Mac Security Allow Apps Downloaded From Anywhere

macOS High Sierra is a great update and brings lots of new and much needed improvements but that doesn’t mean that some of the changes can’t be annoying.

Apr 30, 2021 Select App Store under the header “Allow apps downloaded from.” Open a developer-signed or notarized app 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 asks if you’re sure you want to open it. Allow Applications Downloaded From Anywhere. The option for allowing applications downloaded from anywhere is hidden by default in Gatekeeper on Mac OS High Sierra, and can be changed if required. The following steps will show you how you can do that. Open “Terminal”: Applications - Utilities - Terminal. Downloading third-party apps safely. Unlike the iPhone and iPad, the Mac can run software that's been downloaded from any source, though OS X's default security settings will only allow you to run apps that have been downloaded from the Mac App Store and from 'identified developers'—developers who have a digital certificate from Apple on file. Hold down 'control' button. Click on the app that is triggering the message about the security preferences. Select 'open' to override and install/open the application. This allows you to avoid changing the security setting to 'anywhere.' Aug 9, 2012 7:57 PM.

For example, just like in macOS Sierra, one of the changes that Gatekeeper comes with is that there’s no immediate way to allow unsigned apps to open.

Up until now, Gatekeeper also allowed you to open apps downloaded from “Anywhere” but that’s no longer the case. Of course you can still open unsigned apps, but it’s a pain in the ass.

Let’s say you want to open a free app like Audacity. Open it and you will get this pop-up…

Ok, nothing new here. This was present in previous OS X version too. However, in previous versions you always had the option to set OS X and allow unsigned apps from “Anywhere”.

In macOS High Sierra that option is missing and, you will always have to go to System Preferences>Security & Privacy> and click on a new button that says “Open Anyway”.

Mac security allow apps downloaded from anywhere free

Luckily there’s an easy fix for this:
1. Open up Terminal, type “sudo spctl –master-disable”( no quotes ), and hit enter ( NOTE: you might not be able to copy – paste the command in the terminal. See the screenshot below to make sure you enter it correctly )

Mac Security Allow Apps Downloaded From Anywhere

2. Type in your password ( you won’t be able to see what you’re typing ), and hit enter

How to open downloaded apps

3. You’re done.

Now you can go to Preferences>Security & Privacy and choose “Anywhere”

Mac Security Allow Apps Downloaded From Anywhere Mac


NOTE: if you want, for some reason, to go back to the way macOS High Sierra wants it all you have to do is repeat all the steps above but instead of “disable” change it to “enable”. ( i.e. “sudo spctl –master-enable” )