What is Gatekeeper in macOS?
Gatekeeper is a security feature that ensures that only apps that have been downloaded from the App Store or from Apple approved developers will install on your Mac. It helps to protect your Mac from malware and misbehaving apps downloaded from the Internet.
With Gatekeeper, you have two options: Allow from App Store or App Store and identified developers.
Selecting “App Store” means that your Mac can only run applications downloaded and installed from the App Store.
Selecting “App Store and identified developers” will let you install both applications downloaded from the App Store and third-party signed apps downloaded from developers’ websites.
To access Gatekeeper
- Click on the Apple icon.
- Click System Preferences.
- Click Security & Privacy
- Click the General tab.
- Gatekeeper options are under the header "Allow apps downloaded from:"
Gatekeeper Warning
By default, if you attempt to open a third-party app that isn’t verified by Apple, you’ll get the error message that the application “Can’t be opened because it is from an unidentified developer."
If you want to open the unsigned app from a trusted developer, right-click on the app and select Open. As a precaution, you should never install applications that are from untrusted developers.
