Security and accounts
albert.apple.com
albert.apple.com is an Apple host for device activation. Apple lists it in Device setup, for every platform, on port 443.
Short answer
Apple's device activation host, needed during setup and when installing, updating or restoring the operating system.
Don’t block
Don't block it. Setting up, restoring and some updates need device activation.
- Matches
albert.apple.com
A name with *. covers every name under it: *.push.apple.com matches 1-courier.push.apple.com.
What it serves
Apple's enterprise host list names albert.apple.com for “Device activation”. It supports proxies.
Apple says that devices need the Device setup hosts during setup, and when installing, updating or restoring the operating system.
macOS has a daemon named mobileactivationd, started from com.apple.mobileactivationd. Apple publishes no man page for it and doesn't link it to this host.
What breaks if you block it
Don’t block
Don't block it. Setting up, restoring and some updates need device activation.
What breaks if you block it
- Setting up or restoring a Mac may fail at activation.
- Installing or updating macOS may fail, since Apple lists it for those too.
With Kilobat Pro and the network filter, you can block a host for every app or for one app: in Connections, select a connection and choose Block. Apple’s own services are never blocked by Kilobat’s Protection lists.
Apple’s rules for its hosts
Apple’s list, Use Apple products on enterprise networks, says that devices open these connections, not Apple’s servers. Apple services fail any connection that uses HTTPS interception, so a proxy that inspects TLS should leave Apple’s hosts alone.
If a firewall allows hosts by name, allowing *.apple.com covers most Apple services, Apple says. A firewall that works only with addresses can allow 17.0.0.0/8 for IPv4, and 2403:300::/32, 2620:149::/32 and 2a01:b740::/32 for IPv6.
To see which app on your Mac opened a connection to this host, use Kilobat’s Connections tab, or the agent network log for AI agents.
Sources
- Apple Support: Use Apple products on enterprise networks
- launchd property list com.apple.mobileactivationd, macOS 27.2
Checked on 1 November 2026.