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ARC Proxies

Integration · Browsers & operating systems

How to set up a proxy on macOS

On a Mac, the system proxy lives in System Settings → Network: pick the network service (for example Wi-Fi), click Details, then Proxies. Turn on Web proxy (HTTP) and Secure web proxy (HTTPS), enter the gateway's host and port in both, and turn on Proxy server requires password for the username and password. The networksetup command does the same from Terminal, which is handy for switching the proxy on and off.

Reviewed 30 Oct 2026

your proxy, as a URL
http://USERNAME_pool-arcfast_country-de:PASSWORD@proxy.arcproxies.io:8000

The short answer

  • Set both Web proxy (HTTP) and Secure web proxy (HTTPS); most sites are HTTPS and only follow the second.
  • The setting is per network service. A proxy on Wi-Fi does nothing once you plug in Ethernet.
  • Safari and apps that use the macOS networking stack follow it; Firefox has its own setting, and command-line tools such as curl read HTTPS_PROXY instead.
  • For browsing through the system proxy, use a sticky username so the whole Mac keeps one exit for the session.

Setup

Set up macOS with a proxy, step by step

  1. 01

    Open the Proxies pane

    Apple menu → System Settings → Network in the sidebar → click the active service (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) → Details → Proxies. You may need to scroll down to find it.

  2. 02

    Enter the gateway for HTTP and HTTPS

    Turn on both proxy types, enter the same server and port, and turn on Proxy server requires password for each. Click OK to apply. Leave SOCKS proxy off: whether an app sends SOCKS credentials varies, and HTTP covers HTTPS sites through CONNECT tunnels.

    Details → Proxies
    Web proxy (HTTP)            [on]   Server: proxy.arcproxies.io   Port: 8000Secure web proxy (HTTPS)    [on]   Server: proxy.arcproxies.io   Port: 8000  Proxy server requires password   [on]  User name: USERNAME_pool-arcfast_country-de_session-k3f9a1x2_sesstime-10  Password:  PASSWORDBypass proxy settings for these hosts & domains:  localhost, 127.0.0.1, *.local
  3. 03

    Or configure it with networksetup

    List the services first; the name must match exactly, including spaces. The on before the username turns on the authenticated proxy. Note that the password ends up in your shell history; prefix the line with a space if your shell is set to ignore such lines, or use the System Settings route.

    Terminal
    networksetup -listallnetworkservicesnetworksetup -setwebproxy "Wi-Fi" proxy.arcproxies.io 8000 on "USERNAME_pool-arcfast_country-de_session-k3f9a1x2_sesstime-10" "PASSWORD"networksetup -setsecurewebproxy "Wi-Fi" proxy.arcproxies.io 8000 on "USERNAME_pool-arcfast_country-de_session-k3f9a1x2_sesstime-10" "PASSWORD"networksetup -setproxybypassdomains "Wi-Fi" localhost 127.0.0.1 "*.local"
  4. 04

    Check what is active, and switch it off again

    -getwebproxy and scutil --proxy show the configuration the system is using. The state commands toggle the proxy without deleting its settings.

    Terminal
    networksetup -getwebproxy "Wi-Fi"networksetup -getsecurewebproxy "Wi-Fi"scutil --proxy# off (settings are kept)networksetup -setwebproxystate "Wi-Fi" offnetworksetup -setsecurewebproxystate "Wi-Fi" off
  5. 05

    Test from Terminal with curl

    curl does not read the macOS system proxy; give it the proxy explicitly. This is the quickest way to tell a credential problem from an app that ignores the setting. More options are in the curl guide.

    Terminal
    curl -x http://proxy.arcproxies.io:8000 -U "USERNAME_pool-arcfast_country-de_session-k3f9a1x2_sesstime-10:PASSWORD" https://api.ipify.org

Which Mac apps use the system proxy

App or toolFollows System Settings → ProxiesHow to proxy it instead
SafariYes—
Chrome, EdgeYes, address from the system; may prompt for the passwordChrome guide
FirefoxYes by default (Use system proxy settings)Its own Connection Settings (Firefox guide)
curl, wgetNo-x flag or HTTPS_PROXY variable
Python, Node scriptsVaries by libraryPass the proxy in code

If an app ignores the system proxy, its traffic goes out directly and shows your own IP. Check each app you rely on with an IP echo page.

The default bypass list on macOS

On our macOS 26.2 machine, the bypass list already contained localhost, 127.0.0.1, ::1, *.local, 169.254/16 and several Apple domains such as *.apple.com and *.icloud.com. Those hosts are reached directly, which keeps system services off the gateway. Keep the existing entries when you add your own; separate items with commas.

Everything else that follows the system proxy, including background sync from third-party apps, goes through the gateway and counts against a per-GB balance. A system-wide proxy suits a dedicated test machine or short sessions better than an everyday laptop.

Rotating or sticky for a system-wide proxy

With a rotating username, each new connection from any app can leave from a different exit, so one web page may be assembled from several IPs. For browsing and app testing, put a session handle and a long hold in the username, for example _session-mac1_sesstime-60, and change the handle when you want a new IP. Rotating vs sticky sessions covers when rotation is the better choice.

A system proxy is not a VPN: apps that ignore it, and non-HTTP traffic, bypass it. Proxy vs VPN explains the difference.

The problem

Common pitfalls

Only Web proxy (HTTP) turned on

HTTPS sites follow the Secure web proxy setting. With only the HTTP proxy set, nearly all browsing goes out directly.

Wrong network service

The proxy belongs to one service. If you switch from Wi-Fi to Ethernet, a dock or iPhone tethering, configure that service too or the proxy silently stops applying.

Mistyped service name in networksetup

Names are case- and space-sensitive ("Wi-Fi", "USB 10/100/1000 LAN"). Copy them from -listallnetworkservices and quote names that contain spaces.

Password in shell history

networksetup -setwebproxy … on USER PASS stores the password in your history file. Use System Settings for long-lived credentials, or clear the history entry afterwards.

FAQ

Questions

Something not covered? Write to contact@arcproxies.io.

Where are the proxy settings on a Mac?

System Settings → Network → select the network service → Details → Proxies. There you can turn on Web proxy (HTTP), Secure web proxy (HTTPS) and SOCKS proxy, and set a password and a bypass list.

How do I set a proxy from the macOS Terminal?

Use networksetup -setwebproxy "Wi-Fi" host port on username password and the same with -setsecurewebproxy for HTTPS. networksetup -setwebproxystate "Wi-Fi" off turns it off again.

Why does curl ignore my macOS proxy?

curl does not read the system proxy settings. Pass the proxy with -x http://host:port -U user:pass or set HTTPS_PROXY in the shell.

Can I use an authenticated SOCKS5 proxy system-wide on macOS?

macOS has a SOCKS proxy field with a password option, but apps decide whether they use it; Chrome, for example, never sends SOCKS5 credentials. The HTTP and HTTPS proxy fields with a password are the more dependable choice for the gateway.

Sources & review

Last reviewed by the ARC Proxies team. Prices are read from the live catalog at build time.

  1. [1]Apple: Change Proxies settings on Mac (macOS User Guide)
  2. [2]curl: curl man page: --proxy and proxy environment variables
  3. [3]Chromium: Proxy support in Chrome: system settings and SOCKSv5 authentication

Next

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Integrations

Other browsers & operating systems

ChromeSet a proxy in Google Chrome: system settings, the --proxy-server flag and the sign-in prompt, plus why SOCKS5 with a password needs another route.FirefoxConfigure a proxy in Firefox: manual HTTP proxy, the password prompt, SOCKS v5 with Proxy DNS, and why SOCKS credentials need an extension.WindowsSet a proxy in Windows 11 and 10: Network & internet → Proxy, the credential prompt, netsh winhttp for services, and PowerShell and curl.exe tests.FoxyProxyAdd an authenticated proxy to FoxyProxy in Chrome or Firefox: stored username and password, Proxy by Patterns per site, SOCKS5 and per-port credentials.

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