In a corporate world, it is common that your company administrators will create customized apps for your Mac: if this is the case, go ahead and install it. There are risks involved in opening apps from unverified publishers, however, if you have the knowledge and you trust the publisher, then feel free to open and install the app. Is It Safe to Open an App macOS Cannot Verify? If you try to install an app from a third-party developer that is not on the App Store, Gatekeeper won’t be able to recognize the app publisher and at the same time won’t be able to verify that this app is free from malware. This is a good way to ensure no malicious apps can be installed by unauthorized publishers. It allows the Mac to check if the app developer is legitimate and that their apps are safe to run on Mac.

Mac has a built-in security feature called Gatekeeper. Source: Reddit Why Does My Mac Say “macOS Cannot Verify That This App Is Free from Malware”? In this article we will show you how to fix “app can’t be opened because the developer cannot be verified” error.

However, some legitimate apps can also have issues with Apple’s authorization. If you attempt to open an app on your Mac and the system shows the notification “ macOS cannot verify that this app is free from malware”, it means that the Apple Store hasn’t authorized the application and it might not be safe to use.

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