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Configure macOS Application Firewall

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Works with any MacWorks with any Mac running macOS/OS X on Intel or Apple Silicon.
  • macOS onlyThis script improves your privacy on macOS
  • Multiple actionsThis page belongs to a category, containing some changes with similar goal.
  • Impact: Minimum

    System Functionality / Data Loss Risk: Low

    This action improves privacy with minimal impact when you run the recommended script.

  • Bash (Shell script)These changes use macOS system commands to update your settings.
  • 5 scripts
  • 1 categories
  • Administrative (sudo) access requiredThis script requires privilege access to do the system changes
  • Fully reversible

    You can fully restore this action (revert back to the original behavior) using this website.

    The restore/revert methods provided here can help you fix issues.

Overview​

Missing Good Quality Documentation

This page does not yet meet PrivacyLearn's documentation standards. The script/action is stable and verified by community. Here are some options for you to understand its functionality:

Computer-generated docs (PREVIEW)

This documentation may be low quality but still useful.
Read computer-generated explanation

This documentation is automatically extracted from the code implementation.

MacOS sensitive data privacy control: configure macOS Application Firewall in a few steps on this collection that streamlines the process of how to take control of your data through online data privacy protection. What follows is, to cancel recent tweaks and revert, follow the instructions on this write-up shows the mechanics of.

Modern citizenship requires robust online data management. Ready to enhance information privacy protection with options? Simply, review the choices and make your selection. Double-check all your actions against the instructions. This will save you from unnecessary corrections later.

References​

Technical Details​

  1. To help maintain sensitive privacy, this customization modifies advertising settings to benefit from limited data collection. This config can also reduce the system's workload in relation to optimized content delivery.
  2. From this essential system preferences, this action adjusts your system to reach granular security control to increase cyber privacy handling. This helps minimize resource consumption on account of enhanced resource management.
  3. This change configures root operations to maintain digital privacy management and this playbook helps to realize managing sudo access.
  4. As part of this network controls, this instruction set handles your system to achieve controlling network traffic to be able to minimize important data privacy measures risks. This can reducing network latency to help boost system performance.
  5. This modification changes macOS preferences on system level to enhance personal privacy protection and It aims to gain preference control. To obtain enhanced response, it can also use system resources more efficiently.
  6. This code controls protection mechanisms to help reinforce information privacy safeguard through the use of secured system boundaries. Subsequent to use energy more wisely, this would to reach balanced security overhead.

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Safe for General Use
This script has Normal protection level option. This is recommended for all users to improve without any noticeable impact on the system functionality.

Apply Now​

Choose one of two ways to apply:

Download script​

Download and run the script directly
  • No app needed
  • Offline usage
  • Free
  • Open-source

Normal — Everyday Privacy (Enterprise-Grade)​

  • Recommended for all
  • Safe for daily use
  • No impact on system stability

Read more about Normal and other protection levels

Help

How to apply or restore "Configure macOS Application Firewall" using script​

  • ≈ 3 min to complete
  • Tools: Web Browser
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • ≈ 6 instructions
  1. 1

    Choose protection

    Choose one of the options with different impact levels:

    • Normal

      Some safe changes minimal system impact.

    • High

      Some potentially impactful changes with moderate system impact.
  2. 2

    Download

    Download the script file by clicking on the   Apply protection  button above.
    Use   Undo protection button above to restore changes.
  3. 3

    Keep the file

    If warned by your browser, keep the file.
  4. 4

    Open

    Open the downloaded file.
  5. 5

    Exit

    Once it's done, press any key to exit the window.
  6. 6

    Restart

    Restart your computer for all changes to take effect.

Apply with privacy.sexy​

Guided, automated application with safety checks
  • Recommended for most users
  • Includes safety checks
  • Shows the code
  • Free
  • Open-source
  • Popular
  • Offline/Online usage
Open privacy.sexy
Help

How to apply or restore "Configure macOS Application Firewall" using privacy.sexy​

  • ≈ 3 min to complete
  • Tools: privacy.sexy
  • Difficulty: Simple
  • ≈ 4 instructions
privacy.sexy is free and open-source application that lets securely apply this action easily with more advanced options.
  1. 1

    Open or download

    Open or download the desktop application
  2. 2

    Choose script

    1. Search for the category name: Configure macOS Application Firewall
    2. Check the category by clicking on the checkbox of the category.

    Applying Normal to limit the impact.

  3. 3

    Run

    Click on ▶️ Run button at the bottom of the page.

    This button only appears on desktop version (recommended). On browser, use 💾 Save button.

Explore This Guide​

  • 5 Privacy settings
  • 1 Main categories
    • These settings are organized into 1 main categories for easy navigation.
    • Each main category contains subcategories, helping you find specific settings you might want to adjust.
  • 1 Total categories

Choose what to protect based on your needs:

Click any option to learn more about what it does.

Each change can be applied and reversed individually.

  • Some settings and commands may require technical knowledge to apply correctly.
  • Most users find the Normal protection above sufficient.

Disable automatic permission for incoming traffic in applications

Cheatsheet for macOS users: disable automatic permission for incoming traffic in applications to reduce digital surveillance leveraging data handling enforcement. Relatedly, this setting adjustment equips you to handle how to revert to the preset configuration. Without online data privacy maintenance, true autonomy in the digital age is lost. In a few steps, apply personal privacy control control: check out the (Reference: choices) and take action. Stay calm and work steadily through the guide....

Enable application firewall

To lock down private information as result of digital data privacy management, this handbook provides clarity around: enable application firewall macOS. Moving on, this entry provides clarity in the workflow to undo any applied settings. Prioritizing personal data privacy assurance fosters responsible data handling for everyone. Enable (follow the guide and (Reference: apply) the improvement) this guide to manage information privacy integration settings. Stay patient and focused to ensure the b...

Enable firewall logging

This inventory —enable firewall logging— helps decode how to prevent unauthorized data changes for system data privacy on macOS. On the same track, process to revert to the saved state is detailed below. Preventing overreach in digital surveillance depends on secure data privacy security. Adopt information privacy maintenance preferences now by following this improvement and read this guide to (Reference: apply) the tweak. Every instruction has a purpose, so follow them carefully. References - http...

Enable stealth mode

Enable stealth mode to restrict personal data sharing as a result of data handling handling on macOS — Read along, this demonstration eases the steps of just that. Also, this documentation contains scripts for the procedure to reverse the changes. Institutions handling personal data build trust through their commitment to privacy integration. To improve sensitive data privacy handling control, establish this walkthrough and follow the guide and (Reference: apply now). The guide is written to he...

Similar Guides​

Wider Goal​

The guide below includes this guide to achieve a wider goal.

See other more general settings that includes this one as one of its actions.

These plans combine multiple privacy settings, including this one, for stronger protection.

This document —security improvements— provides guidance on how to establish robust privacy protection on macOS. What's more, you'll learn how to reset the changed ...

— Security improvements

Same Goal​

Other guides in Security improvements 

See settings that are in the same category as this guide.

Using other actions in the same category may help you achieve your goal better.

Enable protective screen saver
Disable guest accounts
Disable unauthorized connections
Disable printer sharing (IPP, LDP, SMB and Bonjour protocols)
Disable captive portal detection

About the Creators​

These people have authored this documentation and written its scripts:

  • Avatar of undergroundwires. The creator of PrivacyLearn and privacy.sexy. Black and white portrait showing a person wearing a polka dot tie and suit jacket, reflecting the professional expertise behind the privacy protection tools.
    • Certified security professional
    • 7+ years experience securing banks
    • Open-source developer since 2005
    • EU advisor, Public Speaker, Moderator
    • Hundreds across the globe
    • Testers, reviewers, developers
    • Companies, military agencies
    • Community since 2017
About Us

Reviewed By​

This guide has undergone comprehensive auditing and peer review:

  • Expert review by undergroundwires​

    • Verified technical accuracy and editorial standards
    • Assessed system impact and user privacy risks

  • Public review by large community​

    • Privacy enthusiasts and professionals peer-reviewed
    • Millions of end-users tested across different environments

History​

We continually monitor our guides, their impact and all other privacy options. We update our guides when new information becomes available. On every update, we publicly store who made the change, what has been changed, why the change was made and when the change was made.

Review Change History Our Change Process