What Is the Bonjour Service (and Do You Need It)

Bonjour is Apple's zero-configuration networking service: it lets your computer find printers, Apple TVs and shared music libraries on the local network without typing IP addresses.

On Windows it arrives with Apple software such as iTunes or Bonjour Print Services, and you only need it if you use those local-network features.

What Is the Bonjour Service (and Do You Need It)?

Apple describes Bonjour as zero-configuration networking that discovers devices and services on a local network using standard IP protocols.

On a Windows PC the running process is mDNSResponder.exe, which Apple also calls Bonjour for Windows.

Keep Bonjour if you print to a Bonjour printer through Bonjour Print Services, share an iTunes library on your network or stream to an Apple TV from iTunes. Otherwise it is safe to stop the service or uninstall it. Bonjour only advertises and finds services on your local network. Nothing in Windows itself depends on it, so removing it affects only the Apple features that use it.

Do You Really Need Bonjour?

Match your own setup to a row. The deciding question is whether any app on this PC discovers Apple devices or Bonjour printers over the network.

Your situation	What to do	Why
You use iTunes Home Sharing, music sharing or AirTunes/AirPlay from iTunes	Keep Bonjour running	Apple says mDNSResponder.exe lets iTunes discover music sharing, Apple TV and AirTunes on the local network
You added a printer with the Bonjour Printer Wizard	Keep Bonjour running	Bonjour Print Services finds and configures Bonjour-enabled printers through it
You installed iTunes or iCloud only to back up an iPhone	Set the service to Manual or Disabled	Backups over a USB cable do not need network discovery
You never installed Apple software and do not recognise Bonjour	Check Installed apps for the Apple app that brought it, then decide	Bonjour ships inside other installers, so it rarely appears on its own
Company or public network where discovery traffic is unwanted	Disable or uninstall Bonjour	Apple notes multicast DNS assumes every participant on the network is cooperative

How to Manage and Disable Bonjour

Disabling the service is the reversible option: the software stays installed, but it no longer starts with Windows.

You need an administrator account. For a full tour of the console, see this Services.msc guide to Windows services management.

1. Select Start, type Services, and press Enter.
2. Scroll to the entry whose name begins with Bonjour and double-click it.
3. Select Stop under Service status to end the running process now.
4. Open the Startup type list and choose Disabled, or Manual if an Apple app should still be able to start it.
5. Select Apply, then OK.

Stop and disable Bonjour with PowerShell

Open Windows PowerShell or Terminal with Run as administrator, because Microsoft states that Set-Service needs elevated permissions.

The display-name wildcard finds the Bonjour entry without you having to type its exact service name.

Get-Service -DisplayName "*Bonjour*" | Set-Service -Status Stopped -StartupType Disabled -PassThru

Get-Service -DisplayName "*Bonjour*" selects every service whose display name contains Bonjour. Set-Service then stops it (-Status Stopped) and prevents it from starting again (-StartupType Disabled). -PassThru prints the changed service so you can see the result.

You should see: PowerShell prints one line with Stopped in the Status column and the Bonjour display name. No output at all means no Bonjour service is installed.

Practical Tips for Managing Bonjour

Uninstalling removes the software completely. Use it when no Apple app on the PC needs network discovery.

Tip	How to do it	Why it matters
Uninstall on Windows 11	Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Bonjour, select More (…) > Uninstall	Removes mDNSResponder.exe and its service
Uninstall on Windows 10	Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features, select Bonjour > Uninstall	Same result on the older Settings layout
Use Control Panel when Settings refuses	Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features, right-click Bonjour > Uninstall	Microsoft notes some programs only uninstall from Control Panel
Pick Manual over Disabled if unsure	Set Startup type to Manual	Apple apps can still start it when they need it
Expect it to return	Check the Services list after reinstalling or updating Apple software	Bonjour is bundled with Apple installers
Leave it alone on a Mac	No action needed	Bonjour is part of macOS and iOS, not an add-on

To see everything else that starts with Windows, get a list of services running on your computer.

How to check Bonjour is stopped or removed

1. Open Windows PowerShell and run Get-Service -DisplayName "*Bonjour*" | Select-Object Name, StartType, Status.
2. Confirm StartType shows Disabled (or Manual) and Status shows Stopped.
3. If you uninstalled it, confirm the command returns nothing.
4. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, open the Details tab and confirm mDNSResponder.exe is not listed.

Understanding the Foundations of Bonjour

Apple's developer documentation splits Bonjour into three jobs that normally need a DHCP server, a DNS server and manual setup.

Job	What Bonjour does	What you see
Addressing	Assigns a link-local IP address in the 169.254.x.x range when no DHCP server answers	Two devices on a bare cable or ad-hoc link can still talk
Naming	Reserves the .local domain for names advertised with multicast DNS	Names such as a printer's .local hostname resolve without a DNS server
Service discovery	Advertises and finds services with multicast DNS (mDNS) and DNS Service Discovery	Printers, speakers and shared libraries appear in app lists by name

Apple publishes the implementation as open source under the Apache 2.0 licence, and most modern printers build it in.

How Does Bonjour Work?

Bonjour reuses ordinary DNS record types but sends queries to every device on the local link instead of to a DNS server.

Traffic stays on the local network; Apple states it is not routed across the internet.

Piece	Role	Detail
PTR record	Lists every instance of a service type	How an app asks "which printers are here?"
SRV record	Turns a service name into a hostname and port	Tells the app where to connect
A / AAAA record	Turns the hostname into an IPv4 or IPv6 address	The final address the app uses
TXT record	Carries extra service details	Settings such as supported features
UDP port 5353	Multicast DNS	Used by Bonjour, AirPlay, Home Sharing and printer discovery
UDP port 1900	SSDP	Listed by Apple under Bonjour
UDP ports 5350 and 5351	NAT Port Mapping Protocol	Listed by Apple under Bonjour

The Process in Practice

These are the everyday cases Apple uses to explain Bonjour. Each one replaces a manual IP or DNS step.

Scenario	Without Bonjour	With Bonjour
Adding a network printer	Find and type the printer's IP address	The printer announces itself and appears by name
Sharing an iTunes library	No automatic way to find other libraries	iTunes lists shared libraries on the same network
Streaming from iTunes to an Apple TV	Enter the device address manually	The Apple TV shows up as a playback target
Sharing photos between two iPhones over Bluetooth	Configure IP addresses on both	The app finds the other phone and connects

Platforms Supporting Bonjour

Platform	How Bonjour is present	Programming interface
macOS	Built into the operating system	Foundation, Core Foundation, C
iOS and iPadOS	Built into the operating system, including Bonjour over Bluetooth	Foundation, Core Foundation, C
Windows	Installed with Apple software or Bonjour Print Services for Windows	C API through the Bonjour SDK for Windows
Linux	Available from Apple's open-source mDNSResponder code	C API
Printers and other devices	Built into most modern printers and many consumer products	Vendor firmware

Bonjour Print Services for Windows is version 2.0.2 and is 5.18 MB. Apple lists Windows XP SP2 or later as the requirement, with XP SP3, Vista SP2 or Windows 7 recommended, so it predates Windows 10 and 11.

Why Is Bonjour Popular?

Reason	What it means for you
No configuration	Devices find each other without IP addresses or a DNS server
Built on open standards	It uses standard DNS records, so other vendors' devices speak it too
Open source under Apache 2.0	Printer and device makers can ship it in firmware
Language support	Developers can call it from Cocoa, Ruby, Python, C and other languages
Wide hardware support	Most modern printers already advertise themselves with it

Potential Drawbacks of Bonjour

Drawback	Detail	What to do
Trusts everyone on the network	Apple states multicast DNS assumes participants cooperate	Use WPA2-PSK or stronger Wi-Fi security so only trusted devices join
Exposure on open Wi-Fi	Anyone on a public hotspot shares the same local link	Disable Bonjour on laptops that live on public networks
Past security flaws	Apple has shipped a security update for mDNSResponder, the code behind Bonjour	Keep Apple software updated or remove Bonjour if unused
Old Windows package	Bonjour Print Services lists Windows XP to Windows 7 as its targets	Prefer a printer's own Windows driver when the maker offers one
Firewall dependency	Bonjour printing needs UDP port 5353 open	Allow the port only on private networks

Alternatives to Bonjour

Bonjour is Apple's implementation of open protocols, so the alternatives are other ways to do discovery rather than rival brands.

Alternative	When it fits	Source
DNS-SD and mDNS support built into Windows apps	Microsoft recommends DNS-SD and mDNS for service discovery after removing the PNRP APIs	Microsoft Learn
SSDP and UPnP discovery	Windows uses the SSDP Discovery and UPnP Device Host services to make a PC visible on the network	Microsoft Learn
Manual IP address	Add a printer or device by typing its fixed IP address	No discovery protocol needed
Wide-Area Bonjour	Unicast discovery configured manually or through a gateway	Apple, for open or large networks
Bonjour gateway products	Wi-Fi access points that filter and relay discovery traffic	Apple, for managed networks

How to enable the Bonjour service again

If a printer or Apple TV disappears after you disabled Bonjour, turn the service back on. Run PowerShell as administrator for the command route.

1. Select Start, type Services, and press Enter.
2. Double-click the entry whose name begins with Bonjour.
3. Set Startup type to Automatic, then select Apply.
4. Select Start under Service status, then OK.
5. Or run Get-Service -DisplayName "*Bonjour*" | Set-Service -StartupType Automatic -Status Running in an elevated PowerShell window.
6. If you uninstalled it, reinstall the Apple app or Bonjour Print Services for Windows from Apple's support site.

Fix Bonjour printing and sharing problems

Bonjour printer not found by Bonjour Print Services for Windows

The Bonjour service is stopped, or the firewall blocks UDP port 5353.

1. Open Services and confirm the Bonjour entry shows Running.
2. Allow UDP port 5353 for your private network in your firewall, as Apple requires.
3. Connect the PC and printer to the same local network or Wi-Fi.
4. Run the Bonjour Printer Wizard again.

Shared libraries or Apple TV missing in iTunes for Windows

iTunes uses mDNSResponder.exe to discover music sharing and Apple TV, so a disabled Bonjour hides them.

1. Set the Bonjour service Startup type to Automatic and start it.
2. Restart iTunes.
3. Confirm the other computer or Apple TV is on the same local network.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Bonjour service on Windows 11?

It is Apple's zero-configuration networking service, running as mDNSResponder.exe. On Windows 11 it lets Apple software find printers, Apple TVs and shared music on your local network. Windows 11 does not need it for anything of its own.

What is the Bonjour service on Windows 10?

It is the same Apple service as on Windows 11. It usually arrives with iTunes or Bonjour Print Services and lets those apps discover devices on the local network. You can set it to Manual or uninstall it if you do not use those features.

Why is Bonjour service on my computer?

An Apple installer put it there. iTunes for Windows and Bonjour Print Services for Windows both use it to find devices on the network. Check Installed apps in Settings for the Apple app that came with it.

What is Bonjour used for?

Bonjour finds devices and services on a local network without manual setup. Typical uses are adding network printers, sharing iTunes libraries, streaming to an Apple TV and letting iPhones find each other for sharing.

What does the Bonjour service do in Windows?

It answers and sends multicast DNS queries on UDP port 5353 so Apple apps can list printers, Apple TVs and shared libraries by name. It also resolves .local hostnames on your network.

What does the Bonjour program do?

The Bonjour program is the background process mDNSResponder.exe. It advertises this PC's shared services and finds services on other devices on the same network. It has no window of its own and runs as a Windows service.

Is the Bonjour service safe?

Yes, Bonjour is legitimate Apple software. Apple notes multicast DNS trusts every device on the network, so keep your Wi-Fi protected with WPA2 or better and keep Apple software updated. Disable it on laptops that often use public Wi-Fi.

How do I enable the Bonjour service?

Open Services, double-click the Bonjour entry, set Startup type to Automatic, select Apply, then Start. If it is not listed, reinstall the Apple app or Bonjour Print Services for Windows.

What are Bonjour Print Services for Windows?

It is a free Apple package that installs Bonjour and the Bonjour Printer Wizard. It finds Bonjour printers on Wi-Fi or Ethernet and USB printers shared by a Mac. The current version is 2.0.2 and needs UDP port 5353 open.

Will uninstalling Bonjour break iTunes?

iTunes keeps playing and syncing over a cable, but it loses network discovery. Apple says mDNSResponder.exe lets iTunes find music sharing, Apple TV and AirTunes, so those features stop working without it.

In Summary

Set Bonjour to Manual or uninstall it if you only use Apple software to back up a phone or play local music. Keep it running if you print through Bonjour Print Services or share media with iTunes and Apple TV. Bonjour is harmless Apple discovery software with a small footprint, but it only earns its place when an app on your PC actually looks for devices on the network.