📋 What you'll need
A Thunderbolt cable
Available Thunderbolt port on each device
⚠️ Important: The Luna Display hardware will still need to be plugged into your primary computer when using a cable to connect!
What if one of my computers only has Thunderbolt 2 ports?
You can use a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter with a Thunderbolt 2 cable.
Here's a list of the options that we've tested:
💡 Note: We have found that Ethernet is the best wired connection type for PC-to-Mac mode. Thunderbolt connections can be inconsistent depending on what kind of Windows computer you're using.
How to Connect
🍏 Mac-to-Mac
🍏 Mac-to-Mac
⚙️ Connect your cable
Plug a Thunderbolt cable into your primary and secondary Macs.
Open the Luna Display app on your primary Mac and the Luna Secondary app on your secondary Mac.
Your devices should automatically connect via the Thunderbolt cable.
🎯 Confirm Luna is using Thunderbolt
On your Primary Mac, open the Luna Display app.
Look in the upper right corner of the Luna Settings window — if Thunderbolt is active, you’ll see a cable icon with the word "Thunderbolt" next to it, like the image below.
📍 Prioritize Thunderbolt in the Luna Display Settings
On the primary Mac, open the Luna Display app
Click Luna Display in the Mac menu bar (top left of your desktop)
Select Settings...
Click on the Mac-to-Mac tab
Change the dropdown menu labeled "Mac-to-Mac Wired Connection" to "Connect via Thunderbolt Only"
🪟 PC-to-Mac
🪟 PC-to-Mac
⚙️ Connect your cable
Plug a Thunderbolt cable into your PC and Mac.
Open the Luna Display app on your PC and the Luna Secondary app on your Mac.
Your devices should automatically connect via the Thunderbolt cable.
🎯 Confirm Luna is using Thunderbolt
On your PC, open the Luna Display app.
Look in the upper right corner of the Luna Settings window — if Thunderbolt is active, you’ll see a cable icon with the word "Thunderbolt" next to it, like the image below.
📍 Prioritize Thunderbolt in the Luna Display Preferences
On the primary Mac, open the Luna Display app
Click on the hamburger menu ≡ in the top left of the primary Luna window
Select Preferences
Click on the Connectivity tab
Change the dropdown menu labeled "Allowed Non-USB network interfaces" to "Connect via Thunderbolt Only"
Can I use an Thunderbolt with an adapter or hub with my devices?
⚠️ Yes, but the results may vary, so we cannot guarantee that you will get the same performance that you would without a hub. The more devices you have connected to a hub, regardless of quality, the more likely your connection is to degrade. You can use a Thunderbolt adapter for your Thunderbolt connection.
My Thunderbolt Connection isn't working or is unstable
If you're having trouble with your Thunderbolt connection, you may need to manually adjust your Thunderbolt IP address.
When to manually set your Thunderbolt IP Address using a Static IP:
If Thunderbolt Bridge displays as “Not Connected” or “Unknown State"
Your devices fail to connect via Thunderbolt each time you launch Luna Display
Your devices disconnect frequently after a connection had been established
You have general issues connecting your devices via Thunderbolt
Try manually configuring the Thunderbolt IP on each device using a Static IP address. A Static IP is a manually assigned IP address that won’t change across time — it will always stay the same.
Let’s walk through the setup process:
Navigate to System Preferences on both devices and click on Network
Select the Thunderbolt Bridge option and click on Details. . .
In the Details settings, select the TCP/IP tab
From the Configure IPv4 dropdown menu, choose Manually
Enter the desired IP address for the Thunderbolt Bridge connection, making sure not to choose an IP address that is currently in use.
Typically, manual, or static, IPs will start with 169.254.x.x. As an example, set the main Mac’s IP address as 169.254.1.1 and the second Mac’s IP address as 169.254.1.2
Set the subnet mask, which is typically 255.255.255.0 for most networks, the subnet must be the same on both devices
Apply the changes and restart both computers.
Thunderbolt Bridge should be listed as Self-assigned IP or Connected
That’s all! Now you’re ready to start using your Thunderbolt Bridge connection.