How to launch macOS apps, including those not notarized by Apple

Downloading applications from the Internet is a dangerous task and software is likely to be a problem. Obtaining a download can, in the worst case, install malware that wipes data or demands a ransom.

Downloading apps from the Mac App Store is also a solid plan to ensure that your Mac runs only secure software. However, this is not always possible. You may not be able to get the app from the Mac App Store, so you’ll need to look elsewhere.

Familiar Internet users can find out if a download is safe, such as by making sure it is downloaded from an official source such as the developer’s website. Again, there’s nothing absolutely certain, so as an additional safety net, macOS includes a system that protects users, but it can still hinder what you want to do.

Gatekeepers are the systems Apple uses on macOS to try to protect your Mac from malware by limiting what it can do. Instead of allowing something to run, Gatekeeper acts as a digital bouncer and validates your app before it runs.

Basically, Gatekeeper checks the downloaded app before running it for the first time. As part of this, if your app comes from the Mac App Store or is taken from the wider internet, make sure it’s signed by a valid developer ID and notarized by Apple.

The Developer ID Certificate is issued by Apple and is provided to developers as an indicator that they are a trusted party and the creator of the app. But that’s not all the app needs to go through the gatekeeper.

Starting with macOS 10.15, all software distributed with a developer ID must be notarized. Developers need to provide the app to Apple’s auto-notary service, which scans the software and performs other checks to make sure it can be run safely.

A notarized app with a valid developer ID and a ticket readable by the gatekeeper should be trusted by macOS and run fine.

Like other good bouncers guarding nightclubs, Gatekeeper will automatically stop the progress of downloaded apps if you don’t have a valid developer ID and are not notarized.

In normal use, this is not a big deal. The problem is if you are using unnotarized software.

If Gatekeeper stops running your app, you can tell it to “open anyway”.

This is usually not a good sign, but it can be completely harmless, such as if the developer hasn’t updated the app for multiple years. The app associated with the developer ID now requires notarization and will not be updated if it is old enough.

Gatekeepers usually do the right thing and prevent your app from running. However, for apps that are known to be safe, you need to tell the gatekeeper to allow them to run.

• Download and install the app.
• When you try to run it, you may see a window explaining that it cannot be opened because “Apple cannot check for malicious software.”click all right..
• Open System Preferences Choose Security and privacy..
• If the lower left padlock is locked, click And Authenticate Unlock.
• Next to the message describing your app, click “Blocked use because it’s not from a specific developer.” Open anyway..
• near System Preferences..
• Run App.
• The notification repeats a warning about not being able to determine if it is malicious.click Open..

If not yet clear based on the paragraph before this article, AppleInsider Unless you have a good reason, we don’t recommend downloading and installing the app on your Mac and bypassing Gatekeeper.

Even after instructing the gatekeeper to allow the app to run, the warning is displayed again at the end.

There may be a much safer app that can do the same job, either notarized or available from the Mac App Store. If this is not the case, you need to make sure that the apps you run are safe before installing to avoid malware.

It is possible to bypass the gatekeeper and add a few more steps to run the unmaintained software. Just don’t make it a habit.