Similar to Target Disk mode, where one Macs internal hard drives can be mounted as external drives via FireWire or Thunderbolt to another system, Target Display mode allows an iMacs display to be. Make sure you are purchasing a cable with a lightning-bolt icon on both ends that’s has a rectangular connector, not the rounded USB-C one, which is used for Thunderbolt 3. If you have an iMac made in mid-2011 or later, then one thing you can do with it is to use it as an external monitor. Even though Thunderbolt 2 and Mini DisplayPort connectors appear identical, the wiring is different and a different cable is required. Keep holding until you see a white FireWire or Thunderbolt logo appear on the screen (depending.
You also need a Mini DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort cable, which costs under $10.įor the 2011 to 2014 Thunderbolt 2 iMacs, you need Apple’s or a third-party Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter (Apple’s is $49), and a Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 2 cable, which can cost $20 to 30. To use Target Disk Mode, reboot your Mac and hold down the T key as soon as you see the Apple logo. Some USB-C docks also include Mini DisplayPort support. Fortunately, because the iMac has a jack into which you plug a cable, this is not nearly as difficult as driving an Apple display that only has a plug on the end.Ī number of sub-$20 Mini DisplayPort to USB-C adapters are readily available, such as this model from Allsmartlife.
You can check out the full WWDC session on this topic through Apple’s developer website.For the 20 iMac models with Mini DisplayPort, purchase a USB-C to Mini DisplayPort adapter. And if an app or accessory you rely on uses a third-party kernel extension to enable functionality, you’ll need to use this mode.įinally, Apple Silicon Macs will include a new System Recovery area that offers a bare-bones version of macOS with support for reinstalling macOS and macOS recovery. In reduced security mode, you can boot any supported version of macOS, even if Apple’s no longer signing it. This means that external disks will be able to be booted from without downgrading security. Each startup volume can be set to a different security mode, either full security (which is the default) or reduced security. These Macs will also have a little more granularity when it comes to boot security. Six Colors also points out the new security options:
This means that, instead of turning your Mac into an external hard drive, Sharing Mode will turn it into an SMB network file share that allows you to access the data following authentication.
As you can see in the above image, this will present a screen allowing you to access additional macOS Recovery options, boot as normal, shut down, and restart.Īpple also says that Apple Silicon Macs will deprecate Target Disk Mode and replace it with Mac Sharing Mode. In a WWDC session titled “ Explore the New System Architecture of Apple Silicon Macs,” Apple explained that you’ll be able to access macOS Recovery options simply by holding down the power button when you boot up your Mac. Starting with Apple Silicon-powered Macs, however, Apple is simplifying this process. As detailed by Jason Snell at Six Colors, you can hold Command-R for Recovery mode, or erase NVRAM by holding Option–Command–P–R.
Notably, this will mean a few changes to the experience, including a new macOS Recovery options screen, as well as the deprecation of Target Disk Mode.Ĭurrently, you can access a variety of macOS Recovery features at boot-up, but each one requires a different key combination. In a new WWDC session video today, Apple has elaborated on the system architecture of the forthcoming Apple Silicon Mac transition.