How to Update Host File at MacOS

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Terminal
• Conclusion

Introduction

This is a simple memo on how to change the host file on macOS.

Terminal

Type the command below in a terminal on macOS:

nano /etc/hosts

Once the host file is opened, add a new line similar to the one below. This tells your macOS that whenever you type http://my.local.hostname, it will resolve to http://127.0.0.1 (localhost).

127.0.0.1 my.local.hostname

Conclusion

Editing the /etc/hosts file on macOS is straightforward using nano. Simply add a new line mapping your desired hostname to 127.0.0.1, save the file, and your local hostname will be ready to use.