Mac 911

Solutions to your most vexing Mac problems.

- GLENN FLEISHMAN

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU CAN'T OPEN AN APP YOU JUST INSTALLED IN MACOS SEQUOIA

In macOS Sequoia, Apple has added another stumbling block to launching software that has not gone through Apple's baseline vetting process for apps. Generally, this can be a good thing, preventing naive users from accidentally installing malware or privacy-invading software. However, for users who rely on software created by people who don't work within the lines painted by Apple and its App Store, here's what you need to know.

The Gatekeeper feature in macOS (fave.co/3qflqix) is something you never see called by that name. It's designed to ensure that only certain apps can run on your Mac, even though macOS can execute any correctly constructed software for the platform. The only visible control is in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Security, where you can choose one of two options from the "Allow applications from" menu: App Store, or App Store & Known Developers. (See "How to open a Mac app from an unidentified developer," fave.co/4e0cpNe).

There's a third category that Apple eliminated from this list in macOS years ago. (The menu used to appear as radio buttons in a different System Preferences pane.) Those are apps where the programmer chose not to pay the annual fee for an Apple Developer account, or they have such an account, but didn't run the app through a vetting system Apple uses that's a big step below the App Store's review process.