Connect accessories, printers and drives

Check the cable before you connect

Two cables with the same USB-C connector may support different speeds, charging or video. Before you connect or buy, check the specifications of the accessory, the cable and the Mac.

For displays, the number and resolution supported depend on the Mac model. An adapter alone does not remove those limits.

Pair a Bluetooth accessory

Bluetooth connects accessories without a cable. You pair once, from System Settings, the app where you adjust your Mac.

1. Charge the accessory or plug it in.
2. Put it in pairing mode following its manufacturer's instructions.
3. Open System Settings and click Bluetooth in the sidebar.
4. Hold the pointer over the device in the list, then click Connect.
5. If asked, click Accept, or enter the series of numbers shown and press Enter.

Connect a display

1. Connect a compatible cable or adapter.
2. Open System Settings and click Displays in the sidebar.
3. Click the name of the display, open the Use as pop-up menu and choose whether to extend the desktop or mirror it.
4. Adjust the text size if needed.

Add a printer

1. Connect the printer to the same network as your Mac or with a compatible cable.
2. Open System Settings and click Printers & Scanners in the sidebar.
3. Click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax.
4. Select your printer in the list, then click Add.
5. Make a test print and check the paper size and orientation.

When the printer is compatible, AirPrint may let you use it without installing an additional package.

Use external drives and shared folders

A connected drive may appear in the Finder sidebar, under Locations. Finder is the app where you see your files and folders. If the drive is missing, review the sidebar settings and try a suitable cable.

Being able to read a drive does not guarantee you can write to it: format and permissions matter. Before changing the format, back up what you need and confirm compatibility with the other computers.

For a company folder or a NAS, a drive connected to the network that shares files among several computers, connect your Mac to the authorized network. In Finder, choose Go > Connect to Server and enter the address your administrator gave you, such as smb://server/folder. Sign in with your authorized user and do not publish passwords or internal addresses.