Gatekeeper warning on Mac when opening StoreViewer
Last updated: June 2026
Time to complete: Under 1 minute
In this article
What you're seeing
When you try to open StoreViewer for the first time, macOS may display one of the following messages:
- *"StoreViewer cannot be opened because it is from an unidentified developer"*
- *"StoreViewer cannot be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software"*
- *"StoreViewer is damaged and can't be opened"*
This is a macOS security feature called Gatekeeper. It's a one-time prompt and is straightforward to bypass.
Why this happens
macOS Gatekeeper checks whether apps are signed with an Apple Developer certificate and notarised by Apple before allowing them to open. StoreViewer is currently in the process of obtaining full Apple notarisation. Until that process is complete, Gatekeeper will flag the app on first open.
This does not mean the app is unsafe. It means Apple hasn't yet verified it through their automated notarisation process.
How to open StoreViewer anyway
- In Finder, navigate to your Applications folder
- Right-click (or Control-click) on the StoreViewer icon
- Select Open from the context menu
- A dialog will appear asking if you're sure — click Open
StoreViewer will open normally. You only need to do this once — from now on, double-clicking the app will open it without any warning.
If you've already tried to open StoreViewer and been blocked:
- Go to Apple menu → System Settings → Privacy & Security
- Scroll down to the Security section
- You'll see a message saying StoreViewer was blocked — click Open Anyway
- Enter your Mac password if prompted
- Click Open in the confirmation dialog
Again, you only need to do this once.
The "damaged and can't be opened" variant
If you see the message about the app being "damaged", this is typically caused by macOS quarantine attributes being applied to the download. To remove them:
- Open Terminal (find it in Applications → Utilities)
- Run the following command:
xattr -cr /Applications/StoreViewer.app- Press Enter, then try opening StoreViewer again
If Terminal asks for your password, enter it and press Enter (you won't see the characters as you type — this is normal).
A note on security
We understand that bypassing a security warning requires a degree of trust. StoreViewer does not make any outbound network requests other than loading the URLs you configure and contacting the Lemon Squeezy license server to validate your key. It does not collect data, phone home, or modify any files outside its own application support directory. Full notarisation is on our roadmap and will remove this prompt entirely in a future release.
Need help? Email sales [at] storeviewer.app