---
title: "osrecovery.apple.com: what it is and what breaks if you block it · Kilobat"
url: "https://kilobat.app/hosts/osrecovery-apple-com"
description: "osrecovery.apple.com and oscdn.apple.com serve macOS Recovery downloads. When a Mac uses them, and what breaks if you block them."
---

Updates and downloads

# osrecovery.apple.com

`osrecovery.apple.com` and `oscdn.apple.com` serve macOS Recovery. Apple lists both for macOS only, on ports 443 and 80.

Run by Apple · Ports: 443 and 80 TCP · Checked: 1 November 2026

## Short answer

Apple's hosts for macOS Recovery, used when you reinstall macOS over the internet.

Block with care

Blocking them doesn't affect normal use, but reinstalling macOS over the internet from Recovery fails.

Matches

`osrecovery.apple.com` `oscdn.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 both in its Software updates section, for “macOS Recovery”.

Apple's port list names port 80 for macOS Internet Recovery among other services.

A reinstall over the internet downloads a full copy of macOS, which is many gigabytes.

## What breaks if you block it

Block with care

Blocking them doesn't affect normal use, but reinstalling macOS over the internet from Recovery fails.

What breaks if you block it

- Reinstalling macOS from macOS Recovery over the internet fails.

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](https://kilobat.app/docs/blocking#protection) lists.

## Apple’s rules for its hosts

Apple’s list, [Use Apple products on enterprise networks](https://support.apple.com/en-us/101555), 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](https://kilobat.app/docs/agents#agent-network-log) for AI agents.

## Sources

- [Apple Support: Use Apple products on enterprise networks](https://support.apple.com/en-us/101555)
- [Apple Support: TCP and UDP ports used by Apple software products](https://support.apple.com/en-us/103229)

Checked on 1 November 2026.

## Related

- [swcdn.apple.com](https://kilobat.app/hosts/swcdn-apple-com): Apple's host for macOS update downloads. Big transfers from it are macOS updates.
- [gs.apple.com](https://kilobat.app/hosts/gs-apple-com): An Apple host that devices need during setup and for operating system updates. Apple lists it in both sections of its host list.