Fix App Is Damaged and Can't Be Opened in macOS 13

The "App is damaged and can't be opened" error in macOS 13 Ventura is a security safeguard triggered by Gatekeeper when an application lacks proper developer notarization or has a corrupted quarantine attribute. This guide provides direct, step-by-step methods to bypass this restriction, including clearing the quarantine attribute via Terminal, approving the app through macOS System Settings, and enabling downloads from unidentified developers.

Method 1: Remove the Quarantine Attribute via Terminal

When you download an application outside the Mac App Store, macOS assigns an extended file attribute named com.apple.quarantine. Removing this attribute allows the app to launch normally.

  1. Close the error dialog.

  2. Open Terminal (press Cmd + Space, type "Terminal", and press Return).

  3. Enter the following command, but do not press enter yet:

    xattr -cr

    (Ensure there is a space after -cr)

  4. Open your Applications folder in Finder.

  5. Drag and drop the problematic application icon into the Terminal window to automatically paste its exact file path. The command should look similar to this:

    xattr -cr /Applications/ExampleApp.app

  6. Press Return.

  7. Try launching the application again.

If the command fails due to permission restrictions, run it with administrator privileges:

sudo xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine /Applications/ExampleApp.app

Enter your Mac's password when prompted (the characters will not appear on the screen) and press Return.

Method 2: Allow the App in Privacy & Security Settings

macOS Ventura sometimes logs the blocked app in System Settings, giving you an option to open it explicitly.

  1. Click the Apple menu () in the top-left corner and select System Settings.
  2. In the sidebar, select Privacy & Security.
  3. Scroll down to the Security section.
  4. Locate the message stating that the app was blocked from opening.
  5. Click Open Anyway.
  6. Enter your administrator password if prompted, then click Open on the confirmation dialog.

Method 3: Temporarily Enable "Anywhere" for App Downloads

If Gatekeeper blocks unsigned or older apps entirely, you can temporarily re-enable the legacy "Anywhere" option.

  1. Open Terminal.

  2. Type the following command and press Return:

    sudo spctl --master-disable

  3. Enter your administrator password and press Return.

  4. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security.

  5. Under Security, confirm that Allow applications downloaded from: is now set to Anywhere.

  6. Open your application.

  7. To maintain system security after the app runs successfully, re-enable Gatekeeper by entering this command in Terminal:

    sudo spctl --master-enable

Method 4: Check for Apple Silicon / Rosetta Requirements

If the error persists on a Mac with an M1 or M2 chip, the app may be an older Intel-only application that requires the Rosetta 2 translation environment.

  1. Install Rosetta 2 manually by opening Terminal and running:

    softwareupdate --install-rosetta

  2. Press A to accept the license agreement.

  3. Once installed, navigate to the app in your Applications folder.

  4. Right-click (or Control-click) the app and select Get Info.

  5. Check the box labeled Open using Rosetta if it is available.

  6. Launch the app.