How to configure and use the built-in firewall and the Block incoming connections feature in macOS?

The security of the macOS operating system largely depends on the correct configuration of firewalls. The built-in firewall allows you to protect your computer from unauthorized access from the local network or the internet by controlling network traffic for each individual application.

To enable this feature, open System Settings, go to Privacy & Security, and then find the firewall management section. Turn on the firewall switch so the system starts blocking all unauthorized incoming connections.

For more precise security settings, open the firewall options. Here you can enable the mode to automatically block incoming connections for all programs except basic system services, as well as enable stealth mode, in which your Mac will stop responding to Ping requests from other devices on the network.

If a specific third-party application needs to receive incoming traffic to work correctly, such as a torrent client or a local development server, you can add it to the allowed list directly in this interface. Simply click the plus sign and select the required program from the Applications folder.