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M1 Mac Mini Won't Wake Connected Displays, Some Owners Complain
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M1 mini, 11.5.2, 16 / 1TB
Same on a HP Omen 27" gaming monitor. I have used a TB to HDMI adapter and have less issues. Also, I set the display to not sleep and just turn it off manually. Another quick solution to wake it up is that I used my phone to screen share into the mini and that wakes up the display.
Same on a HP Omen 27" gaming monitor. I have used a TB to HDMI adapter and have less issues. Also, I set the display to not sleep and just turn it off manually. Another quick solution to wake it up is that I used my phone to screen share into the mini and that wakes up the display.
I was with Apple Support and a suggested fix worked for me (as least for now as I only tested with the monitor sleeping once). If you use a bluetooth keyboard or mouse, go to the Bluetooth->Advanced settings. The checkbox for bluetooth to wake up must be checked. Mine already was, but I turned it off, hit ok, came back in and cycled back on and hit ok. I let the monitor go to sleep and was able to wake it up.
I'm on a M1 Mac Mini with 11.5.2.
Also, when it wasn't waking up, I was able to cycle power on the monitor which was easier than unplugging and plugging cables in again.
I'm on a M1 Mac Mini with 11.5.2.
Also, when it wasn't waking up, I was able to cycle power on the monitor which was easier than unplugging and plugging cables in again.
This comment applies if you are connecting a second monitor to the M1 Mac Mini using an HDMI to USB-C adapter and the Mac Mini won't recognize it. The problem is you are using a 3rd party adapter. 3rd party HDMI to USB-C adapters do not work well with this computer. Usually, you have to unplug and plug back in the 3rd party adapter to get the Mac to recognize the second monitor. In addition, your second screen may occasionally go blank with a 3rd party adapter. The only adapter I've seen that works properly with this computer is the Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter. Yes, it is expensive at $69 but your second monitor will work with it every time. You can save money by getting one used on eBay.
This has worked for me over and over again. I don't have any problems with the HDMI connection. I just worry that unplugging the USB-C over and over again, may end up causing problems.
A M1 Mac mini owner since a week here, using an Acer 4K monitor (that I've been used for the past 3 years hooked up through a USB C-cable to my previous 2018 MBP 15"). Zero issues with the past setup. But now … what a nightmare. The M1 Mac mini came with Big Sur, and using the Mac mini w/ an USB C-cable worked perfectly initially. Of course I wanted to install Monterey (12.0.1), I did … and then … "no signal found". Messed around with shutting the computer down, waiting a couple of minutes, turning on again, trying out two other USB C-cables (all TB 3.1 compatible). No luck. Tried HDMI, and sure – no problems to connect via that protocol.
A few days later, I messed around with the hassle of shutting down & powering up, and suddenly after doing nothing special, the signal was back. Great. Back to the normal work. But... after ≈ 24 hours the signal suddenly got lost (in the middle of me working with design stuff). No way to get the signal back, so I had to plug in the HDMI cable to get the monitor showing an image.
Today I ordered a (pretty expensive) Apple-branded USB C cable, which will arrive in the mail tomorrow. I really doubt that that cable will solve the issues, but one can only hope.
(So, why not use HDMI, you might ask? Well, I plan to hook up a PC to the same monitor to be able to toggle between two computers (PC: HDMI-> DP and the Mac: USB C -> USB C. Also, I want to be able to use the monitor's built-in USB ports that will be powered when running through USB C. But, at this point that solution seems unreachable.)
Currently, I am very very disappointed on the flaky behaviour of the TB/USB C-connectivity.
A few days later, I messed around with the hassle of shutting down & powering up, and suddenly after doing nothing special, the signal was back. Great. Back to the normal work. But... after ≈ 24 hours the signal suddenly got lost (in the middle of me working with design stuff). No way to get the signal back, so I had to plug in the HDMI cable to get the monitor showing an image.
Today I ordered a (pretty expensive) Apple-branded USB C cable, which will arrive in the mail tomorrow. I really doubt that that cable will solve the issues, but one can only hope.
(So, why not use HDMI, you might ask? Well, I plan to hook up a PC to the same monitor to be able to toggle between two computers (PC: HDMI-> DP and the Mac: USB C -> USB C. Also, I want to be able to use the monitor's built-in USB ports that will be powered when running through USB C. But, at this point that solution seems unreachable.)
Currently, I am very very disappointed on the flaky behaviour of the TB/USB C-connectivity.
The more stories I read, like yours, seems the M1 mini inherited the problems of the last Intel ones. I’ve had that issue. Now, I run an eGPU on mine, but it’s not a perfect solution. However, none of my models are Thunderbolt/USBC native for connectivity.
I hope you get it figured out with the cable swap, that’s about all you can do without sending it in.
What about Mac: USB-C to DP and PC: HDMI to HDMI?
Currently, I have my Mac-mini USB-C to DP. I have the "wake up" trouble with DP version 1.4 but not 1.2.
Yeah … well, it's seemingly a mess to get things working. I've read many many threads about getting a Mac mini to connect to a monitor, so yes – it seems like this has been an issue since way back. But of course, I didn't google "problems with connecting a Mac mini to an external monitor" before I bought it. I just read all of those speed tests/benchmarks/overall thoughts (of which no-one mention any connectivity issues).
I really (really) just want to be able to connect my brand new Mac to an external monitor as Apple say it should be able to. I'm so, so tired of spending all this time (and money) on things that doesn't work.
A-ha, yes … that could (in theory) work. I'll lose the powered USB-ports on the back of the monitor though (I think?). Will try (as soon as I can dig up the appropriate adapters and whatnot. Thanks for the suggestion.
On the other hand: I do think that the issue lies within the USB C/TB-port on the Mac mini itself. But yes, I'll test this out.
Quick answer: Nope, that HDMI -> DP didn't work (I used a HDMI cable connected to an adapter to get a DP-male that I inserted in the monitor). Not sure about versioning of the adapter though (1.2 vs 1.4). No signal nevertheless. Had to switch back to HDMI -> HDMI.
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Right there with you and feel your pain. I love my M1 Mac Mini but whatever is going on with monitor compatibility dampens my love for the machine. I use HDMI port to HDMI on a Dell Curved S3220DGF Display and 3-5 times a week it randomly goes black for a couple second, then picks back up as if there was no issue. I also have a 15.4 inch portable monitor attached via USB and that freezes twice a day, goes black, then comes back as well. I am reluctant to spend on a better 2nd monitor because I fear the "strain" it would put on the machine would cause far more monitor issues.
And I have it lucky. I see stuff all across boards with more frequent drops and issues with waking from sleep. I keep hoping with each OS update Apple with solve the issue but it doesn't look like it is happening any time soon.
Gah … never experienced anything like this before in my life with Mac:s (been an user since 1993), but then again, never had to rely on external, non-apple screens. I can't wrap my head around the fact that this seem like a problem that has been going around for so long? And that Apple doesn't seem to do anything about it? As a side note, I purchased a (pretty expensive) Benq-monitor to try out a month ago. Connected it o my 16" MBP and was happy for a day, until weird on/off-blinking started (only when connected via USB C, HDMI worked as expected). I returned the monitor and went back to my (current) Acer. But that now has troubles as well (with the Mac mini, and only that machine).
To clarify:
– using a 2018 15" MBP or a 2019 16" MBP with an USB C-cable to the Acer monitor = no problems (never had, regardless of chosen port on the MBP).
– using a 2020 M1 Mac mini with the same monitor = no signal, regardless of port (worked for a day, but that's it)
It MUST have to do with something with the signal processing on the TB/USB C-port on apple devices, and I really hope that we'll se some form of acknowledgment from Apple. Just … anything saying that they're aware of the lorem ipsum?
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I can't get over it, either. It is a monitor, and the very idea that some new monitors might not work with a brand new computer is utterly ridiculous to me, especially in the Apple world, where their long standing motto is how things "just work". It would be like my cable company telling me my HDTV isn't compatible with their box. It is just absurd.
Yes. It is.
So … instead of me walking in to an 'apple certified' shop to speak with a 16-year old that surely doesn't know anything more than how to change wallpaper on an iPhone, what do I do? Where can I get some dedicated assistance and real technical advice? Here in Sweden, we only have one official Apple store (afaik), and that's situated far from where I live.
Also, I really haven't got the time to tell work that "oh, I need to take the car + computer and drive to a fancy shop to queue and then maybe speak with someone that will listen and frown for a while and then tell me to 'file a support ticket and we'll see in a week or three and thank you and have a shiny day'.
However the one thing that I learned in my career in the IT industry is that standards are not standard. Early in the 100-baseT market, I ran into a hub that refused to communicate with a switch from a different vendor. I was blown away that something that was as simple as a hub talking to a switch wasn't working. It made no sense, but swapping out the suspect hub fixed the problem. 'But it's a standard', and both vendor's equipment were billed as being 'compliant'. And weren't...
I'm so not surprised that some things that *should* work together, don't. I was hooking up the 'high tech' in the testosterone palace, and found that some devices that were said to wake up through their HDMI ports, didn't. Again, not surprised. Apparently the magic words were either not being said, or not said in the right order (I did try different cables). Fingers were pointed, and swapping out some devices solved the problem. There is no standard like standards that no one respects.
'And they called it innovation'...
I learned that long pressing the power button of the Mac mini helps. Ofcourse don’t press too long or it will turn off - just 1.5 to 2 seconds.
It’s annoying and shouldn’t be needed but at least it works.
It’s annoying and shouldn’t be needed but at least it works.
Not gone for me, mac mini 1, using Monterey sometimes fails to wake up monitor using USB-C => HDMI cable ( which is supposedly rated for 4k@60, Ugreen brand)
No troubles with the main monitor plugged using a standard HDMI cable :/
No troubles with the main monitor plugged using a standard HDMI cable :/
Reporting back on my previously posted issues (intermittent 5 second screen blacks) I finally replaced the HDMI cable with a super high end cable and viola!, haven't had the issue in several weeks!
I am stunned that this is what it took. The HDMI cable I was using was less than 2 years old (BlueRigger 4k UHD Cable) and seemed to be a respectable one, but someone somewhere on the webs (here or Reddit) gave me a specific recommendation and that is what it took.
Passing it forward, here is what I am now using:
I am stunned that this is what it took. The HDMI cable I was using was less than 2 years old (BlueRigger 4k UHD Cable) and seemed to be a respectable one, but someone somewhere on the webs (here or Reddit) gave me a specific recommendation and that is what it took.
Passing it forward, here is what I am now using:
sweguard HDMI Cable 1.5ft [8K@60hz, 4K@144Hz], 8K HDMI 2.1 Cable Ultra High Speed 48Gpbs DTS:X eARC HDR10 HDCP 2.2 & 2.3 Dolby Compatible with Roku TV/PS5/PS4/Xbox/HDTV/Blu-ray
Upgrade your audiovisual setup with the High-Speed HDMI Cable 2.1. With its 8K@60Hz and 4K@240Hz refresh rates, this cable ensures stunning picture quality, allowing you to enjoy your favorite content with incredible clarity and detail. The zinc alloy shell and nylon braiding make it durable and ...
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