PureBox

Setup PureBox on Mac

These instructions are for recent macOS versions (Ventura, Sonoma, and newer). They change how the whole Mac looks up websites—not just one browser. That is different from the browser-only guides in the sidebar, which only affect a single app.

Apple does not offer a simple “type in a secure DNS web address” panel in System Settings the way some other systems do. For Mac, Apple’s own route for system-wide encrypted DNS is a small setup file called a configuration profile—the same kind of file used on iPhone and iPad. Install it once, and your Mac uses PureBox for lookups over an encrypted connection.

If you prefer not to install a profile, use the second section below and type two numeric DNS addresses instead. That works well but does not use encryption between your Mac and PureBox.

Option A (recommended): Install the PureBox profile

Download with Safari if you can. Apple expects Safari for profile downloads, and it avoids odd behavior you sometimes see in other browsers.

Download PureBox profile

Only install profiles from people and sites you trust. This file is offered here on purebox.app so you know where it came from.

Install the profile

  1. After the download finishes, open your Downloads folder in the Finder and double-click purebox-https.mobileconfig. (If Safari asks what to do with the file, choose to open it or save it and then double-click the saved file.)
  2. System Settings should open to the profile screen. Read the short summary if you like, then click Continue and follow the prompts.
  3. Enter your Mac account password if macOS asks for it. Finish until you see that the profile is installed.

If nothing happens when you double-click the file

  • Open System Settings, click Privacy & Security, scroll down, and look for Profiles or a line about a downloaded profile. Open it and complete the install from there.
  • Try the download again in Safari, then double-click the file right away.

Remove the profile later

Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Profiles, select the PureBox entry, and click Remove (wording may vary slightly).

Option B: Enter DNS addresses in System Settings

Use this if you do not want a profile. Your Mac will talk to PureBox using ordinary DNS on the usual port—no extra encryption layer—so it is a bit easier for someone on the same network to see that lookups happened (not which site you visited in detail). For many home networks this is fine.

When macOS asks for DNS servers, use two numbers: a preferred one and an alternate one. Copy and paste each line exactly into the matching boxes.

Preferred DNS

194.195.210.48

Alternate DNS

194.195.212.90

  1. Open System Settings from the Apple menu at the top-left of the screen or the Dock.
  2. Click Network in the sidebar.
  3. On the right, choose how you connect:
    • Wi‑Fi: Click Wi‑Fi, then click Details… next to the network name you are using (the one that shows as connected).
    • Wired Ethernet: Click Ethernet or the name of your wired service, then open its detail view if you see a Details… button.
  4. Select DNS in the list on the left side of the sheet.
  5. Under DNS Servers, click the + button if you need a fresh row. Paste 194.195.210.48 as the first server and 194.195.212.90 as the second. Remove any older entries you no longer want (select each unwanted line and click −).
  6. Click OK, then Apply if that button appears. Wait a few seconds and try a browser.

If settings are locked or grayed out, a work or school profile may be managing your Mac’s network; you will need whoever manages the computer to allow the change, or use a browser-only guide instead. A VPN app can also change DNS while it is connected—if something still feels wrong, try disconnecting the VPN and checking again.

Test your connection

After completing the setup steps above, don't forget to test your connection and make sure it is working correctly. Click the button below to see testing instructions.

Go to test instructions