How to Fix External Monitor Not Working on macOS Ventura

Wondering why your external monitor is not working on macOS Ventura?

Macs not detecting external displays is not a new problem. It has been around since Catalina, and many users continue to experience the same problem on Ventura. 

Besides not detecting monitors, other external display problems are encountered on Ventura, such as unstable connection, unsupported native resolution, or screen flickering. 

This guide willshow you how to fix your external monitor if it’s not working on macOS Ventura. 

Let’s get started!

1. Restart Your Mac. 

Before changing anything, try restarting your Mac first. This should ensure that a temporary bug or error in your system doesn’t cause the problem. 

Restarting your Mac should also clear corrupted data from the system memory.

Here’s how you can restart your Mac: 

1. Click on the Apple logo in the upper left corner of your screen to open the Apple Menu. 
2. After that, select the Restart option from the drop-down menu. 
3. When prompted, click Restart again to confirm your action. 

Try connecting your external display again to check if the problem is solved. 

2. Try Another Way to Connect Your Display. 

Broken display cables and ports are the most common reason your Mac doesn’t recognize external monitors. 

To rule this out, try connecting your external display using a different cable and port. For instance, try using the DisplayPort on your hub instead of HDMI or vice versa. 

You should also consider the possibility of a broken USB hub. 

If you have another hub, try using that and see if you can successfully connect your external monitor to your Mac.

Related: How to Fix MacBook Screen Flickering

3. Allow Accessories to Connect. 

If you’re using Apple Silicon Macs, you might want to check your settings. 

macOS Ventura introduced a “USB Restricted Mode”, which controls whether an external USB or Thunderbolt accessory can communicate with macOS. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. Connect your external display to your Mac. 
2. Wait for the prompt and click Allow. If you did not receive any notification, you’ll need to configure it manually. 
3. Access the Apple Menu in the upper left corner of your screen. 
4. Click on System Settings. 

5. On the side menu, access Privacy & Security. 

6. Scroll down to Security and find Allow Accessories to Connect. 
7. Click on it and choose Always. 

8. Restart your Mac. 

Reconnect your external monitor and see if it will work. 

4. Boot in Safe Mode. 

Booting in Safe Mode allows you to diagnose whether the problem is caused by a third-party app or extension. 

Safe Mode boots your Mac with only essential resources, preventing login items from starting.

If you’re using an Intel-based Mac, here’s how you can boot it in Safe Mode: 

1. First, click on the Apple Menu in the upper left corner of your screen. 
2. Select Shut Down from the options. 
3. Wait for your Mac to turn off. 
4. Now, press the Power button on your Mac and hold down the Shift key until the login window appears.
5. Enter your password to log in to your Mac. 

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For Macs with Apple-based silicon, here’s what you need to do: 

1. Access the Apple Menu in the upper left corner of your screen. 
2. Now, click on Shut Down from the options. 
3. Wait for your Mac to turn off completely. 
4. Press and hold the Power button afterward until you see the Loading Startup Options page. 
5. Select your startup volume. 
6. Hold the Shift key and click Continue in Safe Mode. 

While in Safe Mode, see if your external display will get detected. 

If your external monitor works, it means that the problem is caused by a third-party app or startup item. 

Head to the next solution to fix this problem. 

5. Turn Off Login Items. 

If your external display works in Safe Mode, you’ll need to identify the third-party app that prevents your display from working. 

To do this, follow the steps below to guide you through the process: 

1. Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen. 
2. Now, open System Settings. 
3. Go to General and find Login Items. 

4. Access it to view all startup applications on your Mac. 
5. Next, click on an app from the list and click the – button to remove it. 
6. Repeat this process until you’ve disabled all login items. 

7. Restart your Mac and see if your external monitor works. 

You can start enabling login items individually to see which causes your external display to malfunction. 

6. Change Screen Resolution. 

If you’re experiencing scaling issues with your external monitor, try playing around with the available resolutions on your Mac. 

Here’s how you can change your screen resolution: 

1. Go to Apple Menu > System Settings. 
2. Access the Displays tab. 

3. Select your external monitor and choose from the available resolutions. 

Try each screen resolution to see which one works best for your monitor. 

Related: How to Prevent ‘photoanalysisd’ from Running on Mac

7. Update Your Mac. 

We suggest updating your software if your external monitor is still not working on macOS Ventura. 

There might be a problem with the current version of macOS you’re running, and updating it might resolve the issue. 

Follow the steps below to update your Mac: 

1. In the upper left corner of your screen, click the Apple icon to open the Apple Menu. 
2. Now, click on System Settings. 
3. Inside settings, navigate to General > Software Update. 
4. If a new version was detected, follow the prompts to install the update. 

Connect your external monitor again to check if the problem is solved. 

8. Disable Automatic Graphics Switching. 

This is a feature on MacBook Pro models that allows your computer to switch between graphics cards depending on what you’re doing. 

While this can help save some battery, it can cause problems when you are using an external display. 

Your MacBook is likely plugged into a charger if you are using it with an external display, so disabling this feature won’t affect your battery life. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. Open the Apple Menu in the upper left corner of your screen. 
2. Click on System Settings. 
3. Go to Battery > Options. 

4. Find Automatic Graphics Switching and disable the feature. 

Restart your Mac and see if your external monitor works. 

9. Contact Apple Support. 

If none of the solutions above worked, it’s time that you seek help from the experts. 

Visit Apple’s support page and get in touch with their team to report the problem you’re experiencing. 

When asking for help, make sure to include the following information: 

• Exact model of your Mac
• Brand and model of your external monitor
• Mode of connecting your display (HDMI, DisplayPort, USB, etc..)
• Version of macOS Ventura installed on your Mac

These details should help Apple’s team understand the situation better and provide you with the best solution possible.

That ends our guide for fixing your external monitor if it’s not working on macOS Ventura. If you have questions, please let us know in the comment section, and we’ll do our best to respond. 

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