Mac OS

SafeDNS Agent for macOS Setup

Installation requirements: macOS 12 (Monterey) or higher.

Getting started

  1. Log in to your SafeDNS account with your registration email and password.
  2. Navigate to the Getting Started widget on the main page of the Dashboard and select the macOS button.
  3. Click on the download link below and wait for the Agent to download.

Alternatively, you can use the direct link to download the Agent from the SafeDNS website - SafeDNS macOS Agent.

1.SafeDNS Agent for macOS Setup Guide.png

Installation

1. After downloading, open the Downloads directory and double-click on the downloaded package to start the installation process.

2.SafeDNS Agent for macOS Setup Guide.png


2. If you see a message before installing that says “macOS can’t verify the developer of AgentSafeDNS.pkg…”, please hold the Control button, right-click on AgentSafeDNS.pkg, and click Open in the opened context menu.

3. In the appeared dialogue, click Open and follow the instructions of the installer. During the installation process you will be asked to enter the administrator password.


3.SafeDNS Agent for macOS Setup Guide.png

First launch

1. After installation, launch the SafeDNS Agent from the Launchpad.
The Agent will be accessible by clicking on the icon in the system tray after the launch.


4.SafeDNS Agent for macOS Setup Guide.png


2. Enter your SafeDNS account credentials in the opened window. If you don’t have an account yet, please choose a suitable plan and register using the registration page.


5.SafeDNS Agent for macOS Setup Guide.png


3. Set up the security PIN that will be used later to restrict access to the Agent.


6.SafeDNS Agent for macOS Setup Guide.png


4. Enter the PIN once again to sign in to the Agent.


7.SafeDNS Agent for macOS Setup Guide.png

Agent overview

1. In the main window of the Agent you can view your account information, current IP address, your Billing Plan, and the Subscription expiration date.
All filtering rules changes can be made in the SafeDNS Dashboard.

Use the Policy menu to view and change the current filtering Policy.


8.SafeDNS Agent for macOS Setup Guide.png


2. The system information menu shows brief information about the Agent, current filtering policies, and network interfaces. The information in this menu can be copied to the clipboard by clicking the "Copy to clipboard" button.


9.SafeDNS Agent for macOS Setup Guide.png


3. The Debug menu displays the results of the diagnostic commands that are required in case of troubleshooting. To send the debug information to SafeDNS, click the "Send report" button.


10.SafeDNS Agent for macOS Setup Guide.png


Additional settings

To make sure the Agent was installed correctly, please navigate to the "Settings" tab in the SafeDNS Dashboard and scroll to the bottom.

If you see the record with the Device name and your IP address, it means that the filtering is working.


11.SafeDNS Agent for macOS Setup Guide.png


After that, you can adjust the filtering Policy according to your needs. You can select categories to block in the SafeDNS Dashboard under the Categories tab.


12.SafeDNS Agent for macOS Setup Guide.png


Don't forget to click the "Save changes" button.

The setup is finished!
A blocked website will display an error message that the Access is closed.


13.SafeDNS Agent for macOS Setup Guide.png


If the filtering doesn't work according to your policy settings, clear the cache of your browser using this guide.

!Please note, that settings take 5-7 minutes to apply.
!Stats and filtering status update hourly.

Uninstallation

To uninstall the Agent please quit it first.

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Then find SafeDNS Agent in the Applications folder:


15.SafeDNS Agent for macOS Setup Guide.png


Open the folder AgentSafeDNS and run the packet "Uninstall-AgentSafeDNS".
After that, enter the administrator password in the Terminal window, and the Agent will be deleted.


16.SafeDNS Agent for macOS Setup Guide.png

Mac Filtering Setup via OpenVPN

Please note, that this filtering option works via the third-party app OpenVPN.
If you encounter any issues, please contact our Technical Support.

1. Open the SafeDNS Dashboard and navigate to Settings > Devices.

1.Mac Filtering Setup via OpenVPN Guide.png

2. Scroll down to the VPN section, enter any name for a new VPN connection, and click Add.

Choose a filtering policy before adding a VPN connection, if needed.

2.Mac Filtering Setup via OpenVPN Guide.png

3. Upon creating the connection, two icons will appear in the "Certificate" column. One is for downloading the Certificate, and the other is for sending it by email. Press the "Cloud download" icon.

Multiple devices can use the same filtering policy, but each device should use its own VPN certificate.

You can also change the filtering policy of the created VPN connection by clicking on the pencil icon to the right. Please note, that you don't need to redownload your VPN certificate on your mobile device if you change its filtering policy.

3.Mac Filtering Setup via OpenVPN Guide.png

4. Download the OpenVPN client from the Tunnelblick website

4.Mac Filtering Setup via OpenVPN Guide.png

5. Open the disk image from the Downloads folder and double-click the Tunnelblick.app icon.

5.Mac Filtering Setup via OpenVPN Guide.png

6. Follow the on-screen instructions.

7. Run Tunnelblick.app from the Applications folder.

6.Mac Filtering Setup via OpenVPN Guide.png

8. Add the downloaded SafeDNS Certificate file to the "Configurations" menu and click "Connect".

7.Mac Filtering Setup via OpenVPN Guide.png

9. Wait until the VPN connection is established.

8.Mac Filtering Setup via OpenVPN Guide.png

9.Mac Filtering Setup via OpenVPN Guide.png

Your Mac is now filtered with the SafeDNS filtering policy.

10.Mac Filtering Setup via OpenVPN Guide.png

 

Please note that settings take 5-7 minutes to apply.
Stats and filtering status update every 10 minutes.

Mac DNS Setup

1. Navigate to the Mac OS "System Preferences".

1.Mac DNS Setup Guide.png


2. Click on the "Network" in the "Internet & Wireless" section of the opened window.

2.Mac DNS Setup Guide.png

3. Choose an active connection from the list and click the "Advanced" button.

3.Mac DNS Setup Guide.png

4. Select the "DNS" tab, add SafeDNS servers 195.46.39.39 and 195.46.39.40, and click "OK".

4.Mac DNS Setup Guide.png

5. Navigate to the SafeDNS Dashboard > Settings and copy your IP address in the "Enter an IP address or DynDNS" box. Click "Add".

5.Mac DNS Setup Guide.png

Your Mac is now filtered with the SafeDNS filtering policy.

 

Please note that settings take 5-7 minutes to apply.
Stats and filtering status update every 10 minutes.