMac in target mode, connect to MacMini. So the MacMini then has 2 monitors connected.
I will like to use the ports on the iMac. Please help
just to make sure, this will work with iMac m3 Sonoma to a older Mac? 2013
Yes.Presuming your 'older Mac' is an iMac.
Hi Phil, will this combo work: Apple Macbook Pro 14 M3 to iMac 27 (2019, i9) ??? Thanks in advance!
Definitely it will work.
I wonder if that would work with a mid 2010 27'' imac? There's a display port, but that is not a Thunderbolt 1. Frankly, I don't see a difference between my 15 year-old screen and the 5k monitors, not being a pro user, so if I could use it as a main monitor for the mac mini, that would be great.
You don't need anything more than the USB-A port or an Ethernet/Network on your iMac.
Presuming that your MacMini has an M-series processor you would be able to connect directly via one of its Thunderbolt/USB-C ports to the iMac using a USB-A to USB-C cable, or just use Ethernet...even WiFi/Peer-to-peer works well, though not as fast as using cables.
I'm reviewing a 5K monitor with Luna Display right now, and in essence it just has a crisper view than the 2K screens.
@@HelpfulPhil Thank you for your prompt answer. I do think I got a bit confused. If I understand correctly, I plug the Luna dongle into a USB-c on the mac mini, and the ethernet ports (both on imac and mac mini) are just there to connect to the internet, am I correct?
@@TheVagaVid Your 'Secondary' iMac must be running macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later to be compatible with Luna Display. Direct connection using USB cables requires both Mac's to be running Mac OS10.15 or later.
Ethernet ports connect to your router for internal networking as well as external 'Internet' (presuming your router is connected to the 'net). You can directly connect your iMac to your MacMini with an Ethernet cable, but then external networking must be via WiFi.
I bought one for my 2017 imac. I gave up trying to make it work. The latency was painful..
It can depend upon how many apps, and whether you have multiple video related apps running. Connect using cable and it should be good. I comfortably run my 5K iMac as the main monitor for my Mac Studio M1, and watch TH-cam videos on it too. What are you trying to run with it? What is your main Mac?
@@HelpfulPhil I have a 2017 27" iMac and at first, I thought the same thing. Then I grabbed a thunderbolt 2 cable and plugged it in on my New Mini M4 and then to a thunderbolt connection on the old iMac. After that the display responds like it did when using the iMac. Luna Display should see it as a USB connection.
Won't the old Mac with old OS be a security vulnerability?
No. If you simply use the iMac as a Luna Display screen, then all of the security is on the main Mac.
Hello Phil, You say one can use the harddisk of the old iMac as a secondary drive to store thing on. My question is, do I have to migrate things from my old iMac to my new Mac mini or can I just let all data stay on the old iMac and use all this data from my new Mac mini. This saves spaces on my Mac mini.
Typically you will want to migrate all of your System based items, this will carry over apps, settings, passwords and other UI features. You won't need to transfer all of your documents, photos etc as they will be accessible from your old iMac. It is likely to take you some time to figure out what items you want to transfer to your new Mini and what you can leave on the iMac.
Hi Phil, I've an old IMAC mid 2011, can I make it as a second monitor for my Macbook pro M1 via an ethernet? Of course I'll use it with the ethernet adapter to USB C.
You'll need to confirm compatibility following this link:
help.astropad.com/article/157-system-requirements?sca_ref=3948717.ToH2p0eo7q
Thank you for your video, I would like to connect M2 MacBook with iMac late 2014 where are thunderbolts 2 for the external screen. I see that I should buy USB-C to USB-A cable, Is that correct? not USB-C to Thunderbolt or perhaps some adapters for the connectivity? Thank you!
either use USB-C to USB-A; Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 4 with converter - unlikely; or Ethernet.
How to load the secondary screen software for the old iMac late 2014 as there is no USB C port only Thunderbolt 2 ports?
The secondary screen (iMac) uses a programm/app called 'Luna secondary' Downloadable from the Luna Website, not hardware.
Thank you so much.
Hi Phil, I have a macbook pro 13 m1 running Ventura and a 27’ iMac 2011 running opencore patcher Ventura. Will Luna work?
I guess it's 'meant to work'. If not ask Dortainia! Here's the system requirements page link:
help.astropad.com/article/157-system-requirements?sca_ref=3948717.ToH2p0eo7q
Hello Phil, thanks for making this very useful video. You mentioned in the video (around 05.25) that "there's no HDMI ports on any Mac's as far as I know." I have an M2 16`' MacBook Pro and it does have an HDMI port (according to Apple's Spec). Can this be used to connect my laptop to my 2017 iMac Pro using a physical cable? And if yes, will this improve the latency of connection between the two, e.g. cause less delay issues and increase the quality of the image on the iMac?
thanks for the comment, proves I don't know everything about all Mac's! No, you can't connect the iMac to your M2 using an HDMI cable. Only with Luna Display can you use the iMac as a screen. Any wired connection, ethernet-USB-Thunderbolt works best.
Hi phil, I have watched all your videos but am still unsure of the answer. To be specific, I have a 2017 27" iMac 5K retina and I want to use it as the primary (and singular) display for my Mac Studio. Can this be done with LUNA?
Yes, but make sure you watch my Headless mode video. I prefer to have a separate monitor which I use as a secondary. It makes the use of Luna display easier to work with as Headless mode is a little glitchy (Headless was designed for you to use an iPad as a screen).
Hi Phil, I have just recently bought the Luna Display to run my old iMac 27" 2014 as a secondary monitor to my MacBook Pro M3 but have found the mouse very laggy, is there anyway around this? Everything else works well.
Hi Phil, thx for your response. Another question, have used or currently using a Thunderbolt 4 hub/dock with the luna display and if so does it work out well at all?
Not using a Thunderbolt hub, but the Luna Display should be directly plugged into the Mac to be sure of it working. I'm sure a good hub would work too, especially if the hub specs support display port protocol.
Hi Phil thank you for the guidance with the Luna setting up. Any ideas why the notifications stop to display each time I am connected with Luna. Is there a fix for that? Thank you
I've not noticed this issue - is it with specific app notifications ?
@@HelpfulPhilnope, with almost everything, calls, messages, app notifications
I managed to solve this thankfully, apparently I had to enable the “Allow notifications when mirroring or sharing display” setting in Notifications panel. So I guess this could be a nice heads up to mention on your next video. Thank you for your time
If I want to use 2 iMacs as a main and secondary screen for a Mac Mini M2 do I need to plug in a Luna Display to each iMac or only on the Mac Mini? Thanks for a really informative video.
At this point in time I understand that you can only use Luna Display with one iMac (as a monitor). The Luna Display dongle plugs into the the main Mac (MacMini/Mac Studio).
If I put the luna display dongle into m3 Mac mini, and using 2017 MBP for primary display， can I use the MBP built in keyboard and trackpad FOR MAC MINI ?
Yes. In fact this is the recommended way of working as it will retain all of the functionality of the input devices.
Your iMac's Keyboard and mouse can be used but you will find that some of their 'Special' features don't work, unless they are paired to your Mac Mini.
Thanks for a great, informative video. I just purchased this to connect my 2021 MacBook Pro to my 2017 iMac. Would I be able to see a 2nd monitor that is currently connected to my iMac? Hope that’s clear. Thank you.
However many monitors you can use on your Mac you will be able to see, one of which would be the iMac/Luna Display
However many monitors you can use on your Mac you will be able to see, one of which would be the iMac/Luna Display
Hi Phil. Is it possible to use an Ehernet cable attached to my old iMac late 2013 to a dongle switch adaptor attached to my M2 laptop (no ethernet connector). Here is the catch, can I connect it directly without using a router?
If you mean a USB-C to Ethernet converter then yes that should work, direct connection without a router.
Hi Phil, I bought a iMac 27" late 2012 version 14.3 Sonoma, I already bought a Mac mini M1 about a year ago , can I use the Mac mini with the iMac , what do I need to just use both as one, or can I ? I don't want secondary screen, just one monitor? Thank u
I think you mean Headless mode. This video may help, but it's not an 'ideal' method of taking advantage of Luna Display.
th-cam.com/video/Cp2uJAVjsuE/w-d-xo.html
Hi Phil, thank you so much for all your detailed info. Helped me a lot with the input o the cable connection and now I finally enjoy working on two screens with almost zero lag. My only problem for now is that since my new MacBook goes on the left side on my desk setup and second screen on the right, I have a compatibility issue when I try to use the Magic Keyboard of my Imac. Some of the keys function on the Magic Keyboard change and in some cases won't work making the workflow experience really not ideal. For instance the alt option key and the shift key doesnt seem to work once I am connected on luna display. Any idea why this is happening and if I can do anything other than spending 100 more euros on a new Magic Keyboard? Also in this case, are we 100% sure that the new Magic Keyboard work without facing the same issues? Thank you
The iMac keyboard and mouse will not have full functionality when using Luna Display. I suggest you connect the keyboard and mouse to your MacBook so that you can get the full functionalities you desire.
@@HelpfulPhilthanks for your input. So I guess even if I buy the newest version of the apple keyboard won’t fix this for me. Right?
@@jimmyvanisRight. It won’t fix the issues you’re describing.
Hi Phil & thanks so much for all the info…
I’d like to run my late 2015 27” 5k iMac as ‘primary’ screen for a new mac studio but to also use my apple 27” Thunderbolt Display as a ‘secondary’ screen. How would i connect my TB screen to be the ‘extended’ display of the iMac screen in Luna mode?
Very many thanks again & best wishes. Subscribed ✅
Connect your Studio Thunderbolt display & the Luna Display dongle to your Mac Studio Thunderbolt ports.
@ Great! Thanks again 🙏🏼
Hi Phil, thx for your helpful vid! About to purchase a Luna Display, but just want to reconfirm: I bought a Mac Studio M2 and I want to use my iMac Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017 as a primary (single) screen. Will it work? Thx for your answer. Cheers from Holland.
Yes it will work but note that you need a second screen to set this up. It might be worth looking at my 'Headless Mode' video in the Luna Display' playlist too.
Hi Phil, great video and excellent Q&A. I have a question about the color profile on the Secondary iMac 4K machine, which color profile is best to use? Thank you.
Ideally you should make a custom color profile using a measurement device like a Spyder or i1 Display. Whichever profile you choose you should create it or select it on the iMac without Luna display being activated. This is because Luna Display is 'just' an application running on the iMac, therefore using the profile of the iMac. Profiling the main display should also be done without Luna Display running.
Hi there how do I use my old Mac’s hard drive if I use Luna
Try this video, I think it will answer your questions -
th-cam.com/video/QBYDYuvWl7o/w-d-xo.html
Hi Phil. I have a 2023 mac mini M2 and I want to connect it to an iMac mid 2011 model year running high Sierra 10.13.6.The mac mini does not have a usb-c port. It only has a Thunderbolt 4 port. Is it possible to use the Luna Display with this mac mini and this older iMac?
Yes, you can use Luna Display with this set-up. Thunderbolt 4 uses a USB-C style port so you can plug in USB-C and Thunderbolt accessories.
Hi Phil
I have a 5k 27” iMac 2015 with 2 other screens benq and samsung and im going to get the m3promacbook if i connect the new mac to the old mac will all 3 screens still work. I want to use the external key board and mouse as well.
Apple's site suggest M3 Macbook Pro supports 2 external monitors, though strangely it has 3 Thunderbolt Ports. The M3 Max seems your best bet as it supports 4 external monitors.
@@philbinks
Hi Phil
Ended up with the 16 inch M3pro as that’s as far as the budget could go. It’s great, screen size is good so with the two others will be close to what I had before.
Hi Phil. Great video btw.
My wife's new laptop has both usbc/thunderbolt port and HDMI.
She wants to use her 2020 27" iMac as the display.
Should I buy the HDMI version or the USBCT version?
Will the graphics card in the laptop produce a retina-quality signal and thus use the retina display?
Or shall I stick with the HDMI one (which she could use in her older laptop) and there will be little or no different to the quality on the iMac?
Thanks!
I don't know what the features of your laptop graphics are. Luna Display will however cater for up to 5K video output.
Hey Phil, if I connect an M1 Mac Mini to an iPad Air 5 via a USB-C cable (Thunderbolt 3), would it allow me to charge my iPad while using it as a display? & you don't need WiFi right? Thank you!
I don't actually have this set-up I believe that USB-C connection would also provide power to the iPad.
@@HelpfulPhil Thank you for your help!
Can I use the Luna Display to use my late 2014 iMac 27" 5K as the secondary screen for my Lenovo Yoga Book 9i?
Check the Luna Display site, links in the description, as I don’t know the specifics of your Yoga Book
Thank you very much.
Hi Phil and thank you for your excellent videos.
My question is about connecting a Mac mini M2 and an old 27'' iMac - late 2012 as the main screen via a USB-C to Thunderbolt cable (may using an adaptor): is that possible ? does it allow to use the old iMac headphones ? and if so what would be the benefits of using Luna instead ?
Thx
Finding a USB-C to Display Port styleThunderbolt cable may prove difficult! You will not be able to use any of the audio functionality on the old iMac whilst using Luna Display, nor will you be able to use the built-in FaceTime camera. Luna display is solely for making the external device (iMac) a monitor. You will however be able to access all of the folders and files on the iMac.
Hi Phil. Thank you for all your video’s
The sound of the iMac is much better than the Mac mini. Is there a way to also use the speakers of the iMac ?
Thanks Richard
No. Unfortunately there doesn’t appear to be an option to use your iMac speakers whilst using Luna Display. You'd need to acquire separate speakers for better sound.
Hi Phil. I have a late 2013, 27 inch iMac with 32gb ram and 3tb storage running Catalina. I now need to run the latest adobe creative suite apps on a more recent OS X so I am aiming to get an M2 Mac mini and use the iMac as a screen. I am not clear if I can keep all the information / documents I currently have on the iMac and access / edit them on the new M2 Mac mini? Also could I easily escape from the M2's control and continue to use my iMac with OS X Catalina as I do now? I'm a bit confused over this!
You can keep everything on the iMac as it is. You can't run the applications on the iMac when using Luna Display but why would you when you have the latest versions running on a new M-series. You can access the files and folders on your iMac - see my video on that, so no need to transfer that data to your new Mac Mini. Finally make sure you have good connection 'preferably wired', and you may find yourself opting for a separate display if you feel that the Luna Display/iMac screen isn't fast enough as a primary monitor. I highly recommend connecting a separate monitor to work alongside.
Thanks so much for replying so quickly
. This is really helpful Phil@@HelpfulPhil
Hi Phil. Thanks so much for your reply. I now have my usb-c dongle and I am ready to go. But, another question I cannot see addressed, regards existing Time Machine back ups to the old imac- nearly 2.5tb of data. Will my external TM drive connected to the imac continue to backup new edits made to imac documents from the new M1 mac? Or is it possible to set up another external drive on the M1 mac to back up both computers? I also have backups via backblaze but I suspect I need to raise this question with them separately! If your videos have answered this please accept apologies - I could not see a reference. Stephen
@@cushioncap your Time Machine will continue to backUp your iMac. You'd need to configure backup of your new MacMini to either Time Machine or an external drive, your choice.
@@HelpfulPhil Thanks Phil, again most very helpful. I can see this more clearly now that I have installed Luna Display (LD). It was not immediately evident that the time machine back up on the imac would continue to work automatically in the background whilst the imac was operating LD and I will now be able to physically check that it does.Then have seperate TM to back up the Mac-mini.
Hi Phil, I have a 2021 iMac and bought a Windows Gaming Laptop is it possible to use Luna Display to use my iMac as the monitor?
it's unlikely that the response speed via Luna display would satisfy for gaming. Here's the specs for you to check.
help.astropad.com/article/157-system-requirements?sca_ref=3948717.ToH2p0eo7q
Hi Phil, great info! I'm thinking about picking one of these up to use my 2015 iMac as a second monitor. Perhaps a silly question, I do my video and photo editing on my main computer, and often use my 2nd monitor to stream you tube or Netflix. Have you had any issues streaming videos on the second monitor? Or is there too much latency?
I regularly stream TH-cam on the iMac with Luna Display. Sometimes you can detect a little degradation in quality. I think you'll find it's fine.
Thank you Phil for this video as I hope to be able to use my 21.5 inch 2017 imac as the main display for a future PC that I will use for photoshop and lightroom (I have been using Windows on the IMAC via Bootcamp for 5 years because it is an excellent display. I saw somewhere that I could use the luna display and connect the 2017 Imac to the new PC via ethernet to use the Imac as my primary display. Do you know anything about this?
Much as I think that using Windows on an Apple Mac is crazy!! my answer is yes, you can use a Windows computer to iMac. The Windows computer will need to have valid USB-C/Thunderbolt Display compatible port(s) (this is a given on any M-series Mac e.g. MacMini). It should work perfectly well, even better than 'Windows virtual desktops on a Mac'.
Bonjour (i'm french) how to install luna display on MacStudio, if I only have one screen (iMac 27 late 2013) thank you. I already use Luna display with a MacBook Air 2015 ( luna minidisplay port)
Bonjour. I presume you are considering buying the Mac Studio, or have one which you can't use ?
You need to find a way of adding a monitor maybe with a HDMI converter to a TV for instance, or borrow one for the set-up.
If you want to use the iMac as the only screen, that is possible in Headless mode, but needs to be set up using a separate monitor first.
@@HelpfulPhil Thank you for your response, I will indeed connect the Mac studio to a television via HDMI to install Luna display program… Congratulations for the vidéos
how I can improve the output quality ? to be honest, even I use C-C connect , Mac mini M1 to iPad Pro 2018, the quality not suitable for Video edit and video playing, only ok for base typing working .
this video is specifically relates to using an iMac as a screen, however my limited use of an iPad allows me to play videos from TH-cam very happily with my USB-C to Lightning cable.
Hi Phil, I've just bought a fully loaded Macbook Pro M3 Max and want to use my 2017 iMac Pro Intel chip 5k Retina as my main display. I would predominantly be using the display for video editing & animation.... do you believe that the lag / latency is noticeable ie will it be an issue?
I've just bought a 2015 5K iMac to test exactly that! I plan to release my test results video very soon (maybe this week). Suffice to say that early results are good. I recommend connecting via cable for the best results.
@@HelpfulPhil Great thanks Phil. Looking forward to the video! :)
@@HelpfulPhilWhen you say connecting via cable, do you mean USB Mac 2 Mac? Or Ethernet?
@@ShowMeTheSample Yes! either Ethernet or USB-C - USB-A cable...I use Ethernet directly to my router as this allows me to properly use both Macs on the network.
Hi, If i use the Luna Display for my MacMini M2 & iMac 27" 2014 . Can i also use the iMac cam and speaker for the MacMini? If Luna Display cannot support, is there any hardware or software can help? Thanks a lot.
You will not be able to use any other apps on your iMac whilst using the screen with Luna Display. It runs an app called Luna display Secondary which completely takes over the screen provinding the extended desktop from your MacMini M2. If you have an iPhone try Continuity Camera as your webcam, its way better than the camera in your iMac.
@@HelpfulPhil if the Luna Display also can take over use the iMac cam and the speakers will be perfect. I like to use the iMac for the single display for my Mac mini. So I no need to buy extra cam and speakers. I hope they can support in the future.
Phil, Thanks for your great videos and for your patience with us fellow Mac users. I am thinking of buying an M2 Mac Mini and would like to use my 2015 iMac 27 " in headless mode using Luna Display. In that configuration will applications running on the Mac Mini such as Zoom have access to the speakers and camera on the 2015 iMac? Or do I have to buy separate speakers and camera and connect them to the Mac Mini?
You will have to connect new camera and speakers to the MacMini.
Thanks for your quick response.
Phil, I have an Intel 5K iMac 2020. You said that the Luna Display would work on Macs up to 2019. Will it not run on my 2020 iMac?
I meant iMac's, of course it will work with any Mac, but those lucky enough to have BOTH Macs running Mac OS Sonoma don't need Luna Display as they can use the Airplay receiver features of OS Sonoma.
I meant iMac's, of course it will work with any Mac, but those lucky enough to have BOTH Macs running Mac OS Sonoma don't need Luna Display as they can use the Airplay receiver features of OS Sonoma.
Phil, Airplay works but it only goes up to 4K (1,920 x 1080) It looks pretty ordinary on my 5K iMac unfortunately. @@HelpfulPhil
@@daviddownie817 I'd use a cable connection, either USB or Ethernet rather than a WiFi based connection for the best chance of high res and low lag.
@@daviddownie817 I'd use a cable connection, either USB or Ethernet rather than a WiFi based connection for the best chance of high res and low lag.
Unfortunately it's not that good - even with Thunderbolt. The response time is just way too bad - especially if you're using Blender, or gaming, etc.
Luna Display is still the best solution against throwing away an old iMac, especially criminal if you have a 5K model! I still use it as my main display for 'everything', I am able to watch TH-cam videos & do video editing on my Luna Display 5K iMac. I've used Blender and other 3D software, though I wouldn’t try gaming with an Luna Display iMac screen.
@@HelpfulPhil There's definitely a place for it - I just had too much faith it would work just like it was a directed connected monitor (because in a way it is). I am more angry at Apple for not allowing something like this considering they're so against "ewaste" yet through greed make decisions that add to it.
I bought it a couple month ago to Connect my macbookpro M1 to my late 2015 Imac ... but I really found it too slow, it was impossible to use sadly. No ethernet on my macbook so I have to use the wifi ... I feel a little bit scammed.
Try the USB-C to USB-A cable option between the two Mac's.
Will try this thank you @@HelpfulPhil
Thank you
*Great video, and great find,* that hopefully keeps my 2013 27" iMac and its beautiful display at work and out of the trash! I'm getting a refurbed M1 mac Studio box in a few days and got excited about marrying them and sidestepping getting a new display.
I'm a little less excited now that it seems the wired connection between the two will be via the USB 2 port on 2013 iMac and the USB 3 on Mac Studio. Sad cuz USB 2 is slower than USB 3. Old iMac has Thunderbolt 2 but new Mac Studio is TB4 so they're incompatible even with apple TB adapter (which Luna Display won't like anyway).
So only other wired connection option seems to be ethernet. We'll see what happens in a few days when Luna and Mac Studio arrive. Might need to get a newer old iMac ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I think you'll be surprised how good it is.
😆 Promo_SM