How to set up a manual WireGuard® connection on macOS

In this tutorial, you will learn how to set up a manual WireGuard® connection on your macOS device.

For any manual WireGuard® connection, you first need an active Surfshark subscription. You can find the available plans on Surfshark’s pricing page.

Get your key pair

Before setting up the connection, you need a WireGuard® key pair. You can either use an existing one or generate a new one.

I have a key pair

1. Log in to your account on Surfshark website.
   
   NOTE: If you have any trouble accessing the page, you can also use this link or this link.
2. Click on VPN and select Manual Setup:
   
   
    
3. Click Desktop or mobile:
   
   
    
4. Click Wireguard:
   
   
    
5. Click on I have a key pair:
   
   
    
6. Name your key pair and click Next:
   
   
    
7. Enter your public key and click Save:
   
   

I don't have a key pair

1. Log in to your account on Surfshark website.
   
   NOTE: If you have any trouble accessing the page, you can also use this link or this link.
2. Click on VPN and select Manual Setup:
   
   
    
3. Click Desktop or mobile:
   
   
    
4. Click Wireguard:
   
   
    
5. Click on I don't have a key pair:
   
   
    
6. Name your new key pair and click Next:
   
   
    
7. Click Generate a new key pair:
   
   
   
   NOTE: Copy and securely store the generated key pair. You will not be able to view it again later.

Download configuration files

1. After creating or saving your key pair, click Choose a location:
   
   
    
2. From the location list, find the server you wish to connect to and click the Download button beside it:
   
   
    
3. Click the download button to download the configuration file:
   
   

Download WireGuard®

1. Open the App Store on your macOS device.
2. Search for WireGuard and install the application:
   
   
    
3. Once the installation is complete, open the WireGuard application and click Import tunnel(s) from file:
   
   
    
4. Select the Surfshark configuration file you downloaded earlier and click Import:
   
   
    
5. In the next pop-up, click Allow:
   
   
    
6. You can rename this uploaded connection to your liking. To do so, click Edit.
    
   NOTE: When prompted, enter your Keychain password (your macOS device password).
   
   
    
7. Change the Name field and click Save:
   
   

Connect to the VPN

1. Click Activate to connect to the VPN:
   
   
    
2. Once connected, the VPN status will change to Active:
   
   
    
3. To disconnect, click Deactivate:
   
   
   
   Alternatively, you can also disconnect by clicking the WireGuard icon in the macOS menu bar and selecting Deactivate:
   
   

Ensure the connection is successful

We always recommend checking if Surfshark VPN is working after setting it up for the first time. You can easily do it by performing Surfshark IP leak test and a DNS leak test. For your convenience, both are available on our website.