What is socketfilterfw on Mac?
By Junaid, maker of Taskglass · Last reviewed
The built-in macOS firewall, controlling which apps may accept incoming connections.
socketfilterfw is part of macOS's Application Firewall. It's started on demand when the firewall is turned on, and it decides whether apps may accept incoming network connections. You control it in System Settings > Network > Firewall.
- Category
- Security
- Made by
- Apple
- Safe to quit:
- With care
Shown in Activity Monitor as socketfilterfw
Why is socketfilterfw using so much CPU or memory?
- Many incoming connection attempts on a busy network
- Apps that open network services, such as developer servers or file sharing
What to do
- 1Check firewall options in System Settings > Network > Firewall
- 2Quit apps that run local servers if you don't need them
- 3Restart your Mac
Safe to quit? With care.
macOS relaunches it when needed; keep the firewall on for protection.
Related processes
Part of the Taskglass Process Library