On macOS, the SSH server (sshd) is managed by launchd, Apple's service management framework. Unlike Linux systems where you simply edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config, macOS requires additional steps due to its System Integrity Protection (SIP) and launchd integration.

Here's the complete process to change the default SSH port (22) to a custom port (e.g., 32):

# 1. First, create or edit the sshd config file
sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

# 2. Find and uncomment the Port line, change it to:
Port 32

# 3. Save and exit the editor

Since macOS manages SSH via launchd, we need to modify its plist file:

# 1. Create a backup of the original plist
sudo cp /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/ssh.plist ~/ssh.plist.backup

# 2. Edit the plist file
sudo vim /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/ssh.plist

# 3. Locate the SockServiceName key and change its value from 'ssh' to your custom port number

Don't forget to update your firewall rules:

# Add the new port to pf firewall
echo "pass in proto tcp from any to any port 32" | sudo pfctl -ef -

After making these changes, restart the SSH service:

# Unload the current SSH service
sudo launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/ssh.plist

# Load it with new configuration
sudo launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/ssh.plist

Check if SSH is listening on the new port:

# Check listening ports
netstat -an | grep LISTEN | grep 32

# Test SSH connection
ssh -p 32 username@localhost

If you encounter problems, consider these checks:

• Verify SIP status with csrutil status
• Check for port conflicts with lsof -i :32
• Review system logs with log show --predicate 'process == "sshd"' --last 10m

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The SSH daemon (sshd) on macOS uses a slightly different configuration approach compared to typical Linux distributions. The main configuration file is actually located at:

/etc/ssh/sshd_config

Not /etc/sshd_config as some might expect. This difference is important because modifying the wrong file won't have any effect.

Here's how to properly change the SSH port on any macOS version:

# 1. Backup the original config
sudo cp /etc/ssh/sshd_config /etc/ssh/sshd_config.bak

# 2. Edit the configuration
sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Find the line (or add it if missing):

#Port 22

Uncomment and change it to your desired port (e.g., 32):

Port 32

On newer macOS versions with System Integrity Protection (SIP):

# Add the new port to the built-in firewall
sudo /usr/libexec/ApplicationFirewall/socketfilterfw --add /usr/sbin/sshd
sudo /usr/libexec/ApplicationFirewall/socketfilterfw --unblockapp /usr/sbin/sshd

The method varies by macOS version:

# For macOS 10.10+ with launchd:
sudo launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/ssh.plist
sudo launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/ssh.plist

# Alternative method that works on most versions:
sudo systemctl restart sshd

Check if SSHD is listening on the new port:

sudo lsof -i :32

You should see output similar to:

COMMAND PID USER   FD   TYPE             DEVICE SIZE/OFF NODE NAME
sshd    123 root    3u  IPv6 0xabcdef123456789      0t0  TCP *:32 (LISTEN)

If you can't connect after changing the port:

# Check if SSH is actually running:
sudo systemctl status sshd

# Verify macOS firewall isn't blocking:
sudo pfctl -sr | grep ssh

Remember to update any SSH client configurations or automation scripts that connect to this server to use the new port number.