The reason this error message occurs is pretty obvious. macOS has a specific security feature that checks the applications that you wish to run and then depending on the code signing, allows the application to be executed. However, in some scenarios, when the app you wish to run is an old and unsigned version, you are thrown the said error message as Gatekeeper does not allow it to run. The app is treated as unsafe and thus you are suggested to delete it. Now, this might be really helpful in most of the cases but there are apps that are trusted and they are detected as unsafe by the Gatekeeper security feature. In such a case, to overcome the problem, what you will have to do is either change your System Preferences, run the application using the xattr command, or disable Gatekeeper for a while altogether. With that said, let us get into the various methods that’ll help resolve the issue.
Method 1: Run the App From a Terminal Window
As it turns out, if you run the same application from a terminal window using superuser permissions, it will run without any issues. Basically the superuser permissions will override the Gatekeeper feature and thus the application will be allowed to execute. You should do this only and only if you trust the application that you wish to run completely. Doing this for any random app you got off of the internet is not a good idea. With that said, follow the below instructions run the app:
Method 2: Disable Checks Temporarily
Another way that you can get rid of the error message is to disable global checks temporarily. As we have mentioned above, the Gatekeeper is a security feature in macOS that essentially checks the apps that you wish to run and protects your system from malware. As it turns out, in some cases it treats certain apps unsigned apps that you downloaded as unsafe. That is why you receive the said error message. Therefore, the easy workaround here is to just disable the feature temporarily and then turn it on again. Here’s how to do it:
Method 3: Allow Apps from Anywhere
You can also allow apps from anywhere to run without any issues from the macOS System Preferences. This is where Gatekeeper settings are located and you will just have to edit them to allow all apps to execute. To do this, follow the instructions provided down below:
Method 4: Grant Permissions
In some scenarios, the issue can appear due to permission restrictions. If you try to run a file that does not have executable permissions, you are likely to get the said error message. In such a case, what you have to do is grant it the required permissions and then try running it. To do this, follow the instructions down below:
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