How to Use Gatekeeper to Safely Download and Install Apps from the Web

Gatekeeper has been the front line of defence against malware by Apple and it comes automatically loaded in to a MacBook Pro. What this app does is stop any software or other items from being downloaded and used if it senses the presence of a virus or any other kind of malware. However, a search for ‘gatekeeper’ in the settings window will not turn up anything. The normal question at this point is then how can one use it or set up preferences within it.

Follow the steps to below to understand this:

Step 1
Open the 'System Preferences' tab on your MacBook pro and click on the 'Security and Privacy' option.

Step 2
There will be a setting titled ‘Allow applications downloaded from’ with a check box beside it. This is basically what the Gatekeeper function is.

Step 3
This setting is protected by the administrator privacy lock and therefore you will not be able to check the box like for other options. Rather, there will be a lock icon at the left bottom corner of the dialog box. Click on this icon and another dialog box will open where you will need to enter the 'Username' and 'Password'.

Step 4
Once you have done this, the Gatekepper box can be ticked with 3 different options available. The first option is to allow downloads from Mac App store, the second one will allow downloads from any developer identified by Apple, and the last option will allow downloads from all sources identified or otherwise. Needless to say, selecting the last option will lead to your MacBook being the least protected and therefore should be used with extreme caution.

Step 5
Once the process is complete, click on the lock symbol once again to not allow anyone else to change these settings.