How to set up a VPN connection on a Mac

2 min read · 7 steps · Updated 3 October 2026

macOS can connect to a VPN without extra software, as long as the VPN uses one of the standard types. That is what most company and university networks offer. Commercial VPN services usually come with their own app instead, which sets everything up for you.

Menu names are from recent versions of macOS, where the settings app is called System Settings.

Step by step

1. Get the details

   You need the VPN type, the server address, your account name and the way you sign in: a password, a certificate or a shared secret. The IT department or the provider supplies them, often as a settings file.

   Done

2. Import a settings file

   If you were given a configuration file, double-click it. macOS opens the settings and adds the VPN. You can skip the manual steps.

   Done

3. Add the VPN by hand

   Choose Apple menu, System Settings and click Network in the sidebar. Click the Action menu, the button with three dots at the bottom of the list, and choose Add VPN Configuration. Select the type: L2TP over IPSec, IPSec or IKEv2.

   Done

4. Enter the settings

   Type a display name of your choice, such as Work VPN. Enter the server address, the account name, the password and the authentication details exactly as you received them. For L2TP over IPSec, leave Configuration on Default unless you were told otherwise.

   Done

5. Create it

   Click Create. The VPN now appears in the Network settings with a switch.

   Done

6. Connect

   Switch the VPN on in the Network settings. For quicker access, open System Settings, Control Centre and set VPN to show in the menu bar. Then you can connect and disconnect from the VPN icon at the top of the screen.

   Done

7. Check that it works

   When connected, the status shows Connected and the time. Open an address that only works inside the company network to test it.

   Done

Good to know

If the connection fails, check the server address and the shared secret for typing mistakes first, then try another network, such as a phone hotspot. Some hotel and guest networks block VPNs.

OpenVPN and WireGuard are not built into macOS. For those, install the app your provider names.

A VPN hides your traffic from the network you are on, such as cafe Wi-Fi. It does not make you anonymous to the VPN provider or protect you from scams.

On Windows: how to set up a VPN connection on Windows 11. If the network itself is the problem: Mac won't connect to Wi-Fi: 8 fixes that work.

In short: Settings file: double-click. By hand: System Settings, Network, Action menu, Add VPN Configuration, choose the type, enter server, account and password, Create. Connect from Network or the menu bar.