Apple Will Make It Harder to Run Unnotarized Apps in macOS Sequoia

Apple has announced that users will no longer be able to Control-click to override Gatekeeper when opening software that is not notarized in macOS Sequoia.

Users will now need to visit System Settings > Privacy & Security to review security information for software before allowing it to run.

If you are a developer, Apple suggests you submit your application to them for notarization.


If you distribute software outside of the Mac App Store, we recommend that you submit your software to be notarized. The Apple notary service automatically scans your Developer ID-signed software and performs security checks. When your software is ready for distribution, it's assigned a ticket to let Gatekeeper know it's been notarized so customers can run it with confidence.

This move represents another step in Apple's gradual tightening of software security on macOS. It also raises some concerns that Apple could eventually prevent unnotarized apps from running at all, giving the company complete control over which apps can be installed and run on Mac. This would further align macOS with iOS where Apple strictly regulates what applications users are able to run on iPhone and iPad devices. For now, however, users will still have the option to review and approve unnotarized apps manually through System Settings.

Please download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for more macOS Sequoia updates.