Introduction: How to Open Third-Party Apps From Unidentified Developers in Mac OS X Yosemite, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks
The release of the macOS Sierra built-in protection tool called Gatekeeper resulted in more restrictions in the way applications created by unidentified developers are accessed. The 'allow from anywhere' option is hidden by default, however, the built-in command line application can easily resolve this issue. 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. Starting with Mac OS X Lion, Apple added a security feature called Gatekeeper that only lets us install apps from the Mac App Store. Obviously, the same feature doesn’t let you open apps from unidentified developers on Mac OS X.
In order to protect you from malicious apps on your computer in Mac OS X Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks, and Yosemite, Apple has built in a setting you need to know about. The setting, called Gatekeeper, allows apps installed directly from the Mac App Store, but it prevents installation of apps from anywhere else. I wanted to download RStudio and was able to download, but not open because of Gatekeeper. I was positive I trusted the developer, even though Apple does not, so I decided to change my settings to allow it. This is how I did it and how you can do it too from any app developer that you trust.
Step 1: Open Settings to Install Unidentified App You Trust
In this case, I want to open an app that I download from the internet, RStudio, but because Apple does not trust this developer, I need to change my settings. First thing I do is determine this is an app developer I trust. Then, I open settings and click the 'Security and Privacy' icon.
Step 2: Click on General and Unlock
Macos Allow Apps From Unidentified Developers Iphone
After you click on the General button to the top left of the security window, you will see a portion that is locked called, 'allow apps downloaded from.' You want to unlock this portion so you will need to click on the lock icon on the bottom left corner of the privacy and security window. You will be prompted to enter your password.
Step 3: Click to Allow From Anywhere, Open Your App
Click the option 'Anywhere,' that removes Gatekeeper's blocking capabilities on your Mac, allowing you to download and open any app of the internet from an app developer you trust. I recommend only downloading from sources you trust so you don't wind up with an app downloaded with malware backed in.
After changing my settings, I was able to open and run RStudio with no problem.
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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
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 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:
Macos Allow Apps From Unidentified Developers Pc
Open Terminal and type the following command and hit the enter key. Input your Mac’s password to confirm.
Mac Can't Install Unidentified Developer
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.
You may like to read:
Unidentified Developer On Mac
The founder of iGeeksBlog, Dhvanesh, is an Apple aficionado, who cannot stand even a slight innuendo about Apple products. He dons the cap of editor-in-chief to make sure that articles match the quality standard before they are published.
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