Something not working?
The Something Not Working window lists what can stop a connection on this Mac, in the order to try, with one-click fixes.
When an app cannot reach the network, this window narrows down why before you touch anything. Choose Help › Something Not Working?…. It lists, in the order to try: the apps Outbound blocked in the last hour (each with why, in plain words), Outbound’s own state, and the other software on this Mac that macOS reports as active.
Blocked in the last hour
Section titled “Blocked in the last hour”The first section, “Blocked in the last hour”, lists apps with recorded blocks in the past hour. Each row shows the app’s icon and name, why it was blocked (the rule, blocklist or decision that refused it) and how long ago, and an Allow button that makes the app-wide allow rule you would get from Allow All in its alert. Help text: “Allow
When more than one app is listed, Allow All Listed requests app-wide allow rules as one action, with Undo. When the window was opened focused on specific apps (from the Blocked recently row in the menu bar panel), a Show All button removes the focus.
At the bottom of the section sits the fastest test of all: Pause Outbound for 1 Hour, which allows every connection for an hour. Its help text makes the logic plain: if something works again under the pause, a rule or a block was the cause. When a pause is already running the button becomes Resume Filtering.
Outbound’s own state
Section titled “Outbound’s own state”The “Outbound” section shows the filter’s state as the app sees it: “On, Ask mode” (or the mode you are in), “Paused”, or the plain status when the filter has not confirmed it. When the filter is on, a Turn Off Network Filter… button stops all filtering until you turn it on again.
The section suggests checking other software if pausing does not restore the connection. Treat that as a troubleshooting step rather than proof of the cause.
Other software that can stop connections
Section titled “Other software that can stop connections”The third section asks macOS what else is active, and changes nothing:
- No other network filter or VPN is active. This is the message shown when neither macOS listing returns an entry. The check can also return an empty result if a listing fails, so the message alone does not establish that no other networking software is involved.
- Another network extension. Some other active network extension (another filter, or a VPN’s tunnel). The row says: two filters can block the same connection; pause or quit this one to test.
is connected. A VPN service macOS lists as connected. The row says: a VPN carries your traffic elsewhere and can refuse it there; disconnect it to test.- iCloud Private Relay and Limit IP Address Tracking. These macOS settings route or hide some traffic and can stop sites that block relays. See VPNs, Private Relay and other filters.
An Open Network Settings button opens System Settings › Network, where those switches live.
Getting back online
Section titled “Getting back online”Work down the window:
- Allow what was blocked. If the blocked list names the app you are trying to use, its Allow button requests an app-wide allow rule through the approval path. A rule you regret can be removed later in Rules.
- Pause for an hour. If the app works during the pause, something in Outbound’s rules or blocklists was refusing it. Resume and look at Review and Blocklists.
- Turn off the network filter. If pausing was not enough, turning the filter off removes Outbound from the path entirely. If the app still fails, investigate the other software the window lists.
- System Settings. The content-filter switch lives in System Settings › Network › Filters (macOS 14 through 26) or Network › VPN & Filters (macOS 27 and later).
If the whole network is down, not one app, the pause test still applies, and the health report shows whether the filter itself is answering.