Apple is obsessed with privacy and security which is a good thing for us, the end-users. By default, macOS allows you to only run apps and software that are downloaded from the Mac App Store or identified developers. But if you want to open an app from an unidentified developer in macOS, then here are two ways to do so.
However, before we begin, a word of caution! It is a common and prevalent practice to insert harmful code and malware into apps and distribute/redistribute them. So, it is quite possible that a shady app that you torrented or got from an unverified developer might be infected and dangerous. If you understand the consequences and still want to proceed, here is how to override your security settings and open an app anyway from the unidentified developer in macOS.
How to Allow and Open App from Unidentified Developer in macOS
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Step #1. Launch Finder on your Mac and locate the app you want to open. You are most likely to find this app in Downloads, Desktop or Applications folder.
Note: Do not use Launchpad as Launchpad does not allow a shortcut menu on apps.
Step #2.Control-click (hold the Control button and click) on the app icon.
Step #3. Now click on Open from the above list. Confirm if asked again to whether open the app or not.
You will see that the unidentified app has opened. From now onwards, this app is saved as an exception to your security settings. Anytime in the future, you can open it by double-clicking just like you open other known and registered apps. As mentioned in the previous line, this does not change the whole relevant security settings of your Mac but merely creates an exception for this particular app. Everything else is just as secure as it was.
Additional Method: If you don't follow the above steps and simply double click an unidentified app and it does not open and shows a popup similar to the one below.
Go to System Preferences – Security and Privacy and click on the Open Anyway option. Enter your Mac's password if asked.
The above methods were relatively secure, easy, and swift to open an unidentified app. It hardly took a few clicks. However, if you would like to change the security settings of your Mac (as far as app launching is concerned), then you will have to disable Gatekeeper and turn on Allow apps downloaded from to: Anywhere.
How to Allow All Unknown Apps to Open on Mac Running macOS Catalina
Step#1. Open Terminal on your Mac by going into Launchpad – Other. Or you may press together Command(⌘) + Space Bar to open Spotlight Search, type Terminal and hit enter.
Step #2. Make sure System Preferences is not open. If it is, close it. In the Terminal type the following command and hit enter.
sudo spctl ––master-disable
Step #3. Enter your Mac's password and hit enter. Note that when you type the password it won't be visible. You may close Terminal now.
Step #4. Launch System Preferences How to close current window on mac. from your Dock or by clicking on Apple Logo – System Preferences. Now click on Security and Privacy.
Step #5. Under the General tab, you might see that under ‘Allow apps downloaded from', ‘Anywhere' is chosen. If not, then from the bottom left, click on the closed padlock icon and enter your Mac's Password.
Step #6. From under Allow apps downloaded from: choose Anywhere. Click on Allow From Anywhere to confirm. Click on the open padlock to prevent further changes as our motive has been achieved.
From now onwards your Mac will open all apps irrespective of whether it is downloaded from App Store, App Store and identified developers or any random developer. Please know that this is dangerous for the security and safety of your Mac and your private data. So only do this if you know what you are into. For most ordinary people, it is advised that you do not go this route. Use the first method instead.
To turn Gatekeeper back on and return everything to the default state:
Open Terminal and type the following command and hit the enter key. Input your Mac's password to confirm.
sudo spctl –master-enable
Are All Apps from Unidentified Developers Dangerous?
No. This is not necessarily the case. As Apple puts it, there may be some apps that were written before developer ID registration began. As a result, the app may not have been reviewed, and thus macOS can't check whether the app has been modified or broken since it was released. Similarly, suppose you or your developer friend or someone you have been following for long and trust, build a simple app as a hobby. Is it dangerous? No! It is just not registered with Apple.
The safest approach to install an app from an unidentified developer is by finding a similar alternative app from the Mac App Store or identified developer. Sometimes paying for a similar app may also be a sensible solution than using a free unknown app. But if nothing works for you overriding the security settings and allowing apps from unidentified developers in macOS is a solution. In this sense, macOS is more flexible than iOS.
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The safest place to get apps for your Mac is the App Store. Apple reviews each app in the App Store before it's accepted and signs it to ensure that it hasn't been tampered with or altered. If there's ever a problem with an app, Apple can remove it from the store quickly.
If you download and install apps from the Internet or directly from a developer, macOS continues to protect your Mac. When you install Mac apps, plug-ins and installer packages from outside the App Store, macOS checks the Developer ID signature to verify that the software is from an identified developer and that it has not been altered. By default, macOS Catalina and later also requires software to be notarised, so you can be confident that the software you run on your Mac doesn't contain known malware. Before opening downloaded software for the first time, macOS requests your approval to make sure you aren't misled into running software you didn't expect.
Running software that hasn't been signed and notarised may expose your computer and personal information to malware that can harm your Mac or compromise your privacy.
View the app security settings on your Mac
By default, the security and privacy preferences of your Mac are set to allow apps from the App Store and identified developers. For additional security, you can choose to only allow apps from the App Store.
In System Preferences, click Security & Privacy and then click General. Click the lock and enter your password to make changes. Select App Store under the header 'Allow apps downloaded from.'
Open a developer-signed or notarised app
How do i download microsoft office on a mac. If your Mac is set to allow apps from the App Store and identified developers, the first time that you launch a new app, your Mac will ask if you're sure you want to open it.
An app that has been notarised by Apple indicates that Apple has checked it for malicious software and none was detected:
Prior to macOS Catalina, opening an app that hasn't been notarised shows a yellow warning icon and asks if you're sure you want to open it:
If you see a warning message and can't install an app
If you have set your Mac to only allow apps from the App Store and you try to install an app from elsewhere, your Mac will say that the app can't be opened because it was not downloaded from the App Store.*
If your Mac is set to allow apps from the App Store and identified developers, and you try to install an app that isn't signed by an identified developer and – in macOS Catalina and later – notarised by Apple, you also see a warning that the app cannot be opened.
If you see this warning, it means that the app was not notarised, and Apple could not scan the app for known malicious software.
You may want to look for an updated version of the app in the App Store or look for an alternative app.
If macOS detects a malicious app
If macOS detects that an app has malicious content, it will notify you when you try to open it and ask you to move it to the Bin.
How to open an app that hasn't been notarised or is from an unidentified developer
Running software that hasn't been signed and notarised may expose your computer and personal information to malware that can harm your Mac or compromise your privacy. If you're certain that an app you want to install is from a trustworthy source and hasn't been tampered with, you can override your Mac security settings temporarily to open it.
In macOS Catalina and macOS Mojave, when an app fails to install because it hasn't been notarised or is from an unidentified developer, it will appear in System Preferences > Security & Privacy, under the General tab. Click Open Anyway to confirm your intent to open or install the app.
The warning prompt will reappear, and you can click Open.*
The app will now be saved as an exception to your security settings, and you can open it in the future by double-clicking it, just as you can any authorised app.
Privacy protections
macOS has been designed to keep users and their data safe while respecting their privacy.
Gatekeeper performs online checks to verify whether an app contains known malware and whether the developer's signing certificate is revoked. We have never combined data from these checks with information about Apple users or their devices. We do not use data from these checks to learn what individual users are launching or running on their devices.
Notarisation checks whether the app contains known malware using an encrypted connection that is resilient to server failures.
These security checks have never included the user's Apple ID or the identity of their device. To further protect privacy, we have stopped logging IP addresses associated with Developer ID certificate checks, and we will ensure that any collected IP addresses are removed from logs.
In addition, over the next year, we will introduce several changes to our security checks:
Mac App Developer Programming
- A new encrypted protocol for Developer ID certificate revocation checks
- Strong protections against server failure
- A new preference for users to opt out of these security protections
Best Mac For Developers
*If you're prompted to open Finder: control-click the app in Finder, choose Open from the menu and then click Open in the dialogue that appears. Enter your admin name and password to open the app.
