How to Change Your Computer Name on a Mac

Your Mac's computer name is more than a label — it shows up in network lists, AirDrop, Bluetooth discovery, shared folders, and terminal sessions. Changing it takes less than a minute, but understanding what it controls helps you make a smarter choice about what to set it to.

What Your Mac's Computer Name Actually Does

When you set a computer name on macOS, it gets used in several places simultaneously:

• Network browsing — other devices on your local network see this name when looking for shared files or screens
• AirDrop — this is the name nearby Apple devices see when you offer to share something
• Bonjour hostname — macOS derives a .local hostname from your computer name (e.g., "John's MacBook" becomes Johns-MacBook.local)
• Terminal and SSH — the hostname appears in your shell prompt and is used when connecting remotely
• Bluetooth — some devices display this name when pairing

These aren't all the same setting under the hood, but macOS keeps them loosely in sync when you change the primary computer name.

How to Change Your Mac's Computer Name 🖥️

Method 1: System Settings (macOS Ventura and Later)

1. Click the Apple menu (top-left corner) and select System Settings
2. Click General in the left sidebar
3. Select Sharing
4. At the top, you'll see the Computer Name field — click it and type your new name
5. Press Enter or click away to save

The change applies immediately. Your Mac's .local hostname updates automatically to match.

Method 2: System Preferences (macOS Monterey and Earlier)

1. Click the Apple menu and open System Preferences
2. Click Sharing
3. Edit the Computer Name field at the top
4. Press Enter — done

The interface is slightly different, but the underlying behavior is identical.

Method 3: Terminal (Any macOS Version)

For users comfortable with the command line, you can change the computer name with a single command: