

So, if you would prefer that YouTube reroutes to your homepage, simply type the numerical IP address of your site, hit Tab, and then type To add another entry, simply enter a new line of text. Type the IP address that you want the site to reroute to, hit the tab, and then type the domain name you want to be associated with it. This is where you’re going to enter your alternative IP address. Use your keyboard arrow keys to position your cursor beneath the text that is already there. The Nano text editor might look intimidating if you’re not used to coding on your macOS, but don’t worry: it’s very simple and very easy to do. Once you’ve entered it, hit Enter again, and you will be in the Nano text editor.

If a link or pop-up attempts to enter the site, your OS simply re-routes it and takes you to a safer page. Although it’s always worth investing in pop-up ad blockers, editing the hosts file prevents known malicious sites from being accessed.

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Check it out - it's available for a free download here. Our personal favorite is CleanMyMac X as it has a tool to uninstall browser extensions and the rest of the garbage Macs accumulate from the web, emails, and message chats.
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But if you're tired of half-measures and want some solid improvement, we recommend a full browser cleanup, including the deletion of the browser cache. Can it boost my Mac's speed?Įditing a hosts file is a way to speed up your browser performance. Entering the web address will bounce you to a different IP address of your choosing (and therefore a different website) or to an invalid IP, which will give you an error page on your browser that says it can’t find the site you’re looking for. If, however, you entered an incorrect phone number in our contacts analogy, whether that’s an invalid number or one that links to someone else’s, then you have no chance of getting through to that particular cell phone.Įditing the hosts file reroutes the IP address, but only from your own Mac.

If you save the contact details with the wrong name, well, it’s still going to connect to that person when you ring the contact. How editing the hosts file worksĮditing your Mac hosts file is a bit like changing the phone number in your contact book. Your Mac’s hosts file, however, is localized to your own device, like a list of contacts on your phone: The web address acts as your contact’s name - that’s how you find who you want to talk to - and the IP address is their cell phone number, which is your actual way of getting in touch with them. It’s a giant directory of which name belongs to which IP address, like online yellow pages. The Domain Name System is the database that corresponds to an IP address’ “dotted quad” numerical format with a website’s alphabetized web address. What is hosts file, and how does it differ from DNS?įirst of all, what is the hosts file, and how does it differ from the more commonly known DNS? But to help you do it all by yourself, we’ve gathered our best ideas and solutions below. So here's a tip for you: Download CleanMyMac to quickly solve some of the issues mentioned in this article.
