by

Macos Install Apps From Anywhere

macOS High Sierra is a great update and brings lots of new and much needed improvements but that doesn’t mean that some of the changes can’t be annoying.

Back in the day when Apple releases the final version of the macOS Sierra on 20 September 2016 ago. The next day I quickly download and upgrade my Mac OS and do some tests and tweak on it. I notice there is a problem when I try to install some of the apps that not officially approved by Apple. Apps from anywhere else: Apps that aren’t acquired from the Mac App Store and aren’t signed with a developer ID fall into this last category. Apple considers these the least secure, but it doesn’t mean an app is untrustworthy–after all, Mac apps that haven’t been updated in years may not be properly signed.

For example, just like in macOS Sierra, one of the changes that Gatekeeper comes with is that there’s no immediate way to allow unsigned apps to open.

Up until now, Gatekeeper also allowed you to open apps downloaded from “Anywhere” but that’s no longer the case. Of course you can still open unsigned apps, but it’s a pain in the ass.

Let’s say you want to open a free app like Audacity. Open it and you will get this pop-up…

Ok, nothing new here. This was present in previous OS X version too. However, in previous versions you always had the option to set OS X and allow unsigned apps from “Anywhere”.

In macOS High Sierra that option is missing and, you will always have to go to System Preferences>Security & Privacy> and click on a new button that says “Open Anyway”.

Luckily there’s an easy fix for this:
1. Open up Terminal, type “sudo spctl –master-disable”( no quotes ), and hit enter ( NOTE: you might not be able to copy – paste the command in the terminal. See the screenshot below to make sure you enter it correctly )

2. Type in your password ( you won’t be able to see what you’re typing ), and hit enter

3. You’re done.

Macos App Store

Now you can go to Preferences>Security & Privacy and choose “Anywhere”


NOTE: if you want, for some reason, to go back to the way macOS High Sierra wants it all you have to do is repeat all the steps above but instead of “disable” change it to “enable”. ( i.e. “sudo spctl –master-enable” )

These advanced steps are primarily for system administrators and others who are familiar with the command line. You don't need a bootable installer to upgrade macOS or reinstall macOS, but it can be useful when you want to install on multiple computers without downloading the installer each time.

What you need to create a bootable installer

  • A USB flash drive or other secondary volume, formatted as Mac OS Extended, with at least 12GB of available storage
  • A downloaded installer for macOS Big Sur, Catalina, Mojave, High Sierra, or El Capitan

Download macOS

  • Download: macOS Big Sur, macOS Catalina, macOS Mojave, or macOS High Sierra
    These download to your Applications folder as an app named Install macOS [version name]. If the installer opens after downloading, quit it without continuing installation. To get the correct installer, download from a Mac that is using macOS Sierra 10.12.5 or later, or El Capitan 10.11.6. Enterprise administrators, please download from Apple, not a locally hosted software-update server.
  • Download: OS X El Capitan
    This downloads as a disk image named InstallMacOSX.dmg. On a Mac that is compatible with El Capitan, open the disk image and run the installer within, named InstallMacOSX.pkg. It installs an app named Install OS X El Capitan into your Applications folder. You will create the bootable installer from this app, not from the disk image or .pkg installer.
Macos app store

Use the 'createinstallmedia' command in Terminal

  1. Connect the USB flash drive or other volume that you're using for the bootable installer.
  2. Open Terminal, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
  3. Type or paste one of the following commands in Terminal. These assume that the installer is in your Applications folder, and MyVolume is the name of the USB flash drive or other volume you're using. If it has a different name, replace MyVolume in these commands with the name of your volume.

Big Sur:*

Catalina:*

Mojave:*

High Sierra:*

El Capitan:

* If your Mac is using macOS Sierra or earlier, include the --applicationpath argument and installer path, similar to the way this is done in the command for El Capitan.


After typing the command:

  1. Press Return to enter the command.
  2. When prompted, type your administrator password and press Return again. Terminal doesn't show any characters as you type your password.
  3. When prompted, type Y to confirm that you want to erase the volume, then press Return. Terminal shows the progress as the bootable installer is created.
  4. When Terminal says that it's done, the volume will have the same name as the installer you downloaded, such as Install macOS Catalina. You can now quit Terminal and eject the volume.

Use the bootable installer

Macos Install Apps From Anywhere Windows 10

After creating the bootable installer, follow these steps to use it:

  1. Plug the bootable installer into a Mac that is connected to the internet and compatible with the version of macOS you're installing.
  2. Press and hold the Option (Alt) ⌥ key immediately after turning on or restarting your Mac.
  3. Release the Option key when you see a dark screen showing your bootable volumes.
    If you can't start up from the bootable installer, make sure that the External Boot setting in Startup Security Utility is set to allow booting from external media.
  4. Choose your language, if prompted.
  5. Select Install macOS (or Install OS X) from the Utilities window, then click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions.

Learn more

Macos Install Apps From Anywhere Android

For more information about the createinstallmedia command and the arguments that you can use with it, make sure that the macOS installer is in your Applications folder, then enter the appropriate path in Terminal:

Macos Install Apps From Anywhere Mac

  • Big Sur: /Applications/Install macOS Big Sur.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia
  • Catalina: /Applications/Install macOS Catalina.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia
  • Mojave: /Applications/Install macOS Mojave.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia
  • High Sierra: /Applications/Install macOS High Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia
  • El Capitan: /Applications/Install OS X El Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia