Enable and Configure Firewall on MacBook Pro (macOS Monterey)

While the macOS isn’t as vulnerable as Windows, there are still a lot of people out there that are creative enough to find loopholes they can manipulate.

It is safe to assume that while your MacBook is pretty secured, there is always a possibility that someone can gain access to it and compromise your personal information, data and files.

One way to make your device more secure is to enable Firewall, which blocks apps and services from accessing your computer.

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How To Enable Firewall on MacBook

A firewall is your first line of defense as it serves as a barrier between your computer and malicious people and apps on the Internet. It works by blocking access to your computer and allowing only the incoming connections that you trust.

Your MacBook has a built-in firewall but it’s disabled by default. So your computer natively block incoming connections and that should be among the first things you have to check when setting up your device.

So follow these steps to activate the firewall on your Mac:

Step 1: Click on the Apple icon on the top-left corner of the screen.
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Step 2: Click System preferences.
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Step 3: Look for Security & Privacy and once found, click on it.
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When the Security & Privacy window opens, there are four tabs available for you.

Step 4: Click on the Firewall tab.
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This will open the Firewall settings and you can see that it’s disabled.

Step 5: To enable the firewall, click on the Lock icon at the bottom-left corner of the window.
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This will prompt you to verify your identity.

Step 6: Enter your password, fingerprint or any security measures you’re using.
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Step 7: Once the Firewall settings are unlocked, click Turn On Firewall to enable it.
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Doing so will activate your MacBook Pro’s firewall immediately.

How To Configure your MacBook’s Firewall

The default firewall settings are often enough to block apps and make sure you receive incoming connections that are safe.

System apps, however, are allowed to work to their full potential. If you want to make your computer even more secure, then you have to change some Firewall options.

To configure your Mac’s firewall, follow these steps:

IMPORTANT NOTE: Assuming you’ve already closed the Security & Privacy windows without changing some settings, you will have to follow the steps above as the settings will be locked automatically when the window is closed.

Step 1: Click on the Apple icon on the top-left corner of the screen.

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Step 2: Click System preferences.

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Step 3: Look for Security & Privacy and once found, click on it.

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Step 4: Click on the Firewall tab.

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This will open the Firewall settings and you can see that it’s disabled.

Step 5: To enable the firewall, click the Lock icon at the bottom-left corner of the window.

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This will prompt you to verify your identity.

Step 6: Enter your password, fingerprint or any security measures you’re using.

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Step 7: Once the Firewall settings are unlocked, click Firewall Options.

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Step 8: Check the box next to Block all incoming connections.

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This should be checked if you’re not gonna use remote access, file sharing or any apps and require incoming connections.

Step 9: To add a specific third-party app, click on the Plus icon, choose an app and click Add to append it to the list.

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Step 10: The options Automatically allow built-in software to receive incoming connections and Automatically allow downloaded signed software to receive incoming connections must be checked.

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Though, you really don’t need to worry about them as they’re checked by default.

Step 11: Put a check on Enable stealth mode.

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This is actually a good option to make your Mac virtually non-existent as it ignores all incoming connections that are pinging your computer.

Step 12: When you’re done, click OK to confirm the changes.

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And that’s pretty much it!

You’ve already enabled your MacBook’s firewall and configured it to work as you want.

We hope that this simple tutorial can help you one way or the other.

Thanks for reading and have a nice day!

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