Can’t Be Opened Because Apple Cannot Check It for Malicious Software

Malware is something that you want to avoid at all costs on your device. At best, it’ll slow down your computer. But at worst, you could find yourself in danger of identity theft, hacking, and other threats. So, if you see a “can’t be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software” message when trying to open an app, I can understand why you’d feel concerned.

But before you panic, it’s worth knowing that this doesn’t always mean you’re at risk. Firstly, you can bypass this restriction. Secondly, the app might not be malware; it just means that the Gatekeeper feature can’t verify whether it’s safe to open.

To help you safely stop this problem from impacting your daily workflow, I’ll show you why this happens and all the ways you can bypass this restriction.  

Before we start:

While you can manually get past this problem, the easiest way to ensure that it doesn’t happen again is to use antivirus software. For example, MacKeeper’s Antivirus solution keeps your computer protected around the clock. You can quickly quarantine and remove any detected malware, too.

Follow these steps to install MacKeeper’s Antivirus and activate real-time protection.  

1. Download MacKeeper.
2. Go to Security > Antivirus > Launch Antivirus.  
3. Click on Next once you’ve enabled antivirus protection.  
4. Select Enable next to the real-time protection prompt.  
5. Open your System Preferences/Settings and enter your computer login details.  
6. Allow all programs associated with MacKeeper.  
7. Relaunch MacKeeper and select Enable again next to the real-time protection prompt.  

Reasons for “can’t be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software” error

You’ll typically encounter this issue when Apple’s Gatekeeper solution can’t confirm who developed the app. It’ll also appear if an app hasn’t been notarized by Apple. In some cases, it’s possible that you don’t have permission to open the application.  

How to fix if app cannot be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software

While accidentally downloading malware is possible, your Mac can’t check for malicious software because of issues with the app itself in many cases. So, if you check for viruses and remove malware from your Mac but still notice this problem, you can try numerous other things.

You can try each of these, for example:

1. Use the right-click method.
2. Make changes in Security & Privacy.
3. Update your macOS.
4. Turn off Gatekeeper.
5. Use Terminal.
6. Delete the file’s extended file attribute.

1. Use right-click method

In the past, I’ve used the right-click method when an app cannot be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software. It’s also helpful if you don’t have permission to open the application.

Here’s how to use the right-click method:  

1. Go to Finder > Applications.
2. Hover your cursor over the app you want to open and press control and your trackpad.
3. Select Open. The app should then open within a few seconds.

2. Make changes in Security & Privacy

I’ve sometimes been unable to open an app because I didn’t grant system access. So, if right-clicking didn’t work, I recommend next checking your Security & Privacy settings.

1. Go to Apple menu > System Settings.
2. Select Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access.
3. Toggle the app on, before closing and reopening it. You should now have access.

A note from our experts: 

If you’re worried that you’ll accidentally enable malware, consider using MacKeeper’s Antivirus. The software will keep your device protected in real time.

Here’s how to enable MacKeeper’s Antivirus solution:  

1. In MacKeeper, navigate to Security > Antivirus and select Launch Antivirus.
2. Click on Next and select Enable next to Real-time protection is disabled.  
3. Select Open Preferences.  
4. Allow all programs associated with MacKeeper; you may need to enter your password or use Touch ID.  
5. Go back into MacKeeper and click on Open Preferences again.  
6. Toggle on all MacKeeper-related programs that you haven’t already.  
7. Quit and reopen MacKeeper.  
8. Go back to Security > Antivirus and select Enable next to Real-time protection is disabled.  

3. Update your macOS

Most of the time, I can fix bugs and glitches—along with removing malware—through updating my macOS software. While time-consuming, the steps to do so are very straightforward:

1. Go to Apple menu > System Settings and select General.
2. Click on Software Update and wait for your Mac to find an update.
3. If it finds one, select Update Now.
4. Confirm that you agree with Apple’s licensing agreement and wait for the software to update.

4. Turn off Gatekeeper

I don’t recommend turning off Gatekeeper because it adds an extra layer of security, even if you have antivirus enabled. You should only do so if you know for sure that the app isn’t malware (e.g., you downloaded it from the official website). If you choose to go against my friendly warning, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to System Settings > Privacy & Security and go to the Security tab.
2. Look for Allow applications from and expand the dropdown menu.
3. Select Anywhere.

Important: Sometimes, you won’t see the Anywhere option. If so, our next section is exactly for you.

5. Use Terminal

You should use Terminal if you don’t see the Anywhere option in your System Settings. Here’s how:

1. Open Terminal by going to Spotlight and searching for it.
2. Enter the following command: sudo spctl --master-disable, hit the Enter key, and enter your password.
3. Go back to System Settings > Privacy & Security. You should now see that you can use apps from anywhere.

6. Delete the file’s extended file attribute

Another way to solve this problem is by deleting the extended file attribute. This is also possible in Terminal; enter xattr -d com.apple.quarantine filepath and hit Enter.  

Use these tips if you can’t open your Mac programs

While Apple Gatekeeper is great for keeping our devices safe, it becomes annoying if you know an app isn’t dangerous but you can’t open it. Thankfully, if an app can’t be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software, you can perform several actions like updating macOS and adjusting your Privacy & Security settings.

To ensure that you don’t encounter issues with malware, downloading third-party software—such as MacKeeper’s Antivirus—is a good idea.