macOS uses a security framework called Gatekeeper to verify that all software installed on your computer comes from an identified, Apple-approved developer. If you download an open-source application from GitHub, or a legacy tool built by a solo developer who cannot afford Apple’s annual developer fees, Gatekeeper will aggressively block the app from launching, displaying a warning that it “cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified.”
Historically, Apple allowed users to bypass this by simply selecting “Anywhere” in the System Preferences. In modern versions like macOS Sequoia and Sonoma, Apple has completely hidden the “Anywhere” option, forcing you to manually right-click and authorize every single unverified app one by one. For developers, power users, and open-source advocates who download software from outside the Mac App Store constantly, this is incredibly tedious. You can permanently restore the “Anywhere” option and globally disable Gatekeeper using a simple Terminal command.
Disabling Gatekeeper via Terminal (spctl)
You must use the macOS system policy control utility (spctl) to force the operating system to disable its master assessment subsystem.
- Open the Terminal application on your Mac (located in Applications > Utilities, or search for it using Spotlight).
- Copy the following command exactly as it is written, paste it into the Terminal, and press Enter:
sudo spctl --master-disable - The terminal will prompt you for your administrator password. Type it in (the characters will remain invisible for security) and press Enter.
- If the command was successful, the terminal will drop down to a new, empty command prompt without showing any confirmation message.
Verifying the Anywhere Option in Settings
Now that Gatekeeper is globally disabled, you can verify that the classic “Anywhere” option has returned to your macOS settings.
- Click the Apple Logo in the top-left corner and select System Settings….
- Scroll down the left-hand sidebar and click on Privacy & Security.
- Scroll down the main panel until you find the Security section.
- Look under the heading that says “Allow applications downloaded from:”.
- You will see that a third option, Anywhere, has magically reappeared and is already selected.
From this point forward, macOS will behave like a traditional desktop operating system. When you download a new app from the internet and double-click it, it will simply launch immediately, without ever checking in with Apple’s developer certificate servers.
Note: If you ever update macOS and notice the Anywhere option has vanished again (major updates sometimes reset this policy), simply run the terminal command again. To re-enable Gatekeeper manually, use sudo spctl --master-enable.