Gatekeeper on macOS helps protect users from downloading and installing malicious software by checking for a Developer ID certificate. Make sure to sign any apps, plug-ins, or installer packages that you distribute outside of the Mac App Store to let Gatekeeper know they’re safe to install. And now, you can give users even more confidence in your apps running on macOS Mojave by submitting them to Apple to be notarized.
If you distribute Mac apps, plug-ins, and installer packages outside of the Mac App Store, you can get a unique Developer ID from Apple to digitally sign your software. The Developer ID certificate lets Gatekeeper verify that you’re a trusted developer. Software signed with a Developer ID can also take advantage of advanced capabilities such as CloudKit and push notifications.
Sign your application with a Developer ID certificate, which can be generated with Xcode or in the Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles section of your account.
If you need to sign a Kernel extension with a Developer ID certificate, let us know.
Available in macOS Mojave
You can submit your apps to Apple to be notarized before distribution. When users on macOS Mojave first open a notarized app, they’ll see a more streamlined Gatekeeper dialog and have confidence that the app is not known malware. Notarized apps are signed with a Developer ID certificate and include a ticket from Apple.
Learn how to get your app notarized
Learn how to export your app from Xcode
To build your apps for macOS Mojave and submit them to be notarized, use Xcode 10 beta and macOS Mojave beta.