Some Mac users have noticed that the hosts file in MacOS doesn’t seem to function properly, or that modifications made to the /etc/hosts file are not being recognized. Considering the hosts file is used to associate IP addresses with domain names and is often edited by advanced users, this can be a frustrating issue.

This problem becomes apparent when, after modifying the hosts file using the terminal or even TextEdit, and clearing the DNS cache, there’s no noticeable effect on how hosts behave.

It's quite common for changes to the hosts file to be overlooked or not function as intended, especially on newer versions of MacOS. However, in most cases, it's a straightforward fix.

Fix Hosts File Changes Ignored / Hosts File Not Working in MacOS

The most probable cause for the hosts file not functioning correctly on your Mac is that it has become corrupted or is no longer in ASCII format. This may occur if you edit the file using a Rich Text editor or third-party application, or if an incorrect file type was saved when editing via vim/vi/nano etc.

To begin, we'll rename the current hosts file to back it up, which allows you to restore it later if needed:

sudo mv /etc/hosts /etc/hostsbackup

Copy the contents of the hostsbackup file into your clipboard. One simple way to do this is by displaying the file contents and then copying the text:

cat /etc/hostsbackup

Now create a new hosts file using nano:

sudo nano /etc/hosts

Paste the original hosts file content into the new file you just created.

Press Control o followed by Control X to write the changes and exit nano.

Next, flush the DNS cache so the updates take effect:

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

These steps should ensure that the hosts file changes are applied successfully, and there shouldn't be a need to restart browsers or other internet-connected applications.

NOTE: Some Mac users have found that restarting their system is necessary for the updated hosts file to be acknowledged, though this is uncommon and typically applies only to systems running macOS Catalina or newer versions.

In certain situations, you might need to enable the root user account before you're allowed to modify the hosts file, depending on how secure your MacOS installation is.

There are also reports of hosts file issues persisting in macOS Monterey and macOS Ventura specifically. In such scenarios, consider using a third-party tool like GasMask to manage the hosts file, or use a browser extension to change host mappings at the browser level. For example, LiveHosts is a Chrome extension that works well for this purpose.

Have you faced problems with the hosts file not working correctly on your Mac? Did recreating the hosts file from the command line solve the issue? Or did you discover another workaround? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments section below!

The above is the detailed content of Hosts File Not Working on Mac? Try This Fix. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!