“Apple could not verify”? You're fine.
macOS Gatekeeper shows that warning for any app that isn't notarized through a paid Apple Developer account — it is nota sign of malware. LOCK//IN AI is a fresh indie build, so macOS asks you to confirm before the first launch. Here's how to open it.
“Apple could not verify ‘LOCKIN AI’ is free of malware that may harm your Mac…” This appears once, on first open, because the app is unsigned/un-notarized. You only need to do the steps below a single time.
Open it from System Settings
- Move LOCKIN AI into your Applications folder, then double-click it. When the warning appears, click Done(not “Move to Trash”).
- Open the Apple menu → System Settings → Privacy & Security.
- Scroll down to the Securitysection. You'll see a line like “LOCKIN AI was blocked” with an Open Anyway button. Click it.
- Authenticate with Touch ID or your password, then click Open.
That's it — macOS remembers your choice and launches it normally from then on.
Clear the quarantine flag
Downloads get a com.apple.quarantine tag that triggers the warning. After dragging the app to Applications, paste this into Terminal and press Return:
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/LOCKIN AI.app"The app then opens with a normal double-click.
Removing the warning for everyone requires an Apple Developer ID certificate ($99/yr) and notarization. It's on the roadmap — until then, these steps are completely safe and only needed once.