--- title: "Mac network guides: fixes and recipes · Kilobat" url: "https://kilobat.app/guides/index.html" description: "139 plain guides to Mac Wi-Fi, DNS, VPN, hotspot and developer network problems, exact error messages and macOS processes, with built-in tools and Kilobat." --- Guides # Fix your Mac’s network. 139 guides: recipes for jobs you can do with Kilobat, fixes for common macOS network problems and error messages, and what the macOS processes in your network list do. Search the guides ## Kilobat recipes Jobs you can do with Kilobat: in the app, in Terminal and through an AI agent. - [See which app uses data on a hotspot](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/hotspot-data-by-app.html): Kilobat shows the upload and download of each app on your Mac. - [Stop updates from using hotspot data](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/stop-updates-on-hotspot.html): On a metered network, Kilobat can pause the helpers that download updates. - [Set a monthly data budget that resets on renewal day](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/monthly-data-budget.html): A Kilobat budget belongs to one network. - [Compare Kilobat with your carrier's data figure](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/compare-carrier-usage.html): Your carrier and Kilobat count different things. - [Keep your Mac awake until a download finishes](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/keep-mac-awake-download.html): Kilobat keeps the Mac awake while transfers run. - [Keep an agent running with the lid closed](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/agent-lid-closed.html): Closing the lid puts a Mac laptop to sleep. - [Find why one site or API won't connect](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/why-cant-it-connect.html): When the internet works but one address fails, Kilobat checks each layer in turn. - [Check the network before a big download in an agent](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/check-network-before-download.html): An agent can ask Kilobat if now is a good time for a large transfer. - [Find a better Wi-Fi spot](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/find-better-wifi-spot.html): The signal radar scores your Wi-Fi several times a second. - [Test for call stutter](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/test-call-stutter.html): A speed test averages its pings, so short spikes disappear. - [Share Wi-Fi with a QR code](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/share-wifi-qr-code.html): Kilobat makes a QR code from the saved password of a network. - [Pick a faster DNS](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/pick-faster-dns.html): Slow DNS makes every new site slow to start. - [Block an app on metered networks](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/block-app-on-metered.html): The Travel profile allows only the apps that you choose. - [Get approvals for new apps](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/approve-new-apps.html): In Ask mode, Kilobat holds the first connections of an app that has no rule. - [Tell Kilobat when an agent waits or is done](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/connect-agent-hooks.html): Without hooks, Kilobat sees an agent only by its traffic and CPU. - [See where your apps connect](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/see-where-apps-connect.html): Kilobat shows the open connections of each app and the country where each address is registered. - [Find out why two speed tests differ](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/compare-speed-tests.html): Two speed tests can disagree for many reasons. - [See if traffic goes through your VPN](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/check-vpn-and-public-ip.html): Kilobat reads the Mac's routes to show whether traffic leaves through a VPN. ## Wi-Fi Drops, slow links, bands, interference and the Mac's own Wi-Fi tools. - [Mac Wi-Fi disconnects after sleep](https://kilobat.app/guides/wifi-disconnects-after-sleep.html): After sleep, the Mac must join the Wi-Fi network again. - [Wi-Fi is slow on the Mac but fast on the phone](https://kilobat.app/guides/slow-wifi-mac-fast-phone.html): When the phone is fast on the same network, the internet connection is not the problem. - [2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz Wi-Fi on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/wifi-bands-2-4-5-6-ghz.html): Wi-Fi uses three bands. - [Bluetooth headphones and Wi-Fi interference on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/bluetooth-wifi-interference.html): Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi use the same radio band. - [AirDrop, AWDL and latency spikes in games and calls](https://kilobat.app/guides/awdl-airdrop-latency-spikes.html): AWDL is the Apple Wireless Direct Link. - [Weak Wi-Fi signal on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/weak-wifi-signal-mac.html): Signal strength and noise decide how fast and how stable the Wi-Fi link is. - [Crowded Wi-Fi channels near your Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/wifi-channel-congestion.html): Networks on the same channel share the air time. - [Mac connected to Wi-Fi but no internet](https://kilobat.app/guides/wifi-connected-no-internet.html): A Wi-Fi connection is only the link to the router. - [Mac joins the wrong Wi-Fi network](https://kilobat.app/guides/mac-joins-wrong-wifi.html): The Mac joins known networks on its own. - [Find a saved Wi-Fi password on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/find-saved-wifi-password.html): The Mac stores the password of each Wi-Fi network that it joins. - [Use Wireless Diagnostics and wdutil on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/wireless-diagnostics-mac.html): Wireless Diagnostics is a Wi-Fi tool that comes with macOS. ## Public Wi-Fi and privacy Captive portals, private addresses, Private Relay and Wi-Fi security warnings. - [“Weak security” warning on Mac Wi-Fi](https://kilobat.app/guides/wifi-weak-security-warning.html): The Mac shows a security warning when a network uses an old security mode. - [Private Wi-Fi address on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/private-wifi-address.html): A private Wi-Fi address replaces the hardware MAC address of the Mac on a network. - [Limit IP address tracking on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/limit-ip-address-tracking.html): Limit IP address tracking is a setting for each network. - [iCloud Private Relay breaks some websites](https://kilobat.app/guides/icloud-private-relay-sites.html): iCloud Private Relay sends Safari traffic through two relays. - [Wi-Fi login page does not appear on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/captive-portal-not-appearing.html): Public networks often hold all traffic until you sign in on a login page. ## DNS Names that do not resolve, slow lookups, the DNS cache, VPN DNS and encrypted DNS. - [DNS not resolving on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/dns-server-not-found.html): When DNS fails, the Mac cannot change a name such as apple.com into an IP address. - [Slow DNS on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/slow-dns-mac.html): Every new site needs a DNS lookup before it can load. - [Flush the DNS cache on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/flush-dns-cache-mac.html): macOS keeps DNS answers for some time. - [DNS queries go outside the VPN on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/vpn-dns-leak-mac.html): With a VPN on, you usually want DNS queries to go to the VPN's servers. - [Use encrypted DNS on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/encrypted-dns-mac.html): Normal DNS queries are not encrypted. - [Changes to /etc/hosts do not work on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/hosts-file-not-working.html): The /etc/hosts file maps names to IP addresses on this Mac only. - [Internal names do not resolve on a VPN](https://kilobat.app/guides/vpn-split-dns-internal-names.html): macOS can send queries for one domain to one DNS server and other queries to another. ## IP, routing and IPv6 Addresses, DHCP, service order, IPv6 and MTU. - [IPv6 problems on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/ipv6-problems-mac.html): Most networks give a Mac both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. - [MTU problems on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/mtu-problems-mac.html): The MTU is the largest packet that an interface sends. - [Mac has a self-assigned IP address](https://kilobat.app/guides/self-assigned-ip-address.html): If the Mac gets no answer from a DHCP server, it gives itself a link-local address from 169.254.0.0/16. - [IP address conflict on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/ip-address-conflict-mac.html): Two devices on one network cannot use the same IP address. - [Renew the DHCP lease on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/renew-dhcp-lease-mac.html): A DHCP lease gives the Mac its IP address, router and DNS servers. - [Mac uses the wrong network connection](https://kilobat.app/guides/network-service-order.html): When more than one connection is active, the Mac tries the service at the top of the list first. - [See Mac network settings in Terminal](https://kilobat.app/guides/network-settings-terminal.html): macOS includes command-line tools that show the same network settings as System Settings, and more. ## VPN, proxy and filters VPNs, proxies, network extensions, content filters and certificates. - [Proxy settings stop apps from connecting on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/proxy-settings-breaking-apps.html): A proxy setting sends traffic through another server. - [Little Snitch, LuLu and other network extensions conflict on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/network-extension-conflicts.html): Firewalls, VPNs and content filters on macOS use network extensions. - [A content filter blocks websites on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/content-filter-blocking.html): A content filter examines web traffic and blocks some sites. - [VPN connected but no internet on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/vpn-connected-no-internet.html): A VPN sends traffic through a tunnel. - [Tailscale and another VPN conflict on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/tailscale-vpn-routing-conflicts.html): Tailscale gives each device an address in 100.64.0.0/10. - [Corporate proxy certificates break Terminal tools on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/corporate-proxy-certificates.html): Some company networks inspect HTTPS traffic. ## Hotspots and data Personal Hotspot, Low Data Mode, metered networks and background downloads. - [Mac uses Personal Hotspot data in the background](https://kilobat.app/guides/hotspot-background-data.html): A Mac on a phone hotspot can use a lot of data with no action from you. - [Use Low Data Mode on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/low-data-mode-mac.html): Low Data Mode tells macOS and apps to use less data on one Wi-Fi network. - [Stop Software Update downloading on a hotspot](https://kilobat.app/guides/software-update-on-hotspot.html): macOS can download updates on its own. - [Make a Mac treat a network as metered](https://kilobat.app/guides/metered-network-mac.html): macOS marks some connections as expensive, such as an iPhone Personal Hotspot. - [iPhone hotspot does not show on the Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/instant-hotspot-not-showing.html): Instant Hotspot lets a Mac join your iPhone or iPad hotspot without a password. ## Developers Containers, VMs, localhost, ports, SSH, Git and package downloads. - [Cannot reach a Docker container from the Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/docker-container-from-mac.html): Docker on a Mac runs containers in a Linux virtual machine. - [A container cannot reach localhost on the Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/localhost-from-container.html): Each container has its own network stack. - [SSH and Git time out on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/ssh-git-timeouts.html): SSH and Git need a working TCP connection to the server. - [Homebrew or npm downloads fail on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/homebrew-npm-download-fails.html): Homebrew downloads with curl and Git. - [Port already in use on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/port-already-in-use.html): Only one process can listen on a TCP port and address. - [Port 5000 or 7000 is in use on a Mac: AirPlay Receiver](https://kilobat.app/guides/airplay-receiver-port-5000.html): Apple lists TCP ports 5000 and 7000 for AirPlay. ## Ethernet and tethering Adapters, cables, link speed, USB tethering and Internet Sharing. - [Connect a Mac to an iPhone hotspot with a USB cable](https://kilobat.app/guides/usb-tethering-iphone-mac.html): A USB cable gives a Mac the iPhone's internet connection and charges the iPhone. - [Mac does not detect a USB or Thunderbolt Ethernet adapter](https://kilobat.app/guides/ethernet-adapter-not-detected.html): A USB or Thunderbolt Ethernet adapter must appear as a hardware port and as a network service. - [Ethernet on a Mac is slower than expected](https://kilobat.app/guides/ethernet-slow-link-speed.html): An Ethernet link runs at the speed that both ends and the cable support. - [Share a Mac's internet connection with other devices](https://kilobat.app/guides/internet-sharing-mac.html): Internet Sharing lets other devices use the Mac's internet connection. ## Sleep and power Sleep, wake, caffeinate and running with the lid closed. - [Keep a Mac awake from Terminal with caffeinate](https://kilobat.app/guides/caffeinate-keep-mac-awake.html): The caffeinate command stops a Mac from sleeping while a task runs. - [Use Wake for network access on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/wake-for-network-access.html): Wake for network access lets a sleeping Mac wake when another computer uses its shared resources. - [Mac sleep stops downloads](https://kilobat.app/guides/mac-sleep-stops-downloads.html): A Mac that goes to sleep stops most app activity, so a long download can stop or fail. - [Keep a Mac laptop working with the lid closed](https://kilobat.app/guides/clamshell-lid-closed-mac.html): Closing the lid puts a Mac laptop to sleep. ## Websites and speed Sites that fail, certificate errors, slow internet, speed tests and call quality. - [A website works on your phone but not on your Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/site-works-on-phone-not-mac.html): When a site opens on your phone but not on your Mac, the problem is usually on the Mac. - [Safari can’t find the server on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/safari-cant-find-server.html): “Safari can’t find the server” usually means that the Mac could not get an address for the site name. - [“This Connection Is Not Private” and certificate warnings on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/connection-not-private-mac.html): Safari shows a certificate warning when it cannot confirm the identity of a website. - [Slow internet on a Mac: find which part is slow](https://kilobat.app/guides/slow-internet-mac-cause.html): A slow connection has many possible causes. - [Test internet speed from Terminal with networkQuality](https://kilobat.app/guides/networkquality-speed-test.html): macOS includes networkQuality, a command-line test. - [Bufferbloat: calls lag when the network is busy](https://kilobat.app/guides/bufferbloat-mac.html): Bufferbloat is latency that network devices add when they hold too much data in their buffers. - [Test for packet loss on a Mac with ping](https://kilobat.app/guides/packet-loss-mac.html): Packet loss makes calls break up and pages stall. - [Find where a connection slows down with traceroute](https://kilobat.app/guides/traceroute-mac.html): traceroute shows each router on the path from your Mac to a host, with the time each one takes to answer. - [Find which app uses your bandwidth on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/which-app-uses-bandwidth.html): Activity Monitor and nettop show which processes send and receive data. - [Video calls stutter or freeze on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/video-call-stutter-mac.html): Calls need steady latency and steady upload more than high speed. ## Local network Devices on the network, local network access and the macOS firewall. - [An app cannot find devices on the local network](https://kilobat.app/guides/local-network-permission.html): macOS 15 Sequoia and later ask before an app connects to devices on your local network. - [The macOS firewall blocks incoming connections](https://kilobat.app/guides/macos-firewall-incoming.html): The macOS firewall controls connections that other computers start to your Mac. - [Find the devices on your local network from a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/find-devices-on-network.html): macOS has two built-in ways to see other devices: the ARP table and Bonjour. ## Error messages The exact text of common network errors from Safari, Chrome, macOS and Terminal tools: causes in order, checks, then fixes. - [“Safari can’t establish a secure connection to the server” on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/safari-cant-establish-secure-connection.html): Safari shows this when the secure connection to the server fails before the page loads. - [“Safari can’t connect to the server” on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/safari-cant-connect-to-server.html): Safari found the address of the site, but the connection to the server did not open. - [Safari: “You Are Not Connected to the Internet” on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/safari-not-connected-to-internet.html): Safari shows this page when macOS has no internet connection for it. - [“The Internet connection appears to be offline.” on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/internet-connection-appears-offline.html): This is the macOS text for error -1009 in the URL Loading System. - [“The network connection was lost.” on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/network-connection-was-lost.html): This is the macOS text for error -1005. - [“A server with the specified hostname could not be found.” on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/server-hostname-not-found.html): This is the macOS text for error -1003. - [“The request timed out.” on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/request-timed-out.html): This is the macOS text for error -1001. - [“Safari can’t connect to the web proxy server” on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/safari-cant-connect-proxy-server.html): A web proxy is set in the network settings, and Safari cannot reach it. - [DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN in Chrome on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/dns-probe-finished-nxdomain.html): Chrome shows this code when a DNS lookup failed and its own check says the name does not exist. - [ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED in Chrome on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/err-name-not-resolved.html): Chromium describes this error as: “The host name could not be resolved.” Chrome could not get an address for the site's name. - [ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT in Chrome on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/err-connection-timed-out.html): Chromium describes this error as: “A connection attempt timed out.” Chrome found the address, but the server did not answer in time. - [NET::ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID in Chrome on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/err-cert-date-invalid.html): The server's certificate looks expired or not yet valid by the Mac's clock. - [ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED in Chrome on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/err-network-changed.html): Chromium describes this error as: “The network changed.” Chrome stopped the load because the Mac's network changed during it. - [ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED in Chrome on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/err-internet-disconnected.html): Chromium describes this error as: “The Internet connection has been lost.” Chrome found no working connection on the Mac. - [Wi-Fi says “No Internet Connection” on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/wifi-no-internet-connection.html): macOS shows “No Internet Connection” under a Wi-Fi network when the Mac joined the network but cannot reach the internet through it. - [“Wi-Fi: No hardware installed” on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/wifi-no-hardware-installed.html): macOS shows this when it cannot find the Wi-Fi hardware. - [“curl: (6) Could not resolve host” on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/curl-could-not-resolve-host.html): curl exit code 6 means that curl could not get an address for the host name. - [Git: “Could not resolve host: github.com” on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/git-could-not-resolve-host-github.html): Git could not get an address for github.com. - [ssh: connect to host port 22: Operation timed out on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/ssh-port-22-operation-timed-out.html): ssh sent a connection request to port 22 and got no answer. - [“npm error code ETIMEDOUT” on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/npm-etimedout.html): ETIMEDOUT means that the other side did not answer in time. - [“npm error code ECONNRESET” on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/npm-econnreset.html): ECONNRESET means that the other side closed the connection by force. - [Homebrew fails with “curl: (28)” on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/homebrew-curl-28-timed-out.html): Homebrew downloads with curl. - [Mac has a self-assigned IP address](https://kilobat.app/guides/self-assigned-ip-address.html): If the Mac gets no answer from a DHCP server, it gives itself a link-local address from 169.254.0.0/16. - [IP address conflict on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/ip-address-conflict-mac.html): Two devices on one network cannot use the same IP address. - [Safari can’t find the server on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/safari-cant-find-server.html): “Safari can’t find the server” usually means that the Mac could not get an address for the site name. - [“This Connection Is Not Private” and certificate warnings on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/connection-not-private-mac.html): Safari shows a certificate warning when it cannot confirm the identity of a website. ## macOS processes What a process in Activity Monitor or nettop is, why it uses the network, and the setting that controls it. - [What is nsurlsessiond on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-nsurlsessiond.html): nsurlsessiond is part of macOS. - [What is mDNSResponder on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-mdnsresponder.html): mDNSResponder answers DNS lookups for every app on the Mac, and it runs Bonjour on the local network. - [What is softwareupdated on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-softwareupdated.html): softwareupdated is the macOS Software Update daemon. - [What are appstoreagent and appstored on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-appstoreagent.html): appstoreagent and appstored support the App Store. - [What is cloudd on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-cloudd.html): cloudd syncs app data with iCloud for apps that use CloudKit. - [What is bird on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-bird.html): bird is one of the macOS daemons behind iCloud Drive. - [What is fileproviderd on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-fileproviderd.html): fileproviderd connects cloud storage apps to the files in the Finder. - [What is AssetCache on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-assetcache.html): AssetCache is the Content Caching service. - [What is mobileassetd on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-mobileassetd.html): mobileassetd downloads system assets for macOS. - [What is cloudphotod on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-cloudphotod.html): cloudphotod is the iCloud Photos agent. - [What is rapportd on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-rapportd.html): rapportd lets your Mac talk to your other Apple devices. - [What is sharingd on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-sharingd.html): sharingd runs AirDrop, Handoff, Instant Hotspot and the shared computers in the Finder. - [What is apsd on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-apsd.html): apsd keeps one connection open to the Apple Push Notification service. - [What is trustd on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-trustd.html): trustd checks certificates for all processes on the Mac. - [What is syspolicyd on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-syspolicyd.html): syspolicyd is the system policy daemon. - [What is assistantd on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-assistantd.html): assistantd is the Siri daemon. - [What is parsecd on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-parsecd.html): parsecd supports search suggestions in Spotlight, Safari, Siri and Look Up. - [What is identityservicesd on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-identityservicesd.html): identityservicesd is part of the Apple Identity Service. - [What is remotepairingd on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-remotepairingd.html): remotepairingd connects the Mac to paired Apple devices. - [What are ReportCrash and SubmitDiagInfo on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-reportcrash.html): ReportCrash saves crash reports on the Mac. - [What is configd on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-configd.html): configd keeps the network configuration of the Mac. - [What is netbiosd on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-netbiosd.html): netbiosd handles NetBIOS names for Windows-style networks. - [What is symptomsd on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-symptomsd.html): symptomsd provides services for Apple's Symptom Framework. - [What is timed on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-timed.html): timed keeps the Mac's clock correct. - [What is locationd on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-locationd.html): locationd runs Location Services. - [What are findmydeviced and searchpartyd on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-findmydeviced.html): findmydeviced is the Find My Mac daemon. - [What is privatecloudcomputed on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-privatecloudcomputed.html): privatecloudcomputed encrypts and sends some Apple Intelligence requests to Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers. - [What is GoogleUpdater on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-googleupdater.html): GoogleUpdater updates Chrome and other Google apps in the background. - [What is Microsoft AutoUpdate on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-microsoft-autoupdate.html): Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU) keeps Office, Teams and other Microsoft apps up to date. - [What is Autoupdate (Sparkle) on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-sparkle-autoupdate.html): Autoupdate is part of Sparkle, an open source update framework that many Mac apps use. - [What is ShipIt on Mac?](https://kilobat.app/guides/what-is-shipit.html): ShipIt comes from Squirrel.Mac. Each guide lists its sources: Apple Support articles, Apple developer documentation and the man pages that ship with macOS, checked on 29 October 2026. Kilobat appears only where it helps, in a separate “With Kilobat” section.