Apple today released updated developer documentation letting developers know that as of macOS 10.14.5, all new software distributed with a new Developer ID must be notarized in order to run.

Apple plans to make notarization a default requirement for all software in the future.
apple mac notarized

Beginning in macOS 10.14.5, all new or updated kernel extensions and all software from developers new to distributing with Developer ID must be notarized in order to run. In a future version of macOS, notarization will be required by default for all software.

Notarization is a new concept introduced in macOS Mojave for apps distributed outside of the Mac App Store with the aim of protecting users from malicious Mac apps.

Mac app developers are encouraged to submit their apps to Apple to be notarized, and an Apple-notarized app includes a more streamlined Gatekeeper dialog to reassure users that an app is not known malware.

Apple provides trusted non ‌Mac App Store‌ developers with Developer IDs that are required to allow the Gatekeeper function on macOS to install non ‌Mac App Store‌ apps without extra warnings, but notarization takes it one step further.

With the new requirement in macOS 10.14.5, developers who are new to distributing Mac apps with a Developer ID will need to go through the notarization process for their apps to work on the Mac.

Apple late last year said that it would begin highlighting notarization status "more prominently" starting in spring 2019, and macOS 10.14.5 is apparently the update where that will begin happening.

The notarization process is designed for non ‌Mac App Store‌ apps and is not required for those that are submitted to the ‌Mac App Store‌. More information on notarization can be found on Apple's developer site.

Top Rated Comments

JetTester Avatar
JetTester
27 months ago
Sounds suspiciously like the last step before requiring Mac apps to be released through the App Store, just like iOS. Slippery slope!
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Internet Enzyme Avatar
Internet Enzyme
27 months ago
Sounds suspiciously like the last step before requiring Mac apps to be released through the App Store, just like iOS. Slippery slope!
Honestly i think GateKeeper is one of the most annoying piece of **** Mac things. The computer thinks im dumb. I downloaded this app because i want to use it. I do not care what you think macos. Why do you make me go to sys prefs and click through like three dialogs to open an app i willingly downloaded if i get a virus i get a virus so be it
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aaronhead14 Avatar
aaronhead14
27 months ago
While I appreciate privacy and security, this sounds like Apple trying to control what we can and can’t install on our devices. Doesn’t sound good....
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lunarworks Avatar
lunarworks
27 months ago
They got rid of the “open anywhere” option in Sierra. Apps from unidentified developers can only be opened through System Preferences. The dialog that appears when you open unidentified software doesnt give you an option to open it from the dialog anymore
Right Click. Open.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
cmaier
27 months ago
Honestly i think GateKeeper is one of the most annoying piece of **** Mac things. The computer thinks im dumb. I downloaded this app because i want to use it. I do not care what you think macos. Why do you make me go to sys prefs and click through like three dialogs to open an app i willingly downloaded if i get a virus i get a virus so be it
Most users are dumb.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
cmaier
27 months ago
Ok, so long as unsigned apps still can be forced to work, which appears to be the case.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Top Stories

tile sticker e1570533758981

Tile CEO: 'We Welcome Competition From Apple, But We Think It Needs to Be Fair'

Tuesday May 4, 2021 9:51 am PDT by
Just after Apple announced its AirTags, Tile CEO CJ Prober relayed his concerns about competing with Apple in the tracking space, and said that Tile would ask Congress to investigate Apple's business practices specific to Find My and item trackers. Prober this week did an interview with Bloomberg, where he further expanded on Tile's complaints about Apple and why he feels that Tile is...
Read Full Article • 453 comments
signal instagram ads3

Signal Shares the Instagram Ads Facebook Doesn't Want You to See

Wednesday May 5, 2021 1:29 am PDT by
Encrypted messaging app Signal has had a series of Instagram ads blocked from the social media platform, after it attempted to show users how much data the Facebook-owned company collects about them and how it's used to push targeted ads. In a blog post, Signal described how it generated the ads to show users why they were seeing them, simply by declaring upfront the information that the...
Read Full Article • 101 comments
tracking disabled ios 14 5

Analytics Suggest 96% of Users Leave App Tracking Disabled in iOS 14.5

Friday May 7, 2021 1:51 am PDT by
An early look at an ongoing analysis of Apple's App Tracking Transparency suggests that the vast majority of iPhone users are leaving app tracking disabled since the feature went live on April 26 with the release of iOS 14.5. According to the latest data from analytics firm Flurry, just 4% of iPhone users in the U.S. have actively chosen to opt into app tracking after updating their device...
Read Full Article • 173 comments
fortnite apple logo 2

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney Admits App Store's 30% Cut Is Similar to Consoles, Would Have Accepted Special Deal With Apple

Tuesday May 4, 2021 1:54 pm PDT by
Apple's legal battle with Epic Games is continuing on, and during the second day of the trial, Epic Games' CEO Tim Sweeney continued his testimony against Apple. Sweeney was grilled by Apple's lawyers, and made several points seemingly favorable to Apple. In addition to mentioning how he prefers Apple's iPhone and values Apple's privacy policies that he's aiming to dismantle, Sweeney...
Read Full Article • 209 comments
snapchat dark mode

Snapchat Rolls Out Dark Mode on iOS

Wednesday May 5, 2021 1:17 am PDT by
Nearly two years following the release of iOS and iPadOS 13, which included native, built-in, and systemwide dark mode, Snapchat, one of the world's most prominent social media networks, has finally rolled out a dark mode theme for iOS users. Snapchat began testing a dark mode theme of its app design late last year with a small group of iOS users. Now, Snapchat says that as of this week, it...
Read Full Article • 19 comments
netflix sign up

Apple Discussed 'Punitive Measures' Against Netflix for Dropping In-App Purchases

Wednesday May 5, 2021 11:03 am PDT by
As the Epic Games v. Apple trial progresses into its third day, Apple's internal documents and communications with various companies are continuing to surface, giving us some insight into the dealings that Apple has had around the App Store. Back in December 2018, Netflix stopped offering in-app subscription options for new or resubscribing members and instead began requiring them to sign up ...
Read Full Article • 427 comments
iphone 12 preorder purple

Apple Begins Transition to Randomized Serial Numbers With Purple iPhone 12

Wednesday May 5, 2021 9:17 am PDT by
MacRumors previously reported about Apple's plan to switch to randomized serial numbers for future products starting in early 2021, and this transition has now started with the new purple iPhone 12 model in multiple countries. With assistance from Aaron Zollo, host of the YouTube channel ZolloTech, we can confirm that the purple iPhone 12 released last month has a new 10-character serial...
Read Full Article • 82 comments
airtag 1

AirTag Anti-Stalking Measures 'Just Aren't Sufficient' Says Washington Post Report

Wednesday May 5, 2021 6:03 pm PDT by
The safeguards that Apple built into AirTags to prevent them from being used to track someone "just aren't sufficient," The Washington Post's Geoffrey Fowler said today in a report investigating how AirTags can be used for covert stalking. Fowler planted an AirTag on himself and teamed up with a colleague to be pretend stalked, and he came to the conclusion that the AirTags are a "new means...
Read Full Article • 414 comments
iphone 13 pro max dummy notch

iPhone 13 Pro Max Dummy Model Depicts Smaller Notch

Tuesday May 4, 2021 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's iPhone 13 models are expected to feature a slimmed down notch, marking the first major change to the TrueDepth camera system since it was introduced in the 2017 iPhone X. We're still months away from the launch of the iPhone 13, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy managed to get an iPhone 13 Pro Max dummy model that represents what we can expect from the new 2021 device. Dummy...
Read Full Article • 137 comments
iPad Pro July Shipping

12.9-Inch iPad Pro Now Delivers as Late as Mid-July

Wednesday May 5, 2021 7:10 am PDT by
While the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro is set to launch in the second half of May, orders placed today are estimated for delivery as late as mid-July on Apple's online store in the United States — some two months later. The new 11-inch iPad Pro is faring better so far, with some configurations available for delivery in the last week of May. The new 12.9-inch iPad Pro features a Liquid Retina XDR ...
Read Full Article • 78 comments