3 tips to easily customize your Mac computer name, host name and Bonjour name

Many Mac users tend to keep the default name of their device and may never consider changing it. Many people choose to stick with the name from the initial setup, such as "Johnny's MacBook Air" or simply "iMac."

Learning how to change the name of a Mac is a very practical skill, especially when you have multiple devices, as it can help you quickly distinguish and manage them.

Next, we will teach you step by step how to change the computer name, host name and Bonjour name (local host name) in macOS system.

Why change the name of your Mac?

Modifying the name of your Mac can not only show your personality, but also help improve your user experience:

• Personalize your Mac: The default name may not be to your taste. Changing it to a name you like can make your Mac more personalized.
• Optimize the AirDrop experience: AirDrop is a convenient file transfer function in macOS, but if the Mac name is not intuitive enough, others may be confused when sending or receiving files. A clear and concise name makes device identification simple.
• Simplify Bluetooth connections: If your Mac name is too complex, it may be difficult to distinguish Bluetooth devices when connected. Simple and clear names facilitate quick pairing.
• Enhanced system interaction experience: In the file system and terminal commands, an easily identifiable name can make your operations more convenient.
• Improve network management efficiency: On a home network, an easily identifiable Mac name helps with device management and troubleshooting.

The difference between computer name, host name and Bonjour name

Before changing the name of your Mac, you need to understand the basic concepts of computer name, host name, and Bonjour name (local host name) in order to manage your device more effectively.

Name type	effect	Typical format
Computer name	The user-identifiable name is equivalent to the "identity" of the device, making it easier for you to identify your Mac device.	User-defined, such as "John Doe's MacBook Pro".
CPU name	The name used to identify the device on the network, used for network communication, such as SSH connections.	Usually corresponds to the computer name, but is limited to letters, numbers, hyphens, and periods, and is not case-sensitive.
Bonjour name (local host name)	The name used to identify the device on the local network so that other computers can easily find and connect to the Mac.	Computer name .local suffix, not case sensitive.

For example, if your Mac computer name is Billyfus-MacBook-Pro, then the local host name (Bonjour name) is Billyfus-MacBook-Pro.local, which is convenient for local Identify and connect within the network.

Step 1: Change the Mac computer name

Method 1: Through "System Settings"

Applicable to macOS Ventura and above.

1Click the Apple menu  icon in the upper left corner of the screen and select "System Settings".

2Click "General" > "About This Mac".

3 Click on the current computer name and enter the new name you want.

Change computer name

4 Press Enter or close the window to save changes.

5 Restart your Mac to apply the changes.

Method 2: Through the "Terminal" command line

Applies to all macOS versions.

1 Double-click to open "Terminal" in "Applications" > "Utilities".

2Execute the following command to change the Mac computer name:

## 将 NewComputerName 替换为新的计算机名
scutil --set ComputerName "NewComputerName"

3 Verify administrator rights to confirm changes.

4 Restart your Mac for the changes to take effect.

5Execute the following command in "Terminal" to verify whether the change is successful:

scutil --get ComputerName

Use the scutil command to change the computer name

After the name change is completed, it may take some time for other devices in the network to recognize the new name, and the Bonjour name will also be automatically updated.

Step 2: Change the Mac host name

Applies to all macOS versions.

On Mac, you can change the host name through the "Terminal" command. The steps are as follows:

1 Double-click to open "Terminal" in "Applications" > "Utilities".

2Execute the following command to change the Mac host name:

## 将 NewHostName 替换为新的计算机名
scutil --set HostName "NewHostname"

3 Verify administrator rights to confirm changes.

4 After restarting your Mac, execute the following command to confirm whether the host name has been changed successfully:

scutil --get HostName

Use the scutil command to change the host name

Host names are not case-sensitive, and changing the host name will not affect the Bonjour name (local host name).

Step 3: Change Bonjour name

You can change the Bonjour name (local host name) of your Mac device through the following two methods:

Method 1: Through "System Settings"

Applicable to macOS Ventura and above.

1Click the Apple menu  icon in the upper left corner of the screen and select "System Settings".

2Click "General" > "Sharing".

3 Next to "Local Host Name", click "Edit", enter the new name, and click "OK".

Change the local host name through "System Settings"

4 Restart your Mac for the changes to take effect.

Method 2: Through the "Terminal" command line

Applies to all macOS versions.

1 Double-click to open "Terminal" in "Applications" > "Utilities".

2Execute the following command to change the Mac local host name:

## 将 NewLocalHostName 替换为新的 Bonjour 名称
scutil --set LocalHostName "NewLocalHostName"

3 Restart your Mac to confirm the changes.

4Execute the following command in "Terminal" to check whether the new local host name is set successfully:

scutil --get LocalHostName

通过 scutil 命令更改本地主机名

本地主机名不区分大小写，更改之后，主机名将保持不变。

通过阅读本文，你已经学习了如何更改 Mac 设备的计算机名称、主机名和 Bonjour 名称。无论是为了个性化你的设备，还是为了提升使用体验，更改名称都是一项非常实用的操作。

希望本文提供的详细步骤和注意事项能够帮助你轻松完成修改，并获得更加便捷的 Mac 使用体验。

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