Use an external display with your MacBook Air
You can use an external display, like the Apple Studio Display, or a projector or TV with your MacBook Air. The Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports on your MacBook Air support video output.
Before you begin
Connect your display to power before you connect it to MacBook Air.
Use the correct cable for your display. Check the documentation that came with your display and make sure you have the correct cable to connect your display.
Identify the ports on your MacBook Air. Before you connect a display to your MacBook Air, it’s useful to know what ports your Mac has. To familiarize yourself with the ports on your MacBook Air and where they are located, see Take a tour: MacBook Air. To learn more about different types of ports and what they do, see Identify the ports on your Mac.
Check technical specifications. To learn more about what type of display your MacBook Air can support, you can check your Technical Specifications. Open System Settings, choose Help > MacBook Air Specifications, then locate Display Support (you may need to scroll).
Connect a display to MacBook Air
Your MacBook Air can support one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60 Hz or 4K resolution at 144 Hz. Connect the display to a Thunderbolt / USB 4 port.
When you want even more space to work, MacBook Air with M3 chip can support up to two external displays when the laptop lid is closed. The primary display can support up to 6K resolution at 60 Hz or 4K resolution at 144 Hz, and the secondary display can support up to 5K resolution at 60 Hz or 4K resolution at 100 Hz. Connect the second external display to the second Thunderbolt / USB 4 port. To use MacBook Air with two external displays, you must have the lid closed, be plugged into power, and be connected to an external keyboard and mouse or trackpad. For more information, see the Apple Support Article, Use dual monitors with your MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with M3 chip.
Connect a display or projector to your MacBook Air. You can connect several different types of displays and projectors to your MacBook Air. If the display cable has a connector that doesn’t match the Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports on your MacBook Air, you can use an adapter (sold separately) to connect the display.
USB-C display: Connect the display to a Thunderbolt / USB 4 port on your MacBook Air.
HDMI display or TV: Use a USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter to connect the HDMI display or TV to a Thunderbolt / USB 4 port on your MacBook Air.
VGA display or projector: Use a USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter to connect the display or projector to a Thunderbolt / USB 4 port on your MacBook Air.
If the cable for your display has a connector that doesn’t match the port you want to use, you may be able to use it with an adapter (sold separately). To learn more about adapters for your MacBook Air, see Adapters for your MacBook Air and Adapters for the Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, or USB-C port on your Mac.
To purchase an adapter, you can visit apple.com, your local Apple Store, or other resellers for more information and availability. Review the display’s documentation or check with the display’s manufacturer to make sure you choose the right product.
Use Apple TV with AirPlay. If you have an TV connected to Apple TV, you can use AirPlay to mirror your MacBook Air screen on your TV screen. See Stream content on a larger screen with AirPlay for details.
After you have connected your display
Adjust and arrange displays. After you connect an external display or projector, go to System Settings and click Displays in the sidebar to set how the displays are arranged, choose which to use as your main display, and adjust resolution and refresh rate (Hz). If you increase the refresh rate for your display, you should select a lower resolution for best performance.
If you connect two displays to your MacBook Air with M3 chip, the display you connect first is the primary display. To change the primary display, disconnect them, then reconnect in a different order. When you have two displays connected to your MacBook Air with M3 chip and you open the lid, the laptop screen replaces the second display.
If you want to mirror your screen, click the display that you want to act as a mirror, then choose the mirror option from the “Use as” menu.
Troubleshooting. To troubleshoot an issue with an external display, see If your external display is dark or low resolution.