Gatekeeper is a security feature that is included in the macOS operating system. It is designed to protect your Mac from malicious software and other attacks. When Gatekeeper is enabled, it prevents any software from being installed on your Mac that is not from the Mac App Store or from identified developers. This is an excellent feature for those who want to keep their computers safe and secure. However, some users may want to completely disable Gatekeeper for various reasons. In this article, we will discuss how to completely disable Gatekeeper in macOS.

Step 1: Turn off Gatekeeper in System Preferences

The first way to completely disable Gatekeeper is by turning it off in System Preferences. Here are the steps:

1. Click on the Apple menu in the top left corner of your Mac’s screen.
2. Choose “System Preferences” from the drop-down menu.
3. Click on “Security & Privacy” from the System Preferences window.
4. Click on the “General” tab at the top of the Security & Privacy window.
5. In the “Allow apps downloaded from:” section at the bottom, choose “Anywhere.”
6. You will be prompted to confirm this change. Click on “Allow From Anywhere” and enter your admin password.
7. Close the Security & Privacy window.

Your Gatekeeper settings are now disabled. This means that you can now install any software on your Mac, whether it comes from the Mac App Store, identified developers, or from unknown sources.

Step 2: Use the Terminal to Disable Gatekeeper

Another way to completely disable Gatekeeper in macOS is by using the Terminal. Here are the steps:

1. Open the Terminal app on your Mac. You can find it in the Utilities folder, which is located in the Applications folder.
2. Type the following command in the Terminal window:

sudo spctl –master-disable

3. Press the Enter key on your keyboard. You will need to enter your admin password when prompted.
4. Close the Terminal window.

This should completely disable Gatekeeper on your Mac.

Step 3: Enable Gatekeeper again

If at any point you want to enable Gatekeeper again, you can follow the same steps outlined above for System Preferences or Terminal. Instead of choosing “Anywhere” or entering the Terminal command for disabling Gatekeeper, choose “Mac App Store and identified developers” or enter the Terminal command:

sudo spctl –master-enable