MacDisplay 3.0.2: AI assistants for Mac and a second screen you can control with Siri

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MacDisplay turns another Mac, including an older iMac, into a true extended second display over Thunderbolt, Ethernet, or Wi-Fi, with no additional hardware. Version 3.0 added file transfer and shared keyboard and mouse control. With 3.0.2, you can access those capabilities through an assistant or use your voice for the screen commands.

If you're setting up a second display for the first time, start with How to use an old iMac as a second monitor for your MacBook. This update focuses on what happens once those two Macs are part of your workspace.

Ask about your setup, then choose what to do

Sometimes the most useful request is a question. “Which Macs are connected and available?” gives the assistant a specific place to start. “Why can't I extend the screen?” or “Have I granted all the required permissions?” can help you understand what needs attention.

The assistant can read MacDisplay's status, nearby Macs, settings, logs, and in-app guide. That lets it explain a feature or help troubleshoot a problem using information from the app.

With a MacDisplay license, you can also ask it to make a Mac act as a monitor, extend or stop the screen, send files, or start keyboard and mouse control of the other Mac. A request such as “Send this file to the MacBook Air” can start a file transfer, subject to your approval settings.

You can change everyday preferences through the conversation, too. Ask to save incoming files to the Desktop, change the corner panel for file transfers, or choose the screen edge your pointer uses to cross to the other Mac. For the underlying workflows, see How to transfer files between two Macs directly over a cable and How to control two Macs with one keyboard and mouse.

Connect Claude, ChatGPT, or a local AI model

Open Assistants & Voice and select the assistant you use. Claude, the ChatGPT app, and Claude Code each have a Connect button for a one-click connection. For Cursor, VS Code, or LM Studio running a local model, use Copy Configuration in the panel.

MacDisplay includes an MCP connector. MCP, the Model Context Protocol, is a standard that lets an AI assistant exchange information and request actions through an app.

The in-app guide also has a new Assistants & Voice section, with step-by-step instructions and pictures of the panel. Your assistant can read that section as well, so you can ask it to explain how a setting works while you're configuring the connection. At the bottom of the guide's sections there are also video tutorials you can watch without leaving the app.

You approve the actions

Connecting an assistant gives you a way to ask for things; you still decide which actions it can perform. For each action, you can choose Allow, Always Allow, or Don't Allow, and you can revoke those permissions whenever you want.

Under the normal approval rules, an action on the current Mac asks the first time. Sending files or controlling another Mac asks each time. Security settings stay read-only for assistants: they can see them but can't change them.

Automatic mode lets assistants act without asking. You can turn it on only from the panel, after a warning, and the other Mac still asks for its own consent.

Lockdown Mode adds another clear boundary. While it's on, assistants can only read, and external commands are blocked. Turn it off and your previous configuration returns. The Log records the time of every read and action that comes in from outside, giving you a place to review what was requested.

What the assistant sees and where that information goes

MacDisplay's connector runs only on the current Mac and opens no network ports. The information an assistant reads can still become part of its conversation with its provider, such as Anthropic or OpenAI.

That information includes MacDisplay's logs, which contain the names of transferred files. The assistant never opens your files and does not read the diagnostic log. File names and file contents are separate here: a name may appear in the logs even though the file itself is not opened.

With Anonymous names turned on, the assistant sees references such as “Mac 1” and “file 1” instead of the real names. Other information it reads still becomes part of the conversation.

If you use a local model through LM Studio, everything stays on the Mac. Choosing an assistant therefore also means choosing where the information made available to it is processed.

Use Siri and Shortcuts to control your second screen

You don't need a conversation for every screen command. In Assistants & Voice, use Add to Siri beside a phrase, then say “Hey Siri, become a monitor,” “Hey Siri, extend the screen,” or “Hey Siri, stop the screen.” You say “become a monitor” to the Mac you want to use as the display, and “extend the screen” to the main Mac.

Siri commands require macOS 12 or later and a Mac signed in to your Apple Account. Display extension keeps its own requirements: the main Mac needs macOS 12.3 or later, and the Mac used as the second display needs macOS 11 or later.

The same commands work in the Shortcuts app and through macdisplay:// links, such as macdisplay://become-monitor. That gives you a choice of voice commands, shortcuts, or links for the same actions.

The External commands switch controls whether Siri, Shortcuts, and links can start anything. When it's off, commands from outside the app do nothing. The ⌘⇧M and ⌘⇧E keyboard shortcuts always keep working.

Have MacDisplay ready when you log in

Open the MacDisplay menu in the menu bar and turn on Open at Login. The app will launch when you log in, without opening any windows, and ⌘⇧M and ⌘⇧E will work right away.

For a desk where two Macs are used every day, that removes a small setup step. MacDisplay is already running when you begin, with its keyboard shortcuts ready and assistant and voice commands governed by the settings you've chosen.

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Try the connection for free and update to 3.0.2

You can connect an assistant in the free version and let it read status, settings, logs, and the guide. That means you can try the connection and ask for help before purchasing. Actions performed through the assistant require a MacDisplay license.

The free version also lets you try MacDisplay's second-screen functionality with time limits. A license costs €29.99 + VAT as a one-time purchase, with no subscription.

Existing users receive version 3.0.2 through the in-app update. MacDisplay is also free to download from the website. For the features this update builds on, see MacDisplay 3.0: your second Mac can now do much more.

Frequently asked questions

Gaetano Andrea Biocca MacDisplay Published on 12 October 2026

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