CrackMacExternal monitor or TV shows only the wallpaper and cursor? Here's why
The monitor is working. macOS is using it as a second screen, an extension of the desktop, so it shows the wallpaper while every window, the Dock and the menu bar stay on the MacBook's own display. Press Command-Brightness Down to mirror the two screens, or close the lid with power and a keyboard connected to make the monitor the only screen.
Three ways to fix it
- Mirror. Press Command-Brightness Down, the F1 key, or Command-Fn-F1 if your top row works as function keys. Both screens now show the same thing.
- Close the lid. With the Mac on power and an external keyboard and mouse connected, close the lid. The Mac moves everything to the monitor. See clamshell mode.
- Make the monitor the main display. System Settings, Displays, Arrange. Drag the white bar at the top of one screen onto the monitor. The menu bar, the Dock and new windows move there.
Moving windows that are already open
- Drag the pointer across to the other screen, then drag the window by its title bar.
- In an app, open the Window menu and use Move & Resize, or Move to followed by the monitor's name.
- Mission Control, Control-Up Arrow, shows windows on both screens.
With a broken MacBook screen
If you can't see the built-in screen, you can't drag things off it, so use mirroring or the closed lid. Once the monitor works, make it the main display so new windows open there. The full setup, including logging in blind, is in connecting a broken MacBook to a TV or monitor.
Only the cursor, no wallpaper?
A black screen with just the pointer can also mean macOS didn't finish loading. If mirroring doesn't help, see black screen with cursor.
If the damage runs along one edge, CrackMac can keep windows, menus and the pointer off it. There's a free 30-minute trial.
Quick answers
Why does my external monitor only show my wallpaper?
macOS is using it as an extra screen alongside the MacBook's own display. Your windows, the Dock and often the menu bar are still on the built-in screen. Mirror the displays, or close the lid with a keyboard connected.
How do I move everything to the external monitor on a Mac?
In System Settings, Displays, Arrange, drag the white menu bar onto the external monitor to make it the main display. New windows and the Dock then appear there. With a broken built-in screen, mirroring or closing the lid is quicker.
Windows stuck on a damaged screen?
If your MacBook's own screen is only partly broken, you can keep using it. CrackMac stops windows, menus and the pointer at the edge of the damage, so the built-in screen works as a smaller, normal one.
- Works on macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon and Intel.
- Free for 30 minutes of use, then a one-time price. No subscription.
- A refund within 7 days, no questions asked.