How To Run An Unidentified App Without Changing Gatekeeper Settings

Run An Unidentified App Without Changing Gatekeeper’s Settings

Gatekeeper is a security feature which was introduced in mac0S in Mountain Lion that allows users select which apps can and cannot run on their Macs. The said feature has three options for allowing and disallowing apps: run from the Mac App Store only, run apps from identified developers and from the Mac App Store, and also run apps from unverified developers, you have to alter Gatekeeper’s settings and also allow apps to run from anywhere and you have to remember to also change the settings back if you want to keep your system in safe hands. Alternatively, macOS does allows you run just one app as an exception and keep the Gatekeeper settings unchanged. Here is how to go about it.

Let’s assume that you downloaded an app from the outside the Mac App Store and the app is from an unidentified developer, or let’s say that this exact app hasn’t been signed. El Capitan will not let the app run but you as the user know that the app is safe and would like to run it anyway. On that base, there isn’t a way to do that from the prompt you get when you try to run the app. You definitely need to look elsewhere.

Now open System Preferences and go to Security and Privacy. Click on the padlock button at the very bottom to enable you unlock the settings for Gatekeeper. You might be asked to input your password. After that you will see the normal three options for allowing and disallowing apps but you will also see a new addition: which is the app that was just prevented from running on your system will also be listed here with an option to “Open Anyway” button. Click on it and input your password when or if asked to do so and the app will be allowed to run.

Gatekeeper’s settings will remain unchanged and any other time you need to run the same app, you will be able to run it without Gatekeeper stopping you.

It’s is worth stating that Windows 10 also has a similar protection enabled that helps prevent unverified apps from running but letting them run as an exception is even more simpler with the option that is present on the Smartscreen alert itself.