Set custom DNS servers from Terminal — via SS64

Commandlow riskNeeds adminmacOS 14 Sonoma and later

You can point your Mac at a different DNS provider (for example your router, Pi-hole, or a public resolver) in System Settings, or with one networksetup command that's easy to script and to undo.

Takes effect right away

The easy way

  1. The easy way: System Settings > Network, click your connection, click Details, then DNS, and add servers with +.
  2. In Terminal, run networksetup -listallnetworkservices to get the exact service name (such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet), then run the command with your chosen servers.
  3. Check with networksetup -getdnsservers Wi-Fi. The undo (empty) goes back to the DNS servers your router hands out.

Command

Run in Terminal (Applications › Utilities). It uses sudo, so macOS asks for your password.

sudo networksetup -setdnsservers Wi-Fi 1.1.1.1 1.0.0.1

Undo

sudo networksetup -setdnsservers Wi-Fi empty
The example uses Cloudflare's public resolvers; swap in any servers you prefer.

Sources

Source reviewed
2026-11-02
Link checked
2026-11-02
Tested hands-on
Not by Oddbyte.Me

Oddbyte.Me hasn't tried this on every macOS version, so keep the undo handy.

dnsnetworksetuppi-holecloudflarecustom dnsterminal

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