Fix: “Cannot Be Opened Because The Developer Cannot Be Verified” Error

Apps developed by untrustworthy developers or from unreliable sources can be used to steal your data and cause harm to your system. To restrict this, Mac operating system has laid out some strong layers of security that doesn’t allow apps with no reliable source to run or install.

The “Cannot Be Opened Because The Developer Cannot Be Verified” Error is part of that security layer that only lets you install the apps only from the App store or some verified developer.

This can be a problem if you want to run your own native Mac application that hasn’t been verified by Apple. There are also apps that are trustworthy but are not registered in Mac’s app libraries and, therefore, cannot be used.

Thus, today, we will recommend some methods for running those applications that you were previously unable to run due to the Developer Cannot Be Verified error.

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Reasons for “Cannot Be Opened Because The Developer Cannot Be Verified” Error

Here are some of the conditions under which the Mac OS restricts the user from installing or running an application, and the “Cannot Be Opened Because The Developer Cannot Be Verified” error message pops up.

If Security Preference has been set to install the apps only from the Store.
If the App is Malicious.
If the App isn’t notarized.
If installing the app will override system security.

Ways to Fix “Cannot Be Opened Because The Developer Cannot Be Verified” Error

It is always recommended that you download the apps from the Mac App store or other reliable sources. The apps on the Mac store can be easily installed and run without encountering the“Cannot be Opened Because the Developer Cannot Be Verified” error.

You might be able to find an alternative app, if not the exact one, from the store. These apps are certified by Apple and are safe to use, unlike the applications with no trusted source.

If you can’t find a relevant app in the store, use these methods to get the unverified app working and get rid of the error.

Allow the App from Settings

Mac OS, by default, sets the access privilege for the application downloaded only from the App Store and certified developers. If you are not able to run any application because of its source, You can force allow it from the Mac settings.

Go to Settings.
Go to Security and Privacy.
Click on the Lock icon at the bottom of the Security and privacy window.
Enter the user credentials and click on Unlock
In the Allow apps downloaded from section, find the app’s name and click on Allow.
Give the final confirmation by clicking on Open. This will open the app without any pop-ups.

Note: Change the app permissions as suggested above only if you are sure that the app poses no risk to your system or data.

Using Mac’s Terminal

The method we just discussed was a quick fix to get around Mac OS’s security check. While installing another unverified app, the operating system will again restrict you, forcing you to repeat the previous process.

To avoid this hassle, you can use this method to fix the problem permanently and run any application without the Mac OS checking its source.

Go to the Finder.
Go to Applications > Utility folder
Double-click on the Terminal to open it.
Now, type this command and hit enter.
sudo spctl --master-disable
Enter the password of your Mac device.
Now, click on the Settings icon on the Dock.
Go to Security & Privacy.
Go to the General tab and then click on the lock icon.
Enter the user credentials and click on Unlock.
From the Allow apps download section, choose the Anywhere option.
Now, try installing the apps that the OS restricted earlier.

Note: This method will bypass the security restrictions laid out by the Mac OS. This could lead to the installation of potentially harmful software too.