macOS Sequoia makes it harder to run apps that don’t follow Apple’s security rules

Apple continually updates and refines its security protections across all its software. In macOS Sequoia, there’s a small change coming that makes it harder to run certain apps. Here’s what you need to know.

Opening apps that aren’t properly signed or notarized

Since the Mac doesn’t have the same locked-down app distribution system of iOS and iPadOS, Apple has created other tools meant to protect users. Some of those tools include app signing and notarization. Essentially, these provide a way for Apple to perform a level of vetting for macOS apps, even ones that don’t hit the Mac App Store. The intent is to ultimately prevent harmful software from being inadvertently opened by Mac users.

Trying to open an app that isn’t correctly signed or notarized results in some scary warnings. But until now, power users could bypass those warnings—and Apple’s overall security process—using a Control-click shortcut.

But that shortcut is going away in macOS Sequoia.

According to a new post on the Apple Developer site:

In macOS Sequoia, users will no longer be able to Control-click to override Gatekeeper when opening software that isn’t signed correctly or notarized. They’ll need to visit System Settings > Privacy & Security to review security information for software before allowing it to run.

The post then urges developers to make sure their software is properly signed so users won’t need to jump through these hoops.

9to5Mac’s Take

This change feels a bit unnecessary to me. The only people who knew about the Control-click shortcut were ones who probably understood the risks they were taking. But now in macOS Sequoia, the added friction of needing to visit System Settings every time will simply create more trouble for power users. I personally don’t ever need to run software that’s not notarized or signed, but this change is bound to annoy users that do.