Mac User Guide
- Welcome
- What’s new in macOS Sequoia
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- Get started with Apple Intelligence
- Use Writing Tools
- Use Apple Intelligence in Mail
- Use Apple Intelligence in Messages
- Use Apple Intelligence with Siri
- Get webpage summaries
- Summarize an audio recording
- Use Apple Intelligence in Photos
- Summarize notifications and reduce interruptions
- Apple Intelligence and privacy
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- Intro to Continuity
- Use AirDrop to send items to nearby devices
- Hand off tasks between devices
- Control your iPhone from your Mac
- Copy and paste between devices
- Stream video and audio with AirPlay
- Make and receive calls and text messages on your Mac
- Use your iPhone internet connection with your Mac
- Share your Wi-Fi password with another device
- Use iPhone as a webcam
- Insert sketches, photos, and scans from iPhone or iPad
- Unlock your Mac with Apple Watch
- Use your iPad as a second display
- Use one keyboard and mouse to control Mac and iPad
- Sync music, books, and more between devices
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- Control what you share
- Set up your Mac to be secure
- Allow apps to see the location of your Mac
- Use Private Browsing
- Keep your data safe
- Understand passwords
- Change weak or compromised passwords
- Keep your Apple Account secure
- Use Mail Privacy Protection
- Use Sign in with Apple for apps and websites
- Find a missing device
- Resources for your Mac
- Resources for your Apple devices
- Copyright
Change your computer’s name or local hostname on Mac
Your computer’s name and local hostname are used to identify your computer on your local network.
Change your computer’s name
You can view and change your computer’s name in the About settings window.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu
in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)Click About.
Select the current computer name, then type a new name.
Change your computer’s local hostname
The local hostname, or local network name, is displayed at the bottom of the Sharing settings window. It identifies your Mac to Bonjour-compatible services.
The local hostname is your computer’s name with .local added, and any spaces are replaced with hyphens. For example, if your computer’s name is My Computer, your local hostname is My-Computer.local. Local hostnames aren’t case sensitive, so my-computer.local is the same as My-Computer.local.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu
Click Edit in the “Local hostname” section at the bottom of the window, then enter a new local hostname.
If needed, turn on the “Use dynamic global hostname” option. See Use a dynamic global hostname.
Click OK.
If your Mac has the exact name of another Mac on your local network, a number is added to the local network name.
If your computer name is not recognized by Bonjour, the local network name is Macintosh.local.