How to Block Adobe Background Processes on Mac

Even when you close Photoshop or Lightroom, Adobe Creative Cloud continues to run dozens of background processes (like Adobe Desktop Service, CCXProcess, and Core Sync). These consume battery, CPU, and send telemetry data constantly.

If you want to stop the "phoning home" without breaking your ability to use the apps offline, you need to block their servers. Here are your three options.

Option 1: The Hard Way (Terminal)
Free

You can manually redirect Adobe's verification servers to 0.0.0.0 in your hosts file. This is effective but fragile.

sudo nano /etc/hosts

You'll need to find an up-to-date list of Adobe domains (they change frequently) and paste them in.

0.0.0.0 ic.adobe.io
0.0.0.0 cc-api-data.adobe.io
# ... and 50 more ...
Pros
  • ✓
    Completely free
  • ✓
    No extra software
Cons
  • ✗
    Hard to toggle (might need to sign in)
  • ✗
    Adobe updates often break this
  • ✗
    Risky (can break app updates)
Option 2: The Firewall Way
$45+ (Little Snitch)

Application firewalls like Little Snitch or LuLu are excellent for monitoring specific apps and blocking their connections.

Pros
  • ✓
    Granular per-app control
  • ✓
    Visual connection monitor
Cons
  • ✗
    Expensive ($45+)
  • ✗
    Constant "Allow/Deny" popups
  • ✗
    High learning curve
Option 3: The Sane Way
$5 One-Time

SaneHosts allows you to create a "Block Adobe" profile. You can import a list of Adobe domains and toggle them on/off instantly from the menu bar.

Why it wins
  • ✓
    Toggle Instantly: Turn off the block when you need to update apps
  • ✓
    Auto DNS Flush: Changes apply immediately
  • ✓
    Touch ID Protected: Secure your settings
  • ✓
    Cheap: 10x cheaper than a firewall
Get SaneHosts — $5

Compatible with macOS 14 (Sonoma) and later.