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Flush DNS on macOS Sonoma (14): Exact Command (2026)

Flush DNS on macOS Sonoma (14): Exact Command (2026)

2 min read

Flush DNS cache on macOS 14 Sonoma with sudo dscacheutil -flushcache && sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder — verify resolution, clear browser DNS, fix stale hosts edits.

Direct answer: On macOS 14 Sonoma, flush DNS with:

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache && sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
How many times will you retype this command this month?Automate it with ToggleHosts

Run it after hosts edits, DNS server changes, or when a local domain still hits the old IP.

Also see Sequoia · Tahoe · hub Flush DNS on Mac.

How to flush DNS on macOS Sonoma

  1. Open Terminal.
  2. Paste sudo dscacheutil -flushcache && sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder.
  3. Authenticate with your admin password.
  4. Confirm with dscacheutil -q host -a name app.test.
  5. Hard-refresh or restart the browser.

When Sonoma users need this

  • /etc/hosts updated but Safari/Chrome ignore it
  • Switching client environments on an older-but-supported Mac
  • ISP DNS vs Cloudflare/Google resolver changes
  • Staging IP tests before public DNS propagation

Still broken after flush? hosts not working after edit · check VPN/AdGuard/MagicDNS.

Verify and browser caches

dscacheutil -q host -a name app.test
ping -c 1 app.test
BrowserClear host DNS
Chromechrome://net-internals/#dns
Firefoxabout:networking#dns
SafariQuit app after system flush

Automate flush on Apply

If Sonoma hosts switches are frequent, use a GUI hosts manager that can flush after Apply — ToggleHosts ($4.99, one-time).

Related

Bottom line

Sonoma flush DNS uses the same modern command as Sequoia/Tahoe: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache && sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder.

Try ToggleHosts · All Mac versions

Frequently Asked Questions

Run sudo dscacheutil -flushcache && sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder in Terminal.

No. Sonoma, Sequoia, and Tahoe use the same modern flush command. Use this page when you search for Sonoma-specific results.

macOS caches lookups. Without a flush, browsers can keep the previous IP even though /etc/hosts is updated.

Yes. Flushing clears cached lookups; the next request resolves fresh from hosts/DNS. It does not delete your hosts file.

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