Running Godot apps on macOS

See also Exporting for macOS first. By default, macOS will run only applications that are signed and notarized. Depending on the way a macOS app is signed and distributed, the following scenarios are possible:

App is signed, notarized and distributed via App Store

Note App developers need to join the Apple Developer Program, and configure signing and notarization options during export, then upload the app to the App Store. The app should run out of the box, without extra user interaction required.

App is signed, notarized and distributed outside App Store

Note App developers need to join the Apple Developer Program, and configure signing and notarization options during export, then distribute the app as “.DMG” or “.ZIP” archive. When you run the app for the first time, the following dialog is displayed: Open to start the app. If you see the following warning dialog, your Mac is set up to allow apps only from the App Store. System Preferences, click Security & Privacy, then click General, unlock settings, and select App Store and identified developers.

App is signed (including ad-hoc signatures) but not notarized

Note App developer used self-signed certificate or ad-hoc signing (default Godot behavior for exported project). When you run the app for the first time, the following dialog is displayed: To run this app, you can temporarily override Gatekeeper:

• System Preferences, click Security & Privacy, then click General, and click Open Anyway.
• Open from the menu.
• Open in the confirmation dialog. -

  App is not-signed, executable is linker-signed

  Note App is built using official export templates, but it is not signed. When you run the app for the first time, the following dialog is displayed: To run this app, you should remove the quarantine extended file attribute manually:
• Terminal.app (press Cmd + Space, and enter Terminal).
• Navigate to the folder containing the target application. cd path_to_the_app_folder command, e.g. cd ~/Downloads/ if it’s in the Downloads folder.
• xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "Unsigned Game.app" (including quotation marks and .app extension).

  Neither app not executable is signed (relevant for Apple Silicon macs only)

  Note App is built using custom export templates, compiled using OSXCross, and it is not signed at all. When you run the app for the first time, the following dialog is displayed: To run this app, you can ad-hoc sign it yourself:
• Xcode for the App Store, start it and confirm command line tools installation.
• Terminal.app (press Cmd + Space, and enter Terminal).
• Navigate to the folder containing the target application. cd path_to_the_app_folder command, e.g. cd ~/Downloads/ if it’s in the Downloads folder.
• Run the following commands: xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "Unsigned Game.app" (including quotation marks and “.app” extension). codesign -s - --force --deep "Unsigned Game.app" (including quotation marks and “.app” extension).