Core networking
doh.dns.apple.com
doh.dns.apple.com is an Apple host for DNS over HTTPS. Apple lists it for encrypted DNS resolution in iOS 14, iPadOS 14, tvOS 14 and macOS Big Sur and later.
Short answer
Apple's DNS over HTTPS (DoH) host. Apple lists it for encrypted DNS resolution in macOS Big Sur and later.
Block with care
Blocking it can break the encrypted DNS lookups that macOS sends to Apple. Normal DNS through your router isn't affected.
- Matches
doh.dns.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 doh.dns.apple.com in its Domain Name System resolution section, “Used for DNS over HTTPS (DoH)”, on port 443. It supports proxies.
On a Mac, mDNSResponder does all DNS lookups. With encrypted DNS, the lookups go out over HTTPS instead of plain DNS.
Apple doesn't say which features use this host. Apple Platform Security says that iCloud Private Relay covers all DNS lookups.
Processes that use it
What breaks if you block it
Block with care
Blocking it can break the encrypted DNS lookups that macOS sends to Apple. Normal DNS through your router isn't affected.
What breaks if you block it
- Encrypted DNS lookups to Apple fail. Apps that depend on them may not connect.
- Features that use Apple's DoH, which Apple doesn't list, may fail.
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.
Notes
Your own encrypted DNS profile, such as one from Cloudflare or NextDNS, uses its own host instead. See Use encrypted DNS on a Mac.
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
- Apple Platform Security: iCloud Private Relay security
- mDNSResponder(8), man page installed with macOS 27.2
Checked on 1 November 2026.