🚀 How to Open Unverified Apps on macOS: MarkText Example
If you’ve ever tried launching an app like MarkText on macOS and saw the warning:
“The application can’t be opened because the developer cannot be verified”
— don’t worry. You’re not alone, and yes, there’s a safe way around it.
In this article, I’ll show you how to launch unverified but trusted applications like MarkText, step-by-step.
🔒 Why Does macOS Block Some Apps?
macOS has a security feature called Gatekeeper that only allows apps from:
- The Mac App Store
- Verified developers registered with Apple
This is great for security but can block open-source tools and smaller projects — even if they’re totally safe.
✅ Option 1: Allow Once via System Settings
Here’s how to bypass the block and launch an app manually:
-
Try to launch the app — you’ll get a warning popup.
-
Open System Settings → Privacy & Security
-
Scroll down and find the section saying:
“MarkText was blocked from use because it is not from an identified developer.”
-
Click Allow Anyway
-
Go back and right-click the app icon, then select Open
-
This time, you’ll get a new popup with an Open button. Click it.
That’s it — your app will now launch!
🧑💻 Option 2: Use Terminal to Bypass Gatekeeper (Power Users)
If you’re comfortable with Terminal, here’s a quick command to remove the "quarantine" flag that macOS adds when downloading apps from the internet:
sudo xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine /Applications/MarkText.app
🧠 Tip: If your app is located somewhere else (like Downloads), adjust the path accordingly.
This command tells macOS: “Hey, I trust this app — stop treating it like malware.”
⚠️ A Word of Caution
Only bypass Gatekeeper for software from trusted sources like GitHub or official project websites. If you’re not 100% sure an app is safe, don’t ignore the warning — it’s there for your protection.
💡 Conclusion
You now know how to safely launch unverified apps like MarkText on your Mac. Whether you prefer the GUI route or the terminal method, you’re back in control.
Let your creativity flow — Markdown away! 😉