Use your Mac with Apple Vision Pro

Learn how to use Apple Vision Pro as a private, portable 5K display for your Mac with Mac Virtual Display.

Before you begin

First, make sure your Mac meets the system requirements:

• You can use Mac Virtual Display with any Mac that has macOS 14 Sonoma or later.

• If you want to use a Wide or Ultrawide Mac Virtual Display screen, you need a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS Sequoia 15.2 or later, and your Apple Vision Pro needs visionOS 2.2 or later.

Next, check these things on your Mac and your Apple Vision Pro:

• Sign in to the same Apple Account on both devices, and make sure your account has two-factor authentication turned on.

• Turn on iCloud Keychain on both devices. On your Mac, go to System Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Saved to iCloud > Passwords, then turn on iCloud Passwords & Keychain. On your Apple Vision Pro, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Saved to iCloud > Passwords, then turn on iCloud Passwords & Keychain.

• Make sure both devices have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on.

Start a Mac Virtual Display session

If you have a compatible Mac laptop, you can begin a Mac Virtual Display session by looking at it. If you have a Mac desktop, start by opening Control Center.

If you have a Mac laptop

1. Make sure that your Mac laptop is open and its display is active.

2. While wearing Apple Vision Pro, look at your Mac laptop.

3. Tap the Connect button that appears in your view above your Mac laptop.

If you don't see the Connect button above your Mac laptop, follow the steps in the next section.

If you have a Mac desktop computer

1. Open Control Center.

2. Tap the Mac Virtual Display button . If you don't see it, tap the Control Center button .

3. Select your Mac from the list that appears.

Using Mac Virtual Display

When your Mac connects, its display appears as a window in Apple Vision Pro. Just like with all windows in your Apple Vision Pro workspace, you can pinch and drag the window bar that appears at the bottom of the window to move your Mac Virtual Display and arrange it closer or farther away in space.

You can also resize Mac Virtual Display by pinching and dragging the window bars that appear at either bottom corner of the display, and change the window’s aspect ratio and resolution.

Use your Mac computer's built-in keyboard and trackpad — or its connected Bluetooth keyboard, trackpad, or mouse — to work on your Mac within Apple Vision Pro.

Route audio from Mac to Apple Vision Pro

If your Mac has Apple silicon and you’ve updated your devices to macOS Sequoia 15.2 or later and visionOS 2.2 or later, audio from your Mac (such as music and videos) plays through the audio pods on your Apple Vision Pro. System sounds like notifications still play through your Mac.

If you're using a Mac app with sound input, such as videoconferencing, the sound is routed through the microphone that's built in or connected to your Mac.

Change the Mac Virtual Display aspect ratio and resolution

With macOS Sequoia 15.2 or later and visionOS 2.2 or later, you can choose among Standard, Wide, and Ultrawide aspect ratios:

1. Connect to your Mac in your Apple Vision Pro.

2. Tap Mac Virtual Display above the Mac window.

3. Choose Standard, Wide, or Ultrawide.

Standard is a 16:9 aspect ratio, Wide is 21:9, and Ultrawide is 32:9. The displays are curved, and can wrap around your workspace as you increase their size.

Adjust the screen resolution

To adjust the resolution of your Mac Virtual Display, go to the System Settings app on your Mac, click Displays, then choose from the resolutions. To see all available sizes, turn on Show all resolutions.

If you have a Mac with Apple silicon, it can appear in Apple Vision Pro in the Standard aspect ratio at resolutions up to 5K (5120 x 2880). With an Intel processor, your Mac can appear in the Standard aspect ratio at resolutions up to 3K.

If you have a Mac with Apple silicon updated to macOS Sequoia 15.2 or later, it can appear in the Wide aspect ratio at resolutions up to 3360 x 1440 points (6720 x 2880 pixels), and in Ultrawide at resolutions up to 5120 x 1440 points (10240 x 2880 pixels).

Use your Mac input devices to control visionOS

When you're in a Mac Virtual Display session, you can use your Mac computer's built-in keyboard and trackpad, or its connected input devices, to control visionOS apps and content.

1. Look at another visionOS window.

2. Touch your Mac trackpad or move its connected mouse. A circle-shaped pointer appears where you're looking.

3. Use the pointer to scroll, select items, and move into text fields where you can type with your Mac keyboard.

Adjust the Mac Virtual Display window for the best experience

Try these tips to increase your comfort when using Mac Virtual Display:

• Increase the size of the Mac Virtual Display window. Pinch and drag the window bars that appear at either bottom corner of the display to make it your preferred size.

• Change the resolution of your Mac display within Apple Vision Pro. Go to the System Settings app on your Mac, click Displays, then choose a resolution that allows for more comfortable viewing. To see more sizes, turn on Show all resolutions.

• Move the Mac Virtual Display farther away. Pinch and drag the window bar that appears at the bottom of the display and push it away from you.

• Try using an Environment to see if full or partial immersion makes it more comfortable to have the display at a greater distance. If you're using an Environment with visionOS 2 or later, your Mac keyboard breaks through the environment to appear when you look at it.

End a Mac Virtual Display session

When you're finished, tap the close button at the bottom of the Mac display to disconnect from your computer.

If Mac Virtual Display isn't working

Learn what to do if Mac Virtual Display isn't working on your Apple Vision Pro