How to disable Gatekeeper on macOS Using Terminal

You are on this page because you need to install a third party app, but for some reason your Macbook does not allow it. Why? Gatekeeper is there for a reason to keep you from installing unathorized apps that may harm your Mac.

Ideally, you would want to keep your Gatekeeper activated, but sometimes for many pro users, you need to turn it off once in a while to install some third party apps.

Here’s how you do it.

Launch terminal by going to your application folder. Type in:

sudo spctl --master-disable

Hit Enter. You should be prompted to enter your password. Notice that while you are typing, nothing is being typed into the command line. That is completely normal. Just key in your password and press enter.

Once you have done installing the third party apps and making sure everything works perfectly. Do not forget to turn on your gatekeeper again. On terminal, type in:

sudo spctl --master-enable

If you are unsure whether your gatekeeper is turn on or not, simply key in:

spctl --status

It should report either ‘assessments disabled‘ or enabled.

Hope that helps! Let us know in the comment if you’ve found another way to disable gatekeeper on the Mac.