How To Fix “Cannot Be Opened Because The Developer Cannot Be Verified” Error On Mac Server

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.

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 isn’t notarized.
• If installing the app will override system security.

In this article, we will show you some ways to fix this 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.

1. Go to Settings.

2. Go to Security and Privacy.

3. In the General, click on the Lock icon at the bottom of the Security and Privacy window.

4. Enter the user credentials and click on Unlock

5. Select the “App Store and identified developer” button. Then try again

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.

1. Go to the Finder.

2. Go to Applications > Utility folder

3. Double-click on the Terminal to open it.

4. Now, type this command and hit enter.

sudo spctl --master-disable

You can check if the command line has been executed by typing this in.

spctl --status

5. Go to the General tab and then click on the lock icon

6. Enter the user credentials and click on Unlock.

7. 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.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article will be helpful for you. Good luck!