

In this way, Gatekeeper ensures only applications created by legitimate developers who have gone through the trouble of getting a developer ID and are in good standing can run on your computer. If it’s discovered that a developer is abusing their developer ID–or it was acquired by hackers who are using it to sign malicious apps–the developer ID can then be revoked. For example, when you install Google Chrome on your Mac, it’s signed with Google’s developer ID so Apple allows it to run. This digital signature ensures the application was actually created by that specific developer.
#If an app something i downloaded on my mac is asking for my password to make changes do i let it how to
RELATED: How to Install Applications On a Mac: Everything You Need to Know (You may also want to bypass this and run an unsigned app if you’re developing your own apps.)

That’s why Apple offers a way to bypass Gatekeeper. Maybe they haven’t been updated in a while, or maybe the developer just didn’t bother. Some apps available on the web–particularly older ones–just aren’t signed, even if they’re trustworthy.

If it’s not, you’ll see a warning message and your Mac will prevent the application from running.īut not every Mac app is signed. If the application is signed with a valid signature, it’s allowed to run. Whenever you launch a new application on your Mac, Gatekeeper checks to see that it’s signed with a valid signature.
