There are all kinds of security problems you will encounter on a Mac, and that’s why Apple integrated a lot of unique ways to prevent app downloads from insecure locations. However, in doing so, they might be stopping real downloads from good sites that just don’t have adequate protocols handled just yet. And it can be a very good idea to allow app downloads from anywhere, if you can do so. The truth is that yes, it’s possible, and here’s what you need to know.
What does it mean to download apps from anywhere?
The idea is that you will be able to download apps that don’t come from the app store, and which were created by unidentified developers. Apple tries to force people to stick to the app store because that’s where they verify everything. They can’t guarantee a third-party site or tool to download secure apps, because they never checked it. That does not mean the app you want to download is not secure. It just shows Apple did not check yet, so that’s something to keep in mind.
Downloading apps from anywhere
Before Sierra, it was easy to download apps from anywhere. You went to the general Security and Privacy settings, and then you had to choose Anywhere in the Allow apps to be downloaded from marker. However, things are a tad more difficult these days.
- You must enter the Terminal, you can press Command+Space in the Spotlight as well, it will deliver the same results.
- Write “sudo spctl –master-disable” and then you will need to press Return. You will have to add in your password here.
- In the System Settings/Privacy and Security/Security you want to see what apps are allowed to be downloaded from the app store. Press the option Anywhere here, so any apps can be downloaded and the Mac won’t stop you from accessing those files.
Of course, if later on you want to stop this for any reason, you use the same command in the Terminal, but instead of disable you write enable. And that will revert things to the way they were. It’s a very good idea to take your time and study all the pros and cons for this, so you can avoid any issues down the line.
Bypassing Gatekeeper
If you want to open a restricted app, you can Bypass the Gatekeeper tool. Enter the Applications folder and here you want to Control+Click on an app that you want to open. From the new menu, choose Open. It might seem rather simple, but what you will notice is that you can easily bypass any issue and open the app, regardless of where it came from. That’s a good approach, especially if you are opening a lot of apps that are not from the App store.
Check the Mac for hidden apps in the background
That’s the problem, you might have hidden apps in the background, and that’s why having a dedicated tool for that will help a lot. Figuring out how to check on Mac is handy, and it’s only going to make things better. A cleanup tool will help with that, since it can show login and background items. And thus, you will know the stuff that’s lurking in the background, and you will be able to deal with this issue in a very cohesive and consistent manner.
Is it safe to disable the Mac OS safeguards?
Naturally, there’s a reason why Apple tries to keep people within their ecosystem. Aside from financial reasons, they also end up checking all the apps they allow on the app store. So you will always know that they are safe and you don’t need to worry about malware. The thing is, a lot of the time you will find malware in Mac OS apps acquired from random places.
Apple’s focus is to keep users safe, and by having a complete ecosystem they check and control, they are able to do that. Of course, they can’t force people to get stuff solely from Apple. And that’s why the option to access apps from other places is there, but not by default. Yet once you modify these things, it will make everything a whole lot easier.
Conclusion
In the end, it’s very important to know how to do those Mac checkups and ensure that you can download apps from anywhere, if you need so. Keep in mind that you should have a good security tool installed and ensure that everything is working flawlessly. Not only will it make things better in the end, but it will also provide a very cohesive result. Use it as an advantage, as you always want to have a good set of tools installed to ensure your Mac’s protection. Once you do that, you can download stuff from anywhere and not worry about security concerns!
