What is smbd?

You might see smbd in Activity Monitor or in your firewall logs. It handles file sharing on your Mac.

What is smbd?

The name stands for "SMB daemon". SMB (Server Message Block) is the standard way to share files over a network. Windows uses the same method, and macOS made it the default from OS X 10.9 Mavericks onward.

When you turn on File Sharing in System Settings, smbd serves your shared folders to other computers on the network.

Is it running on my Mac?

smbd only runs if you have File Sharing turned on. Check in System Settings, then General, then Sharing, then File Sharing. If it is off, smbd should not be running.

What replaced AFP?

macOS used to use AFP (Apple Filing Protocol) by default. Apple switched to SMB because it is the industry standard and works natively with Windows, macOS, and Linux. AFP still exists but is no longer the default.

Can you turn it off?

Yes. Turn off File Sharing in System Settings, then General, then Sharing. This stops smbd and blocks other computers from reaching shared folders on your Mac.

Should you worry?

No, if you turned on File Sharing yourself. If smbd is running and you did not turn on File Sharing, check your Sharing settings. It may have been switched on by mistake or by an app.

If you are on a public network (a cafe or airport, for example), make sure File Sharing is off to stop others from reaching your files.

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