How to Allow Apps to Be Downloaded on a Mac

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: February 26, 2018

To allow apps to be downloaded on a Mac, click on the Apple menu → Click on "System Preferences" → Click on "Security & Privacy" → Click on "General" → Click on the Padlock icon → Enter admin credentials → Click on the radio button next to "App store and identified developers."

Steps

1
Click on the Apple menu. It's the black, apple-shaped icon in the upper-left of your screen.
2
Click on System Preferences.
3
Click on Security & Privacy. It's at the top of the preferences window.
- If all of the System Preferences icons are not visible, click on ⋮⋮⋮⋮ in the top bar of the dialog box.
4
Click on General. It's near the top of the dialog box.
5
Click on the Padlock icon. It's in the lower-left of the dialog box.
6
Enter admin credentials. Only an administrator can make changes to your Mac's security and privacy settings.
7
Click on the radio button next to "App store and identified developers." It's in the bottom half of the dialog box below "Allow apps downloaded from."
8
Click on the padlock icon. This saves your changes. Your Mac now allows apps to be downloaded.
9