How to block ads on Mac · Seawall
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Setup guide · macOS 11 and newer

How to block ads on Mac

You don’t need an ad blocker app for Mac. Install a small Seawall profile, and macOS sends DNS over an encrypted connection to Seawall: ads stop loading in Safari, other browsers and apps, on any network.

  • About a minute
  • No app to install
  • Any network

In short

Download your Seawall profile, open System Settings › General › Device Management, double-click the Seawall profile and click Install.

  1. System Settings
  2. General
  3. Device Management
Get your Seawall profile

Block ads on Mac with a Seawall profile

Menu names are from macOS 15. On older versions the profile is in a different place: see the table below, or type “Profiles” into the search in System Settings.

  1. Get your Seawall profile

    Open your Seawall account on the Mac and click Download profile. macOS shows a notification that the profile was downloaded.

    Seawall profile

    seawall-mac.mobileconfig

    This is an example. Your personal profile appears in your account after you sign up. Get yours

  2. Open the profile in System Settings

    Go to System Settings › General › Device Management. On macOS 13 and 14 it’s System Settings › Privacy & Security › Profiles.

    1. System Settings
    2. General
    3. Device Management

  3. Install it

    Double-click the Seawall profile, click Install and enter your Mac password to confirm. macOS shows that the profile contains only DNS settings.

  4. That’s it

    Ads stop loading in Safari, other browsers and apps, on any network the Mac joins. If a browser was open, restart it.

  5. Check that it works

    Open the ad blocker test in Safari or Chrome. All 24 addresses should show “blocked”.

    Run the ad blocker test
Installing the Seawall profile on a Mac, illustration

Where to find Seawall on your Mac

Can’t find a menu? Type “Profiles” into the search in System Settings.

What you needWhere it is
The profile, macOS 15 and newer
  1. System Settings
  2. General
  3. Device Management
The profile, macOS 13 and 14
  1. System Settings
  2. Privacy & Security
  3. Profiles
The profile, macOS 11 and 12
  1. System Preferences
  2. Profiles
Turn off iCloud Private Relay
  1. System Settings
  2. Your name
  3. iCloud
  4. Private Relay
Block pop-ups in Safari
  1. Safari
  2. Settings
  3. Websites
  4. Pop-up Windows
Secure DNS in Chrome
  1. Chrome
  2. Settings
  3. Privacy and security
  4. Security
  5. Use secure DNS

Seawall works in every browser that uses the macOS DNS settings. A browser with its own secure DNS set to another provider skips them.

If something doesn’t work

The profile isn’t in System Settings

Download it again and open System Settings right away. If you can’t find the right section, type “Profiles” into the search.

Ads still show in Safari

Check iCloud Private Relay. When it’s on, Safari sends its requests through Apple’s relay and skips your DNS settings. To let Seawall filter Safari, turn it off in System Settings › your name › iCloud › Private Relay.

Ads still show in one browser

The browser uses its own secure DNS with another provider. In Chrome, set Use secure DNS to OS default (when available); in Edge, to your current service provider. In Firefox, open Settings › Privacy & Security › DNS over HTTPS and choose Off, or choose a custom provider and paste your Seawall template.

Ads in YouTube, Facebook or Instagram

These apps serve ads from the same servers as their videos and posts, so DNS can’t tell them apart. Seawall blocks the ad networks that other apps, games and websites use.

Pop-ups in Safari

Open Safari › Settings › Websites › Pop-up Windows and set When visiting other websites to Block. Pop-ups from ad networks stop loading once Seawall is on.

A site or app stopped working

Add it to your allow list in your Seawall account or pause protection for 10 minutes.

Mac ad blocking questions

Do I need an ad blocker app for Mac?

No. macOS supports encrypted DNS through a profile, so there’s no app to install and nothing running in the background.

Does it work in Safari and Chrome?

Yes, and in Edge, Firefox and other apps, as long as a browser doesn’t use its own secure DNS with another provider. If ads still show in one browser, see the tips above.

Does it work on any network?

Yes. The profile works on any network your Mac joins: home Wi-Fi, a café, a hotel or an office.

Is the Seawall profile safe?

It contains only DNS settings, and macOS shows exactly what’s inside before you install it. The profile gives Seawall no access to your messages, photos or files, and you can remove it anytime.

How do I stop pop-up ads on my Mac?

In Safari, open Settings › Websites › Pop-up Windows and choose Block. In Chrome, open Settings › Privacy and security › Site settings › Pop-ups and redirects. With Seawall on, pop-ups from ad networks stop loading in browsers.

How do I remove the profile?

Open System Settings › General › Device Management (Privacy & Security › Profiles on macOS 13 and 14), select the Seawall profile and click the minus button. To let everything through for a moment instead, pause protection for 10 minutes in your account.

Set up your other devices

Get your Seawall profile

Sign up, download it on your Mac and follow the steps above. It takes about a minute.

Try it freeRun the ad blocker test