Advanced Mac users may wish to allow a third option, which is the ability to open and allow apps downloaded from anywhere in MacOS Catalina, macOS Sierra, macOS High Sierra, and MacOS Mojave. To be clear, the “Allow applications downloaded from anywhere” option is hidden by default in Gatekeeper for macOS from Sierra onward.
Under “Allow apps to be downloaded from”, select App Store and identified developers. Once this is done, you’ll be able to open most of the apps that aren’t on the App Store. However, you still won’t be able to open apps that aren’t recognized by macOS. Setting your Mac to open apps from unidentified developers. Sep 17, 2021 Advanced Mac users may want to allow a third option, which is the ability to open and allow apps downloaded from anywhere in macOS Catalina, macOS Sierra, macOS High Sierra, and macOS Mojave. To be clear, the ‘Download applications from anywhere’ option is hidden by default in Gatekeeper for macOS from Sierra. In the previous version of Mac OS X, when you want to install an app that downloaded not from App Store, you can simply go to Security setting General tab and tick “ Allow apps downloaded from: Anywhere “. But unlike the previous version of Mac OS X, in macOS Sierra and High Sierra and above it slightly have different security setting.
Safari can download most types of files, but if you have trouble with a file, try these suggestions.
If Safari is still downloading the file, wait for it to finish. You can’t open a file while it’s being downloaded.
If the download is paused, resume it. Show the downloads list by clicking the Show Downloads button , then click the Resume button for the paused download.
If you see a message that the app can’t be opened because it’s from an unidentified developer or wasn’t downloaded from the Mac App Store, you can open the app by overriding the settings in Security & Privacy preferences.
Sometimes a download is incomplete because the file was damaged. Try downloading it again.
Make sure you have the app needed to open the file. If you do, the file may have been corrupted during the download. Delete it, then try downloading it again.
The downloaded file may be a compressed archive or disk image that contains the file you want. If the file is from a trusted site, double-click it to decompress it.
We design Mac hardware and software with advanced technologies that work together to run apps more securely, protect your data, and help keep you safe on the web. And with macOS Big Sur available as a free upgrade, it’s easy to get the most secure version of macOS for your Mac.*
Apple M1 chip.
A shared architecture for security.
The Apple M1 chip with built-in Secure Enclave brings the same powerful security capabilities of iPhone to Mac — protecting your login password, automatically encrypting your data, and powering file-level encryption so you stay safe. And the Apple M1 chip keeps macOS secure while it’s running, just as iOS has protected iPhone for years.
The best way to keep your Mac secure is to run the latest software. When new updates are available, macOS sends you a notification — or you can opt in to have updates installed automatically when your Mac is not in use. macOS checks for new updates every day and starts applying them in the background, so it’s easier and faster than ever to always have the latest and safest version.
The technically sophisticated runtime protections in macOS work at the very core of your Mac to keep your system safe from malware. This starts with state-of-the-art antivirus software built in to block and remove malware. Technologies like XD (execute disable), ASLR (address space layout randomization), and SIP (system integrity protection) make it difficult for malware to do harm, and they ensure that processes with root permission cannot change critical system files.
Now apps from both the App Store and the internet can be installed worry-free. App Review makes sure each app in the App Store is reviewed before it’s accepted. Gatekeeper on your Mac ensures that all apps from the internet have already been checked by Apple for known malicious code — before you run them the first time. If there’s ever a problem with an app, Apple can quickly stop new installations and even block the app from launching again.
Apps need your permission to access files in your Documents, Downloads, and Desktop folders as well as in iCloud Drive and external volumes. And you’ll be prompted before any app can access the camera or mic, capture keyboard activity, or take a photo or video of your screen.
With FileVault 2, your data is safe and secure — even if your Mac falls into the wrong hands. FileVault 2 encrypts the entire drive on your Mac, protecting your data with XTS-AES 128 encryption. Mac computers built on the Apple M1 chip take data protection even further by using dedicated hardware to protect your login password and enabling file-level encryption, which developers can take advantage of — just as on iPhone.
Online privacy isn’t just something you should hope for — it’s something you should expect. That’s why Safari comes with powerful privacy protection technology built in, including Intelligent Tracking Prevention that identifies trackers and helps prevent them from profiling or following you across the web. A new weekly Privacy Report on your start page shows how Safari protects you as you browse over time. Or click the Privacy Report button in your Safari toolbar for an instant snapshot of the cross-site trackers Safari is actively preventing on that web page.
Safari uses iCloud Keychain to securely store your passwords across all your devices. If it ever detects a security concern, Password Monitoring will alert you. Safari also prevents suspicious websites from loading and warns you if they’re detected. And because it runs web pages in separate processes, any harmful code is confined to a single browser tab and can’t crash the whole browser or access your data.
The Find My app can help you locate a missing Mac — even if it’s offline or sleeping — by sending out Bluetooth signals that can be detected by nearby Apple devices. These devices then relay the detected location of your Mac to iCloud so you can locate it. It’s all anonymous and encrypted end-to-end so no one — including Apple — knows the identity of any reporting device or the location of your Mac. And it all happens silently using tiny bits of data that piggyback on existing network traffic. So there’s no need to worry about your battery life, your data usage, or your privacy being compromised.
All Mac systems built on the Apple M1 chip or with the Apple T2 Security Chip support Activation Lock, just like your iPhone or iPad. So if your Mac is ever misplaced or lost, the only person who can erase and reactivate it is you.